Maybe Dodgers Should’ve Thrown the Book at Brown

Kevin Brown’s injury is an argument for the designated hitter. . . .

It’s a better argument for teaching proper bunting technique. . . .

You won’t find Brown’s in Al Campanis’ “The Dodgers’ Way To Play Baseball.” . . .

When Campanis wrote the book in 1954, Dodger owner Walter O’Malley advised baseball fans not to assume from the title that it was a comedy. . . .

“I am afraid that the reader, on opening this book, will expect to find detailed accounts of baseballs bounding off the battered skull of Babe Herman, stories of tiny sparrows darting from beneath the uplifted cap of Casey Stengel, and of groups of Dodger baserunners riveted to the same base. . . .

“I promise you that this is not the case. Campanis is referring to the ‘new’ Dodgers, and the reader may expect to learn some very valuable lessons.” . . .

The chapter on bunting, for instance, instructs batters to catch the ball with the bat, not with the knuckles. . . .

Brown is not one of the game’s better bunters. He led the Dodgers last season in sacrifice bunts with 13, but he also failed to advance the runner seven times for a .650 average. . . .

Greg Maddux, in comparison, successfully sacrificed 13 times in 14 attempts for a .929 average. . . .

The major league average in 1999 was .755. . . .

Brown did not bunt for a hit last season, which is what he was trying to do when he broke the pinkie on his pitching hand Saturday against the New York Mets. . . .

Of course, the Dodgers aren’t paying him $105 million for his bunting.

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In Ike Quartey’s corner was Dr. Oko, described as the boxer’s “inspirational conspirator.” In Fernando Vargas’ corner was John Philbin, a strength and conditioning coach for the Washington Redskins. . . .

Sounds like a tossup. . . .

At a news conference Tuesday at the LAX Hilton for Saturday’s junior-middleweight fight in Las Vegas between Quartey and Vargas, I asked Dr. Oko exactly what it is that an inspirational conspirator does. . . .

He had no clue. . . .

A native, like Quartey, of Ghana, Oko Kwate Kwei has a Ph.D in political science from the University of Georgia. He said he is more like the boxer’s psychologist but allows promoters to call him anything they want to conjure up stereotypical images of Quartey as a warrior from deepest, darkest Africa. . . .

Before Quartey’s fight last year against Oscar De La Hoya, Dr. Oko was known as a “spiritual advisor.” . . .

I’m not sure who advised Quartey to bleach his hair blond. . . .

Meantime, Vargas’ hair, which had been blond, is back to its natural brown, ruining the promoter’s vision of advertising the fighters as “Blond Bombshells.” . . .

Gary Shaw of Main Events knew that Vargas was serious about this fight when the boxer from Oxnard called six weeks ago and asked for a strength coach. . . .

“When do you want him?” Shaw asked. . . .

“Tonight,” Vargas said. . . .

Enter Philbin, who, besides working with NFL players, is a former Olympic bobsledder. He coached the U.S. team during the Winter Games of 1988 and ’92.

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The new Cancer Center at White Memorial Medical Center will be named today for Oscar De La Hoya’s late mother, Cecilia. . . .

The hospital reports that De La Hoya made a “generous” donation. . . .

It might not have been what Pat Riley likes to call a “statement game,” but Seattle no doubt got the message in the loss Monday night at Staples Center. . . .

If the SuperSonics can’t beat the Lakers when Shaquille O’Neal is out, they can’t very well expect to challenge them when he’s back during the playoffs. . . .

O’Neal’s ankle sprain is too convenient. . . .

Phil Jackson might not be ecstatic about it, but it’s the perfect time for O’Neal to take some time off. . . .

It would be different if Laker management had found a reliable backup to give him some rest during the season. . . .

Danny Farmer had his fastest 40-yard dash time--4.48 seconds--of the spring while working out for the Redskins this week at UC Irvine. . . .

The U.S. basketball team in the Dada All-Star Classic on Saturday at the Long Beach Pyramid includes T.J. Cummings, a UCLA recruit from Flossmoor, Ill., and Desmon Farmer, a USC recruit from Flint. Mich. . . .

I thought all those Flint kids were supposed to go to Michigan State. . . .

The West team includes Andrew Zahn of Redondo Union and Travon Bryant of Long Beach Jordan. . . .

Just as all of those who know everything about baseball predicted, Angel pitchers going into Tuesday night’s game lead the major leagues in earned-run average, 3.02, and opponents’ batting average, .210. . . .

Wait until they get a true test. So far, the only series they’ve completed have been against the Yankees and Red Sox.

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Randy Harvey can be reached at his e-mail address: randy.harvey@latimes.com.