Notes on a Scorecard - Aug. 17, 1993

The biggest winner in a baseball strike next month would be the NFL. . . .

The Atlanta Braves, who trail the San Francisco Giants by 7 1/2 games, have the same winning percentage, .605, they finished with last season, when they won the National League West by eight games. . . .

That long-awaited Brave-Dodger series that opens tonight in Atlanta matches the teams with the two longest current winning streaks in the league. The Braves have won seven in a row and the Dodgers two. . . .

Jim Gott got a loud ovation when he emerged from the Dodger bullpen to face the San Diego Padres in the ninth inning Sunday. Well, it might have had something to do with Mike Piazza coming out of the dugout at the same time to replace Carlos Hernandez behind the plate. . . .

Roger Clemens thinks he hasn’t been getting the same calls from plate umpires since his run-in with Terry Cooney, who threw him out of an American League Championship Series game in Oakland three years ago. . . .

Maybe, but that doesn’t explain why Clemens has slipped to 9-10 this season after going 18-11 last season and 18-10 in 1991. . . .

Don’t be surprised if General Manager Pat Gillick, who usually gets the Toronto Blue Jays what they need during the stretch drive, acquires a starting pitcher any minute now. . . .

Thumbs up to the NCAA for its new baseball speed-up rule. Beginning next year, a batter must keep at least one foot in the batter’s box throughout each at-bat or an automatic strike will be awarded the pitcher. . . .

UCLA fans will get their first opportunity to watch the Bruins Saturday at the Rose Bowl. Gates open at 4:30, followed by tours of the press box, a scrimmage at 5:30 and an autograph and picture-taking session. There also will be a kicking contest for kids. The public is invited and admission is free. . . .

Advance sales for the Disneyland Pigskin Classic between USC and North Carolina on Aug. 29 at Anaheim Stadium have reached 35,000. Attendance for Texas A&M;’s victory over Stanford last year was 35,240. . . .

John Robinson’s new offense will get an early test from what is being described as North Carolina’s deepest defensive line ever. . . .

Ram rookie wide receiver Sean LaChapelle, who caught three passes Saturday night against the San Diego Chargers, could be nearly as productive in the NFL as he was at UCLA. He might lack blazing speed, but good routes and sure hands mean success at any level. . . .

Among other impressive rookies have been Cleveland Brown tackle Herman Arvie from Grambling and Miami Dolphin running back Terry Kirby from Virginia. . . .

Winners of 14 Olympic gold medals will participate in Pat McCormick’s celebrity golf tournament on Sept. 28 at the Tustin Ranch Golf Course. Included are diver McCormick, discus thrower Al Oerter, shotputter Parry O’Brien, decathlete Bob Mathias and pole vaulter Bob Seagren. . . .

Cal State Long Beach and Memphis State are scheduled to play the first college basketball game at the Anaheim Arena on Feb. 21, but the USC-Pennsylvania game might be moved there from the Sports Arena on Dec. 4. . . .

It seemed strange that Paul Azinger and Greg Norman were asked to play the 18th hole again to begin their sudden-death playoff in the PGA Championship Sunday. . . .

World Cup ’94 without Brazil, which is a possibility, would be like the NCAA basketball tournament without Duke. . . .

Luc Robitaille and several other NHL stars will participate in a hockey game benefiting the T.J. Martell Foundation/Neil Bogart Memorial Fund for leukemia, cancer and AIDS research Wednesday at the Forum. . . .

A Nap Lajoie baseball card was sold for $63,000 at an auction in Beverly Hills recently. . . .

Roberto Duran, who probably will get another crack at some version of some world title, fights the famed Sean Fitzgerald tonight on the USA network. . . .

This could be a big year for George Steinbrenner in more than one sport. His 4-year-old filly Spinning Round is among the future-book favorites for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Nov. 6 at Santa Anita. . . .

Nov. 6 will be a great day to pull up a chair in front of the TV set. Besides the Breeders’ Cup, there will be a full schedule of college football and the Riddick Bowe-Evander Holyfield rematch on pay-per-view. . . .

Track and field promoter Al Franken is picking Carl Lewis, who ran fourth in the 100 meters, to win the 200 meters in the World Championships this week. “Lewis is still a tremendous competitor,” Franken said. “Besides, Linford Christie won’t be in the race.”