Lemmon’s Failing Act Had Writer in Pieces

C. W. Nevius of the San Francisco Chronicle recalls the late Jack Lemmon’s frustration of trying to make the cut at the AT&T; Pebble Beach Pro-Am for 25 years:

“Lemmon once told me that he had a ‘16-piece swing,’ but that seemed to be short by at least three or four pieces. He slowly took the arms straight up in the air, made an uncomfortable lurch left, then brought the club down with the flowing grace of a man who has just spotted a rattlesnake at his feet.

“Watching that display, a friend dubbed him ‘The Human Hinge,’ and Lemmon not only laughed, he sometimes wore a gold bracelet with the moniker engraved on it. You might have noticed if you were not blinded by his stunning all-pink outfit.”

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Trivia time: Who holds the record for the highest single-season batting average since the start of the 20th century?

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We can hardly wait: Jerry Greene in the Orlando Sentinel: “‘It’s not until Aug. 2-4, but this can’t wait. For the first time, all three days of the BASS Masters Classic fishing tournament will be on national TV when ESPN2 provides same-day coverage.

“The thrilling ‘weigh-ins’ will be shown each evening.”

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More Greene: “If you fear we are losing all respect for tradition, be advised strawberries and cream are being outsold at Wimbledon--by frozen yogurt.”

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Surly superstar: Gary Shelton in the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times on Barry Bonds: “For much of his career, Bonds has worked very hard at being unlikable. He could be the most popular man in his sport--hey, he has the most talent--if he chooses. Instead, he has made it a point to keep people, including his teammates, at a distance.

“Once, in a slump, Bonds talked about how difficult it was struggling the way he was. Then he looked at a teammate and said, ‘You must feel like this all the time.’ ”

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More on Bonds: Orel Hershiser, former Dodger pitcher and now an ESPN broadcaster in an interview with Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News:

“I think Barry is a baseball genius. The guy is very smart, he has world-class tools. and now we’re seeing that he’s got hyper-focus. He has the ability to put it all together, and now he’s outdoing even the age clock too.”

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Complex guy: Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, in an interview with Maxim magazine editor Albert Baines: “Sometimes I look at tapes of my old interviews and I get scared. I gotta be more passive, man.”

* On friends: “I hang out with me. I’m a difficult guy. I don’t have friends.”

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Looking back: On this day in 1933, New York Giant pitchers Carl Hubbell (18) and Roy Parmelee (nine) combined for 27 scoreless innings in a doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals. Each game ended in a 1-0 Giant victory.

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Trivia answer: Rogers Hornsby, who hit .424 in 1924.

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And finally: Cleveland Indian Manager Charlie Manuel is known for his awkward one-liners. A sampling:

* “I’ll tackle that bridge when I get to it.”

* “When Russell [Branyan] is striking out, he’s missing the ball a lot.”

* “I’m going to let the chips fall where they lay.”