Notes on a Scorecard - July 17, 1990

Al Davis might want to move the Raiders to Oakland this season, but the question is whether the Los Angeles Coliseum will let him. . . .

The Raiders have two years remaining on their lease here. The Coliseum can either accept a monetary settlement or, if the Raiders attempt to leave without permission, file an injunction seeking to keep them in L.A. in 1990 and ’91. Why would the Coliseum possibly want a lame-duck franchise? Spite. . . .

Jose Canseco--the 6-foot-3, 230-pound slugger--isn’t joking when he says he’s thinking of hiring a bodyguard. Most heavyweight boxing champions have used one. Some jerk always wants to start a fight, and it’s easy to break a bare hand in retaliation. . . .

Just think what a murderer’s row the San Francisco Giants would have if they had signed Barry Bonds in 1982 after drafting him on the second round out of high school. Another $5,000 would have done the job, but Bonds instead enrolled at Arizona State. . . .

Joe Morgan, the broadcaster, would make a better manager than Joe Morgan, the Boston Red Sox manager. . . .

The most underrated power hitter in baseball is Toronto’s Fred McGriff, who led the American League in home runs last year and has 20 this season. . . .

Kevin Mitchell is so strong that he was able to smash a 430-foot homer off John Tudor in St. Louis Sunday night, although he was fooled by the pitch and hit it off the wrong foot. . . .

Mitchell’s bare-handed catch last year was the best I’ve ever seen. Over the weekend, Felix Jose moved into the second spot and Ken Griffey into third. . . .

Only 802 more strikeouts before Nolan Ryan reaches 6,000. . . .

On Sunday, Atlanta got 20 hits, Kansas City 18 and Minnesota 16. And the Royals and Twins won their games. . . .

The Angels won’t set a record for most different lineups in a season only because there is no such record. . . .

Look-alikes: Jim Everett and Bart Simpson. . . .

During the spring quarter, 199 UCLA student-athletes achieved a grade-point average of at least 3.0. Fifty-seven were 3.5-or-higher scholars. . . .

NBA director of scouting Marty Blake says this about the Clippers and Lakers draft choices: Bo Kimble--”Bo will be ideal for the Clippers.” Loy Vaught--”He’s going to be one of the best power forwards in the league.” Elden Campbell: “No question, he’s a very good pick here.” . . .

High praise, indeed, but Blake had kind words for all 27 first-round picks in the NBA newsletter. . . .

Each letter in Vaught’s first name represents a name of a relative--”L” from Uncle Louie, “o” from Uncle Oliver and “y” from Aunt Yvonne. . . .

Mark Spitz, who is attempting to become swimming’s version of George Foreman, will appear on “Larry King Live” tonight on CNN and then join Foreman at the Goodwill Games Saturday and Sunday. . . .

What does Brian Shaw find so intriguing about Italy now that the World Cup is over? . . .

Don Baylor, Nolan Cromwell, Steve Timmons and Paul Cleary will be inducted into the Orange County Sports Hall of Fame at its 10th annual banquet Thursday night at the Disneyland Hotel. . . .

Are the New York Giants trying to win football games or fights? They’ve hired a kick-boxing expert to work with the players. . . .

When Jerry Seeman takes over as supervisor of NFL officials in 1991, I’ll miss the smile he always seems to wear on his face when he calls penalties. . . .

In a final tuneup for the Goodwill Games, the U.S. water polo team will play Hungary Thursday night at the Belmont Plaza pool in Long Beach. . . .

Those rinkside seats that will cost $205 apiece for King games next season actually are some of the worst in the Forum for hockey. It’s like watching football from the sidelines. . . .

True friends of Thomas Hearns and Mark Breland are advising them to quit boxing. . . .

Rocky Marciano, who could have beaten Floyd Patterson, was one of the only fighters who ever retired too early. . . .

All too typical of the diluted texture of thoroughbred racing was the Vanity Handicap Sunday at Hollywood Park. It’s a $200,000, Grade I event that annually decides the meeting’s female championship. Yet only five fillies and mares, including a betting entry, went postward, and there was no show wagering after trainer Ron McAnally rightfully scratched Bayakoa when she was asked to give four pounds in weight to Gorgeous. So Gorgeous romped by five lengths and paid $3 and $2.10. Ah, for the good old days of full fields. . . .

The Oakland Athletics’ Jose is underpaid--Felix Jose, that is.