Text messages from press row ...

Josh Beckett exposed the one major flaw in the go-go-go, take-the-extra-base stratagem that has become an Angels signature under Manager Mike Scioscia: It requires actually getting runners on base to make it work. . . .

The Boston Red Sox are known for their explosive offense led by David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, but their team earned-run average of 3.87 led the American League and was one of only two in the majors below 4.00. . . .

Opponents batted a league-low .247 against the Red Sox. . . .

Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki of the Colorado Rockies, who had a home run and a double Thursday and is the probable National League rookie of the year, is one of three former Long Beach State shortstops active in the majors. . . .

The others are utility man Chris Gomez of the Cleveland Indians and Bobby Crosby of the Oakland Athletics. . . .

Rockies veteran Todd Helton was a backup to quarterback Peyton Manning at Tennessee and rookie teammate Seth Smith was a backup to Eli Manning at Mississippi. . . .

Reader Jerry Sondler of Rhode Island e-mails to report that not only did the 1965 Dodgers of Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale win 14 of their last 15 regular-season games, they won 15 of their last 16, a remarkable eight by shutout. . . .

Koufax pitched three complete-game shutouts and Drysdale two during the Dodgers’ 2 1/2 -week run to the National League pennant. . . .

In another shutout, Koufax pitched the ninth inning for a save. . . .

The Dodgers’ only loss during the late-season tear, by a score of 2-0, was the last victory for the Milwaukee Braves, who moved to Atlanta after the season. . . .

USC’s 1972 national championship team, coached by the late John McKay and regarded by many historians as the greatest team in college football history, will be the focus of a panel discussion and reception Thursday at 2 p.m. at the school’s Annenberg Auditorium on campus. . . .

The session, featuring former coaches and players such as Anthony Davis and Mike Rae, is open to the public, but seating will be limited. . . .

Where is the USC football team’s deep threat?. . .

Nobody would be asking if DeSean Jackson hadn’t spurned the Long Beach Poly High pipeline to USC and wound up instead at California. . . .

The late USC kicker Mario Danelo will be among those honored when new plaques are unveiled Monday on the San Pedro Sports Walk to the Waterfront. . . .

Notre Dame is winless and UCLA unranked after its undressing in Utah, but Saturday’s game still is expected to draw about 85,000 to the Rose Bowl. . . .

Sax fiend Kenny G, described by Golf Digest as the best musician golfer, shot an opening-round seven-over-par 78 Thursday in the Nationwide Tour’s Mark Christopher Charity Classic at Empire Lakes Golf Club in Rancho Cucamonga. . . .

Kobe Bryant & Co. will wear patches on their jerseys commemorating the Lakers’ 60th season in the NBA, including 12 in Minneapolis. . . .

Twenty-seven of the previous 59 ended in the NBA Finals. . . .

If Vladimir Radmanovic struggles to find his shooting stroke again this season and a reality TV show starring Jeanie Buss gets off the ground, a possible theme song for the show could be Warren Zevon’s “Jeannie Needs a Shooter.”. . .

Predicting a playoff run for the Clippers despite the injury that will sideline Elton Brand at least until February, Sam Cassell notes, “You all thought I was crazy when I got here [two years ago] and said we were going to make the playoffs. We made it and y’all said, ‘Damn, Sam do know what he’s talking about.’ ”. . .

Brand, co-producer of the critically acclaimed Vietnam-era POW film “Rescue Dawn,” starring Christian Bale, lists his three favorite things about being a movie mogul: the creative process (“taking a project from inception, a script or an idea, and seeing it up on the big screen”); the insider’s view (“the interaction with the actors”); and, of course, the ego stroke (“seeing my name in the credits”). . . .

Russian tennis player Maria Kirilenko, who lost to Venus Williams in the finals of a tournament Sunday at Seoul, is no relation to disgruntled, trade-seeking Russian forward Andrei Kirilenko of the Utah Jazz. . . .

The garage-rock standard “Dirty Water,” sort of an unofficial Red Sox anthem, was a 1966 hit for an L.A. band, the Standells. . . .

Incorporating the lyric, “Boston, you’re my home [you’re my No. 1 place],” the song blares over the sound system after Red Sox victories at Fenway Park and was performed live by the reunited band at Fenway during the 2004 World Series. . . .

It’s a classic, but the Angels hope not to hear it again tonight.

jerome.crowe@latimes.com