Cheap Seats
Now batting, Darryl Strawberg
New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner took his own sweet time in calling up Darryl Strawberry from the minor leagues, but the Straw man wasted no time in expressing his appreciation.
“It’s a great opportunity for myself being able to be back in the big leagues,” he said. “It’s been a very difficult ride, but I’m very grateful Mr. Steinberg has given me the opportunity.”
Your true voice?
Hunch players were happy at Saratoga race track last Friday. Fast Busy won the second race to complete a $15 daily double. The race was named “The AT&T.”
Yeah, but we’re betting the race was a Sprint.
Truth in advertising
Goran Ivanisevic, who once called the thought of flying here “a nightmare,” is starting to like the United States more with every passing shot and every passing day. He’s not crazy about all of it, mind you, but certain portions are slowly becoming palatable.
“It’s beautiful,” the Croatian tennis star said while in Los Angeles for the Infiniti Open. “Can’t say I like the food, though, because it’s terrible.”
Better, however, than Italian fillet of sole, as Ivanisevic learned in beating Marcos Ondruska in the quarterfinals - prevailing after the sole on one of his Italian-made sneaks began to peel back in the third set.
“I had to take off the sole, so I was higher on one side,” he said.
He didn’t have a backup pair handy. After closing out the match with an ace, he chucked the shoes into the crowd. “It’s a bad shoe,” he said, frank as ever and failing to suppress a smile. “I have a contract with them, but it’s a bad shoe.”
Now, if they could only sign Dave Barr
William Floyd of the San Francisco 49ers was nicknamed, “Bar None,” by teammate Ken Norton Jr. back when Floyd’s agent declared his client to be the best fullback in the NFL “bar none” before Floyd had played a down.
That was only the beginning. By the end of last season, Floyd was calling Steve Young “Bar Young,” and offensive tackle Harris Barton, who is Jewish, “Bar Mitzvah.”
Following in the tradition of former 49ers Bubba “Bar & Grill” Paris and Eason “Behind Bars” Ramson.
How about So-So Cal?
With another college football season approaching, USC has issued this media advisory: “In abbreviated references to athletic teams of the University of Southern California, the following are preferred: USC, Southern California, So. California, Troy, Trojans and Women of Troy. PLEASE do not use Southern Cal (It’s like calling San Francisco ‘Frisco,’ or North Carolina ‘North Car.’).”
No mention of whether we can still call it the University of Spoiled Children.
The last word …
“The girls coming out now are ready to win, and they’re only 23 years old. Of course, I can say, individually, I hate them.”
- Alice Ritzman, winless in 427 events spanning her 18-year career on the LPGA Tour
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo