Notes on a Scorecard - Oct. 4, 1990

The surest way for the Kings to contend for the Stanley Cup championship would be to change divisions. . . .

Pity the Smythies. You beat Calgary in the playoffs and then you’ve got to beat Edmonton. Or the other way around. But not even Bruce McNall has been able to buy his way into the Norris Division, so the Kings must open another season tonight as a member of the mighty Smythe. . . .

Next best thing McNall could do would be to tighten what has been a sieve of a defense. He and General Manager Rogie Vachon took an unusual tack in the off-season. They didn’t make a single major transaction. But maybe it wasn’t such a terrible idea. . . .

Some reasons why the goals-against average should be reduced from 4.17: Goaltender Kelly Hrudey is physically sound; defenseman Rob Blake will play his first complete season; speedy forwards Tomas Sandstrom and Tony Granato also will be here full time, and Coach Tom Webster is preaching two-way hockey. . . .

I was rooting for George Brett to win the American League batting title until he chickened out and chose not to play Tuesday night. . . .

Ted Williams could have sat out the last day of the 1941 season and hit .400. Instead, he played both games of a doubleheader, went six for eight and wound up hitting .406. . . .

Among those picking the underdog in the National League championship series is Tom Lasorda. . . .

“Of course, I’ve gotta go with the team from our division,” the Dodger manager said. “But I’ve got a good reason. Pennants are won and lost by the bullpen. Cincinnati has as good a bullpen as I’ve seen in a long while.”. . .

Lasorda believes the Dodgers’ most damaging loss this season was Sept. 16 at Riverfront Stadium, when they loaded the bases three times and couldn’t score. “That meant a difference of two games because we were playing the Reds,” he said. “Those games when we blew the big leads--10 and seven runs--meant only one game in the standings.”. . .

Lasorda on 1990: “It was a great year in the respect of where we came from, but to get so close and never catch the Reds was disappointing. I’m proud of these guys. It wasn’t for lack of effort that we didn’t win. And I congratulate the Reds for the job they did.”. . .

Lasorda’s next trip will be to New York, where he will ride down Fifth Avenue as grand marshal of the Columbus Day parade. . . .

The San Diego Padres, who are accustomed to lesser renditions, heard the national anthem sung the way it should be by Katey Sagal before Tuesday night’s game at Dodger Stadium. . . . Bob Welch’s 27 wins for the Oakland Athletics is an outstanding achievement, but Steve Carlton was out of sight when he went 27-10 in 1972 for a Philadelphia Phillies team that was 59-97. . . .

Former Dodger general manager Al Campanis says the split-finger pitch has made scouting a lot more difficult. “It used to be that you could look at a pitcher and say he’s too short to make it,” Campanis said. “Now, he may not be too short if he’s got that split-finger.”. . . The Padres have made a step in the right direction by hiring Joe McIlvaine, who developed the New York Mets’ farm system. . . .

Look-alikes: Wayne Gretzky and Sean Penn. . . .

Notre Dame, the top-ranked college football team in the nation, isn’t in the top 10 of any NCAA team or individual statistical department. . . .

Lightning and thunder: USC fullback Scott Lockwood blocked as well as he ran Saturday in Columbus, Ohio. . . .

Don’t fret if you can’t pick up the TNT cable network on your television set. Channel 9 also will show the Raiders-Buffalo Bills game Sunday at 4:30 p.m. . . .

It’ll be interesting to see if Mike Fratello, the other finalist for the Clipper coaching job, dares to second-guess Mike Schuler when Fratello does the color commentary on the team’s telecasts. . . .

Comeback of the year award goes to Jaime Jarrin, the Dodger broadcaster who finished the season strongly after suffering serious injuries in an automobile crash at Vero Beach, Fla. . . .

Most NBA observers think that Jerry West stole Terry Teagle from the Golden State Warriors, conceding that the draft choice the Lakers gave up will be very low in the first round. . . . This is the one time of the year when all four major pro sports are going--hockey begins tonight, basketball training camps are under way, and you know about baseball and football. . . .

One of the best players on the USC women’s golf team is Kalaya Bhaedhayajibh. It’s pronounced just the way it looks.