Just Face It, Johnstone Knows How to Get Everyone’s Attention

Jay Johnstone, the 25th player on the 25-man Dodger roster, hasn’t played yet, but he may be leading the team in getting his face seen. For example:

--He’s writing a daily newspaper column in which his mug accompanies each story.

--He’s appearing on a nightly newscast, analyzing games he never plays in.

How’s he dealing with this important role?

“It gives me something to do, and I get to watch a great team play,� Johnstone said, presumably refering to the Dodgers. “Maybe, I’ll get to play some, too. I usually get serious in the fifth inning. I see who’s in the bullpen, and see what might happen in the game. I watch players warm up in the bullpen. Hell, we have binoculars to watch guys out there.�

Anyway, he revealed on Wednesday night’s news show that he’d been responsible for the opening victory, since he’d put a hex on St. Louis.

Asked in a pregame news show on Thursday if he would come in and win it for the team in the ninth, he said: “Nah, in the 14th.�

Tom Niedenfuer was undrafted after his junior year at Washington State. He has no idea why.

But, college roommate, Met reliever Doug Sisk, does.

“Ask him how he did that year against the Lewis & Clark Warriors. The two Blume brothers took him deep.�

Add bullpen: The Dodgers could use Met left-hander Sid Fernandez right now, basically because they don’t have a left-handed pitcher they can turn to late in a game. Fernandez was the guy they traded to New York for Carlos Diaz after the 1983 season, only because Steve Howe had had drug problems.

“Howe really hurt us,� Manager Tom Lasorda said. “You know how badly we need a left-handed reliever. If Howe isn’t suspended (in 1983), we don’t make that trade.�

Add hindsight: Ozzie Smith, looking back at his error in Game 1, said he had a bad hop, blaming a poorly manicured Dodger Stadium infield.

Herzog: “Generally, a good infielder catches those. I don’t think this infield has a bad rep. It’s a lot better this year than last year.�

Lasorda: “What I see of it (the infield) is fine. I think he (Smith) has played on a lot worse infields than this. But I think that ball absolutely took a bad hop (on Smith). I don’t think Ozzie should be blamed.�

Ticket scalping has never been more alive in Los Angeles. The Rampart Division of the L.A. Police Dept. reports that they have arrested at least 25 scalpers on Wednesday and Thursday. The police gathered well over 50 tickets. Sgt. Ken Espiau said: “The scalper activity was so heavy that we arrested several with uniformed officers.�

Something to take a long look at: It’s possible that the Toronto Blue Jays could clinch their American League playoff series against Kansas City on Saturday. And it’s possible now that the Dodgers could clinch on Sunday.

Still, the World Series would start as planned--on Oct. 19. And both teams would have to take a week off.

Dodger Manager Tommy Lasorda gave a post-game talk as his players charged up the runway following Thursday’s game. It was a nine-word speech actually, and it follows:

“What a team! What a team! What a team!�

Mariano Duncan, who fouled a ball off his right foot and was spiked under his left knee, said he will see a doctor today, but said he still thinks he’ll play Saturday.

ESPN’s Lou Palmer saw him hopping around and said: “You look like you need a medical center. You should be on St. Elsewhere.�

Duncan looked elsewhere with a blank stare on his face.

He doesn’t watch American TV.

Steve Sax was nearly hit in the head with a Joaquin Andujar pitch immediately after Greg Brock’s home run, and he stared at Andujar, although he never charged the mound.

“It was so close, I could smell it. But you’ve got to have a lot of restraint in these games,� Sax said. “If you go out to the mound, get thrown out or get hurt. . . . Our team has a lot to lose. I try not to lose control out there.�