Long-Ago Closer Gets a Chance to Finish It

Joe Grzenda, who was on the mound for the Washington Senators in their final game in 1971, will be back on the mound for the Washington Nationals’ home opener April 14 against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Grzenda, a reliever, never got to record the final out in 1971 because fans swarmed the field going after souvenirs and the game was called.

The Baltimore Sun reported that the plan on April 14 is for Grzenda, 67, to symbolically throw his final pitch with the same ball he used in 1971. He has held on to it for 34 years.

Grzenda will be giving new meaning to the term “long reliever.”

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Trivia time: When the University of San Francisco defeated Iowa for the NCAA basketball championship in 1956, who was named outstanding player of the Final Four?

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Colorful promotions: Included in the promotional plans of the Chicago White Sox this season is a “Turn Back the Clock” night June 18. The Dodgers and the White Sox will wear 1959 replica uniforms during the first Dodger visit to Chicago’s South Side since the 1959 World Series.

But if you think those uniforms might look odd, wait until the Angels are in Chicago on Sept. 9 for “Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day” night. The White Sox will wear green pinstriped uniforms and green caps.

And, if the Angels do as well as prognosticators are saying they will, the White Sox may be green with envy as well.

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Out of tune: The White Sox’s promotional schedule also includes “Rat Pack Night,” which is billed as “a tribute to the music of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop.”

Yes, who doesn’t enjoy the music of Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop?

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Bee material: A swarm of bees caused a Colorado-Arizona exhibition game March 24 to be called after five innings, prompting comedy writer Alex Kaseberg to quip: “After the game, five players tested positive for pollen.”

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Tan line: Randy Turner of the Winnipeg Free Press, after the Baltimore Orioles’ Marty Cordova had burned his face in a tanning salon:

“Cordova is the first major league baseball player injured in bathing practice.”

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Looking back: On this day in 1995, UCLA won its 11th national basketball championship with an 89-78 victory over Arkansas.

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Trivia answer: Hal “King” Lear of Temple, despite Bill Russell’s scoring 26 points and grabbing a Final Four-record 27 rebounds in the title game for San Francisco. Lear scored 48 points in the third-place game against Southern Methodist after scoring 32 in a semifinal loss to Iowa.

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And finally: Why didn’t Kobe Bryant have more to say when Chucky Atkins called him the general manager?

“Kobe would’ve liked to have said more, but he was busy arranging Atkins’ trade to the Charlotte Bobcats,” wrote Brad Dickson of Sportsfanmagazine.com.

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Larry Stewart can be reached at larry.stewart@latimes.com.