Notes on a Scorecard - June 3, 1993

This being June in Los Angeles, it is difficult not to focus on hockey. . . .

But it should be noted that the hottest outfit in the major leagues, the Grasshouse Gang, will return to its native sod at Dodger Stadium on Friday night to open a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves. . . .

“Every ballclub needs competitive people,” said General Manager Fred Claire, who is making the transition from dunce to genius. “We’ve got them.” . . .

Claire brought three of them to Los Angeles during the off-season--Jody Reed, Cory Snyder and Tim Wallach. After 99 defeats, something had to be done. Questions remain about the most expensive acquisition, Todd Worrell, but Claire apparently spent most of Peter O’Malley’s dollars wisely. . . .

“I still think Worrell is going to make a big contribution to our bullpen,” Claire said. “His injury has nothing to do with his past problems. He’s also a competitor.” . . .

Perhaps the biggest surprise to Dodger fans who aren’t familiar with the American League is Reed, the second baseman who spent the last five seasons with the Boston Red Sox. . . .

“We could have gone several different ways at second base,” Claire said. “Jose Lind and Harold Reynolds were available, too. But we really liked what we saw of Reed--an all-out, aggressive player who could turn the double play and was pretty good at the plate. He’s been a great fit.” . . .

Friday night, Reed and the rest of the Dodgers, who have been feasting mostly on a diet of non-contenders, will be tested for class against the defending National League champions. . . .

The starting pitcher for Atlanta will be Tom Glavine. Sound familiar? Could be because he was the Kings’ fourth-round choice in the 1984 NHL draft. . . .

The Dodgers have the second pick in today’s amateur draft. . . .

“I hope we never have the opportunity to draft this high again,” Claire said. . . .

In 1988, the Dodgers took Mike Piazza with the 1,389th pick. . . .

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Mike Fratello is the best of the candidates to replace Larry Brown as Clipper coach. . . .

Clipper guard Mark Jackson says Patrick Ewing is his favorite former Knick teammate. “Through thick and thin, Patrick was always in my corner,” Jackson said. “He’s the only guy on the Knicks I really care about.” . . .

If defense wins NBA championships, you have to like the Eastern Conference survivor. . . .

The controversy in Las Vegas before Monday’s George Foreman-Tommy Morrison fight is about the officials. . . .

Foreman said any referee except Mills Lane would be OK with him. So, Lane got the assignment. Foreman is fearful that he might not get a fair deal because, as an HBO commentator, he criticized Lane’s work during the Evander Holyfield-Bert Cooper and Riddick Bowe-Pierre Coetzer fights. . . .

Meanwhile, promoter Bob Arum is steaming that he will have to pay referees and judges a total of $25,000. Lane will get $6,000 and each of the three judges working the main event $4,000. Another $7,000 will go to those involved in the other fights. . . .

Unbeaten Oscar De La Hoya, who will try to make Troy Dorsey his seventh knockout victim in eight fights on the Foreman-Morrison undercard, has scored 15 knockdowns in 24 rounds as a pro. . . .

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Name game: Branko Zorko is a world-class miler from Croatia. . . .

Don’t you feel sorry for Jim Courier, the poor guy who had to play in the French Open on consecutive days? . . .

Nearly half of the 70 professional competitors in the Mazda Orange County Performing Arts Center Triathlon on Sunday at Mission Viejo, the only U.S. stop on the World Cup tour, hail from foreign countries. . . .

A husband-wife tandem may be in the offing for L.A. United of the Continental Indoor Soccer League. L.A. United chose Carin Gabarra in the third round of Tuesday’s supplemental draft. Her husband, Jim, already is with the team. . . .

Prairie Bayou, who won the Preakness and finished second in the Kentucky Derby, has the style to win the Belmont Stakes on Saturday. . . .

Mr. Consistency: Johnny Mize, who died Wednesday at 80, had at least 100 runs batted in in eight of nine seasons from 1937-42 and 1946-48. He missed three of what would have been prime years because of World War II. . . .

Former King coach Mike Murphy would be a good selection by the Mighty Ducks. . . .

Be aware that the Canadiens also lost Game 1 of the 1979 finals, 4-1, to the New York Rangers in the Montreal Forum before taking the next four games. Of course, those Canadiens had Guy Lafleur, Yvan Cournoyer, Steve Shutt, Jacques Lemaire, Bob Gainey, Larry Robinson, Serge Savard, Guy Lapointe and Ken Dryden.