Tractors, Rainbows and Chi Chi

Chi Chi Rodriguez was warming up on the driving range for a seniors tournament when a tractor chugged by.

“Hey, that may be Arnie’s tractor,” said Chi Chi, referring to Palmer’s motor oil commercial. “But I got the hub caps.”

Rodriguez, who was paired the previous day with black golfers Lee Elder and Charles Owens, said they called themselves the rainbow coalition.

“Man, we looked like a peace march out there,” he said. “I kept waiting for Jesse Jackson to show up.”

From former football coach Darrell Royal, admitting that his title of special assistant to the president at the University of Texas is largely ceremonial: “I try to play golf at least once a day.”

Remember when they asked Stan Musial what he did as a vice president of the St. Louis Cardinals?

“I have a darn good job with the Cardinals but please don’t ask me what I do,” he said.

Trivia Time: Former NFL players Don Paul, Gene Washington and Larry Brown share what distinction? (Answer below.)

When the Portland Trail Blazers traded away Mychal Thompson, Steve Duin of the Portland Oregonian recalled some notable quotes by the Bahamian.

--”I hate it when my man scores on me and I hate losing. Those are the only things in life that bother me. That and not having ketchup on the tray when I order room service.”

--On off-season conditioning: “Run? Sure I run all the way from my beach blanket to the soda pop stand. A number of times.”

--”There isn’t much difference between Sam Bowie and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.”

It-had-to-happen dept.: “I’ve never seen Terry Forster throw better,” Angels’ broadcaster Al Conin said Sunday. Next pitch, Andre Thornton dumped it over the center-field fence.

78 Years Ago Today: On June 30, 1908, Cy Young of the Boston Red Sox pitched the third no-hit no-run game of his career against the New York Highlanders. At 41 years 3 months, he was the oldest pitcher to throw a no-hitter.

On this date in 1962, Sandy Koufax of the Dodgers struck out 13 New York Mets en route to his first of four career no-hitters, a 5-0 victory at Dodger Stadium.

Detroit Manager Sparky Anderson predicts that San Francisco, under his old pitching coach Roger Craig, will win the National League West.

“Have you seen some of the lineups the Dodgers have thrown out there lately?” he said.

Add Sparky: Sign on his office wall: “Leave me alone, I’m having a crisis.”

From John Jeansonne of Newsday, suggesting that a franchise player no longer is a savior of teams but one who markets himself through commercials: “Under the new definition, Beowulf wouldn’t be recognized so much for saving the Danes from the monster Grendel as for endorsing the mead he drank between battles.

“Gimme a Mead Light.”

Trivia Answer: There were two of each--Don Paul (linebacker Rams, defensive back Cleveland Browns); Gene Washington (wide receivers for Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers); Larry Brown (running back Washington Redskins, tight end Pittsburgh Steelers).

Quotebook

Sam Rutigliano, on rejecting the head coaching job at Northwestern despite all the benefits the school offered: “The problem is those 11 Saturdays, shaking hands with Bo Schembechler, Earle Bruce.”