How’s This for Hitting the Wall?

Hall of Fame pitcher Lefty Gomez was such a notoriously bad hitter that one year Babe Ruth bet him he wouldn’t get five hits all season.

Gomez told Phil Elderkin of the Christian Science Monitor: “I was down to pitch the opener for the Yankees against the old Washington Senators and I was ready. Not only did I win, but I got four hits in five trips to the plate.

“I told the Babe after the game that I was already counting my money. Know what? I didn’t get another hit all year!”

Ouch: Said Stars & Stripes tactician Tom Whidden, saluting the Australian fans for their sportsmanship at the America’s Cup: “The biggest difference I see between Australia and where I come from in New York City is if Stars & Stripes and the Kookaburras were going out to the East River for a regatta, they’d throw rocks at the Kookaburras and maybe throw rocks at us, too.”

Just Asking: If talks broke down between NFL owners and players on a new contract, would Gene Upshaw, union executive director, support a walkout before the Hall of Fame game at Canton, Ohio, Aug. 8?

On that day, Upshaw is scheduled to be inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Now that Michael Cooper of the Lakers is being touted as a high jump prospect, you might be wondering if any NBA players ever made good in the event. The answer is yes, although they did their high jumping before joining the NBA.

Walter (Buddy) Davis, who played for the NBA champion Philadelphia Warriors in 1955-56, had been the Olympic champion and world record-holder in the high jump at 6-11 1/2 in 1952.

Dike Eddleman, who played for Tri-Cities, had been fourth in the 1948 Olympics.

Bill Russell, in 1956, tied with Charley Dumas at 6-9 in the Fresno Relays. Russell did not try out for the Olympic team in track, however, concentrating on basketball at Melbourne. Dumas, who broke the 7-foot barrier that year, won the gold medal.

Trivia Time: What do Steve Downing, Glenn McDonald, Tom Boswell, Norm Cook, Charles Bradley and Michael Young have in common? (Answer to follow.)

Where They Are Now: Roy Rubin, who coached the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers, the losingest team in history at 9-73, now lives in Miami where he is involved in social work.

“Seems like every time a team starts a long losing streak somebody calls me,” Rubin told Frank Dolson of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I keep waiting for somebody to call me to do a Lite beer commercial.”

Rubin was fired in mid-season and replaced by Kevin Loughery.

“Somebody sent me a Trivial Pursuit game,” said Rubin. “There was a question about me and Loughery. Who won four games that year and who won five? I won the four; he won the five. He was a better coach.”

Would-you-believe-it Dept.: The Iowa Hawkeyes are 20-2, which means Coach Tom Davis already has won more games than he did in any of his four seasons at Stanford.

His best season was 1983-84 when the Cardinal went 19-12.

Trivia Answer: They were first-round draft choices of the Boston Celtics.

Quotebook

Clyde Drexler of the Portland Trail Blazers, asked to name his favorite kind of dunk: “The kind that go in.”