L.A. Will Probably Split Before Chargers

Don’t hold your breath waiting for the San Diego Chargers to relocate to Los Angeles, says Nick Canepa of the San Diego Union-Tribune:

“The Chargers move to Los Angeles? The place can’t hold onto what it has.

“L.A. might not be able to keep its most storied possession, Hollywood, which not only is threatening to secede from the nation’s second-largest city but plans to vote on secession in November. Well, there’s always Van Nuys, at least there is unless the San Fernando Valley votes to secede as well.

“As for the Chargers, it doesn’t appear as though they’ll be backing up the U-Hauls any time soon. The NFL franchise and its L.A. suitors are discovering Los Angeles is part of California, too. If you’re talking slow, there’s continental drift, followed by trying to get something of consequence built in this litigious state.”

Trivia time: Who was the first Southern Section baseball player of the year, in 1938? Hint: He became a Hall of Fame pitcher and major league manager.

Bench marks: Catcher Ivan Rodriguez of the Texas Rangers has as many Gold Gloves (10) and consecutive All-Star game starts (nine) as Johnny Bench, but he still has some catching up to do with the Hall of Famer.

“I had 15, 16 broken bones and seven broken cups, and he’s only got one broken bone and three cups broken,” said Bench, who presented Rodriguez with his 2001 Gold Glove trophy Monday. “So he’s way behind.”

Guessing game: Carol Slezak of the Chicago Sun-Times says baseball’s latest scandal has spawned a new topic of conversation:

“While Major League Baseball is figuring out what to do about steroids, baseball fans are playing a new game: Name that steroid user. I’ve seen it played many times recently--at the gym, in bars, over dinner with friends.”

Flying fur: Police in St. Petersburg, Fla., are investigating an incident in which the Tampa Bay Devil Rays’ furry blue mascot, Raymond, was knocked over by a man who ran onto the field after Sunday’s game. Raymond injured his right shoulder in the collision, and team officials are skeptical it was an accident.

“If it was an accident, you’d think he would have stopped to see how Raymond was,” team spokesman Rick Vaughn said.

Tasting a title: Steve Duchesne of the Detroit Red Wings spent Monday having a root canal to remove nerves from the two teeth he lost when he took a puck in the mouth in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals. He also lost four teeth from a bridge.

But that didn’t stop Duchesne from diving face-first to try to block a shot in Monday’s Game 4. “I’ve still got my bottom teeth, so I figure I’m all right,” he said.

Trivia answer: Bob Lemon of Long Beach Wilson High.

And finally: Authorities on the Mediterranean island of Cypress are investigating reports that soccer-obsessed children as young as 12 have been placing bets with bookmakers on World Cup games, violating a law requiring bettors to be at least 18.

The father of a 14-year-old said his son has been betting almost daily since the World Cup began, encouraged by a string of wins.

“I don’t know what I’m more angry at, the gambling or the winning,” the father said. “We haven’t spoken in a week.”