Wooden’s Players Still Have Plenty of Drive

“Amazing” is a word often used to describe John Wooden, who turns 96 Oct. 14. For one thing, the legendary UCLA basketball coach still carries a valid driver’s license in his wallet. And he also owns a car -- a 1989 Ford Taurus.

But don’t look for Wooden to be tooling around the San Fernando Valley area where he lives. He has many drivers, including some of his former players.

As for his car, it has only 35,000 miles on it. You think a used-car salesman might want to get his hands on that one?

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Trivia time: What is the modern-day major league record for most runs scored in an inning?

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Another prized possession: Something else Wooden carries in his wallet -- in addition to a picture of himself and his late wife Nell at ages 16 and 15, respectively -- is a Morning Briefing item.

It appeared years ago -- there is no date on the clipping. It’s about how Joe L. Brown, when he was general manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Wooden talked baseball at length at a dinner in Los Angeles in the 1960s.

Brown was so impressed with Wooden’s baseball knowledge that he offered him a job as manager of the Pirates.

“I told Joe, I don’t know who would have been run out of town first, him or me,” Wooden said.

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Now this is impressive: Of former UCLA All-American guard Mike Warren, Wooden says, “I’ve never coached a smarter player.”

As evidence, he offers this: “He went nearly nine games without a turnover.”

Wooden said no other player has ever come close to that.

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Bonded by the bench: When he was coaching, Wooden used to ask radio announcer Fred Hessler to spread it around and interview more than just the star players. In 1964, the defending national champion Bruins lost their season opener, 110-83, at Illinois and Wooden suggested that Hessler interview Rich Levin, a reserve.

According to Wooden, Hessler, not sure what to ask Levin, came up with this question: “What player on Illinois reminds you of yourself?”

Levin, who is now the head of media relations for Major League Baseball and verified this story, said: “The guy on the end of the bench.”

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Looking back: On this day in 1973, the Miami Dolphins, coming off their undefeated season, beat the College All-Stars, 14-3, at Chicago’s Soldier Field. The annual game was discontinued three years later.

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Trivia answer: As radio announcer Rory Markas noted Wednesday during the Angels’ 10-run second inning against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, the record is 17 by the Boston Red Sox in the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers on June 18, 1953.

The Red Sox sent 23 batters to the plate, had 14 hits, six walks and won, 23-3.

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And finally: UCLA sports information director Marc Dellins’ voice mail message asks that callers leave a short message. The other day, a man of few wasted words left this one: “This is John Wooden. Is that short enough?”

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