He’ll Wait and See About Ueberroth

As the new commissioner of baseball, Peter Ueberroth has been getting high marks from just about everybody, even George Steinbrenner.

John McGrath of the Denver Post prefers to adopt a wait-and-see attitude. He’s not even swayed by Ueberroth’s selection as Man of the Year by Time magazine.

“Previous recipients,” noted McGrath, “included Adolf Hitler, Josef Stalin and the Ayatollah.”

While conceding that Ueberroth is a shrewd operator, McGrath said: “Forgive me if I choose to sit out the first few dances of Mr. Ueberroth’s inaugural ball. Nothing personal. As a dying W.C. Fields was said to have remarked when a friend discovered the irreverent comedian reading the Bible in the hospital: ‘Just looking for loopholes.’ ”

Jack Kelly, president of the U.S. Olympic Committee and former Olympic rowing champion, recalls when he won the Sullivan Award in 1948: “I remember my sister, Grace, was a student at drama school in New York.

“My father and I came up on the train from Philadelphia and we picked up my sister where she was staying and she was the only woman there at the luncheon. In those days she was known as Jack Kelly’s sister.”

Not for long. After conquering Hollywood, where she won an Academy Award in “The Country Girl” in 1954, Grace Kelly later became Princess Grace of Monaco.

For What It’s Worth: Bill Shoemaker’s victory aboard Lord at War in the San Antonio Handicap Sunday moved him past $99,800,000 in career earnings. Within the next couple of weeks, Shoemaker, 53, should become the first jockey to hit the $100-million plateau.

Add Shoe: In the Santa Anita Handicap March 3, Shoemaker has his choice between Lord at War and Greinton. He said he might leave the decision to trainer Charlie Whittingham, admitting that he himself hasn’t always been the best judge.

“I took off Northern Dancer to ride Hill Rise in the Kentucky Derby,” he recalled.

That was in 1964 when Northern Dancer, ridden by Bill Hartack, held off the favored Hill Rise to win by a neck at Churchill Downs.

The Portland Trail Blazers have been taking a lot of heat for drafting Sam Bowie ahead of Michael Jordan, but CBS analyst Tom Heinsohn says: “They had to take the big man. Guys like that don’t come along that often. And Bowie is going to be a pretty good player, maybe even a really good player. You just can’t afford to pass up big men like that.”

Bowie, slowed by injuries earlier, has averaged 16.1 points and 12.7 rebounds over the last seven games.

Said Kansas City Coach Phil Johnson after Bowie had 21 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocked shots in Portland’s win Sunday night: “He was the key. I like the way he passes, goes to the offensive boards and goes after shots. He has that intimidating quality that makes teams have poor shooting nights.”

Quotebook

Denver Broncos Coach Dan Reeves, on the significance of being named a vice president of the club: “It means I can be fired from two jobs instead of one.”