Notes on a Scorecard - Oct. 18, 1995

Despite all the concern about how wild cards and an extra round of playoffs might make a mockery of the World Series, what we will have starting Saturday at Atlanta is a matchup of the teams with the two best records in baseball. . . .

It will be the first Indian-Brave World Series since 1948 when Cleveland defeated Boston, 4-2. . . .

I could have sworn that Tony Pena retired about five years ago. . . .

The American League championship series was short on runs--a total of 35 were scored in six games--but long on hours--the average time of game was 3 hours 16 minutes. . . .

It’s fun to watch Omar Vizquel field routine ground balls barehanded, but you can be sure that high school coaches will lecture their shortstops not to try to copy his technique next spring. . . .

Tab the Tribe in seven. . . .

*

Last Saturday, USC and UCLA were at home. . . .

This Saturday, both will be on the road. . . .

What makes it even worse is the conflict between the Trojan-Notre Dame telecast on Channel 4 at 11:30 a.m. and the Bruin-Stanford telecast on Channel 7 at 12:30 p.m. . . .

Notre Dame Coach Lou Holtz makes USC sound like a combination of the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers with Steve Young, that is. . . .

“I see it as an even game,” USC Coach John Robinson said after praising the disappointing Irish. “The last time we were there [South Bend], it wasn’t. I looked at their guys and at us and said, ‘Uh, oh.’ . . .

With LaVale Woods and Leonard Green injured and Shawn Walters ineligible, Robinson expects first-string tailback Delon Washington to rush 18 to 20 times against the Irish and second-stringer Rodney Sermons 10 to 12. . . .

Will Notre Dame be as intense trying to extend its unbeaten streak over USC as the Trojans will be trying to end it? . . .

Then known as Sharmon Shah, UCLA tailback Karim Abdul-Jabbar rushed for 297 yards in his first two games against Stanford. . . .

Donnie Edwards, the superb linebacker the Bruins hope is ready to return Saturday, received a bachelor’s degree in political science in June and is a graduate student. . . .

In their last nine games, USC is 7-1-1 and UCLA 7-2. Bruin sports information director Marc Dellins is happy to report that only Nebraska, with nine, and Florida State, Tennessee, Ohio State, Iowa, Kansas State, and Colorado, with eight apiece, have more victories during that span. . . .

Steve Young’s streak of 62 consecutive starts was one of the most remarkable in sports, considering how often the San Francisco quarterback scrambles. . . .

It doesn’t appear that Tommy Maddox, the former UCLA quarterback who had a zero rating for the New York Giants in the second half against the Philadelphia Eagles, is going to make it big in the NFL. . . .

I was surprised that ABC didn’t show more close-ups of Al Davis in the press box during Oakland’s 27-0 loss at Denver on Monday night. The networks usually isolate a camera on him when things are going badly for the Raiders. . . .

Neither will get much richer racing for a $65,000 purse today at Santa Anita, but Best Pal and Slew Of Damascus have earned $6.9 million between them. . . .

It has been a while since a couple of apprentices as promising as Jose Valdivia and Brice Blanc have appeared simultaneously on the local circuit. . . .

Five veterinarians from North America and Europe will inspect Breeders’ Cup entrants daily the week of the races at Belmont Park. . . .

Former World Boxing Council super-bantamweight champion Paul Banke, who has AIDS, will be the subject of a feature story Thursday on Channel 7’s early-morning news program that begins at 6. . . .

Locked-out NBA referees, who have the toughest officiating job in sports, deserve a substantial raise. . . .

The Pittsburgh Pirates made a mistake when they extended Jim Leyland’s contract through the year 2000. They should have given Leyland, who is the best manager in baseball, a lifetime deal. . . .

The Kings would be wise to send goaltender Jamie Storr, 19, to Phoenix of the International League for another year of seasoning. . . .

Think the Montreal Canadiens, who fired Coach Jacques Demers as well as General Manager Serge Savard after four games, regret not having tried to hire Larry Robinson during the off-season?