Former Photographer Randy Johnson May Have Been Feeling Overexposed

I found it a bit strange that USC alum Randy Johnson, the baseball star, would have a sidewalk tussle in Manhattan with a television cameraman (see photo).

You would think that the 41-year-old Johnson would be in a euphoric mood, having signed a two-year, $32-million contract with the New York Yankees, the most famous team in baseball.

But, no. Johnson, on his way to a physical, put his hand up to block the WCBS-TV camera.

“I’m just taking a picture,” the cameraman explained, to no avail.

What’s also strange about the incident is that Johnson was once part of the media, college division.

When he attended USC, he worked for the Daily Trojan newspaper -- as a photographer.

Tall order: Johnson was recruited for the Daily Trojan staff both for his photographic skills and for his height -- he’s 6 feet 10.

He also was used as a giant pass receiver on the newspaper’s football team in the Blood Bowl game against UCLA’s Daily Bruin journalists.

More media matters: A colleague pointed out to me that the Acorn newspaper of Agoura Hills ran a list of entities that have unclaimed funds being held by the city of Calabasas, and guess who was first on the list? Why, the Acorn newspaper, which was owed $1,623 (see accompanying).

I checked with the city to see if the newspaper had noticed its own item, and sure enough, the Acorn had claimed the money.

Darn -- thought I had a scoop there.

More numbers: Reading the renewal statement for his insurance, Robert Parma of San Diego wasn’t sure what type of calendar his company uses (see accompanying).

Thanks for the warning: Shana Gohl of Simi Valley saw an ad for a coffee table that didn’t appear to be in tip-top shape (see accompanying).

Low crimes and misdemeanors: In its “Best (Or Worst?) of the Crime Log 2004,” the Los Alamitos News-Enterprise included these incidents:

* A Cypress resident reported that two men had come to her door “to repossess her doormat.”

* A handcuffed Los Alamitos man entered the police station lobby, requesting “assistance in getting free.” Police complied, inasmuch as the man was not a fugitive. He explained that he had found the handcuffs and -- naturally -- tried one cuff on himself to see if it worked.

* A Cypress woman told authorities that she could detect the smell of a “wolf in and around her house.”

* A Los Alamitos resident “was concerned that a porn movie was being filmed at his residence, saying that an adult female was in front of the residence in black lingerie, holding a black whip.” (Sorry, guys, I believe the filming has been completed since this incident was reported in August.)

miscelLAny: Along Will Rogers State Beach, novelist John Morgan Wilson noticed a sign on Pacific Coast Highway that said: “Watch for Pedestrians When Flashing.” He wondered whether it referred to pedestrians, or drivers, taking off their clothes.