Owner Might Have Taken the Challenge

Ewing Kauffman, owner of the Kansas City Royals, said the only time he stepped in to make a deal for the club was in 1978, when manager Whitey Herzog threatened to quit if first baseman John Mayberry wasn’t traded.

Mayberry was dealt to Toronto, where he had some productive seasons, and Kauffman now says he should have gotten rid of Herzog instead. In fact, the next year he did.

“Don’t misunderstand me,” he said. “Herzog is a good baseball manager between the white lines. That’s all.

“There are certain people that are not my type of manager. People I wouldn’t have. Billy Martin and Herzog are two of the finest managers there are, but they’re not the Royals’ type of manager.”

Hmmm.

Is Texas Ranger slugger Pete Incaviglia as cocky as they say?

“Cocky?” says Paul Daugherty of Newsday. “Cocky met Incaviglia and blushed.”

Randy Minkoff of UPI, rating the announcers who have been filling in for Harry Caray with the Chicago Cubs, gives top marks to Bill Murray, Brent Musburger, Bob Costas and Jack Buck.

He gives low marks to Mike Royko, Tom Bosley, George Wendt and Jim Belushi.

On Royko: “With little to say, the Chicago columnist would have been better off analyzing Windy City politics.”

On Bosley: “A lifelong Cubs’ fan, he seemed like he was doing play-by-play out of a Glad Trash Bag. He could have used the ‘Fonz’ to wake him up.’ ”

Trivia Time: When Jackie Robinson played his first game for the Brooklyn Dodgers, who was the manager? (Answer to follow.)

Would-you-believe-it Dept.: Wrote Todd Phipers of the Denver Post after quoting Denver Zephyrs President Robert Howsam on Cincinnati Reds star Eric Davis: “Here is the kicker. Howsam says that the consensus in the Reds organization is that teammate Kal Daniels has the potential to be a better hitter because of his superior power and more compact swing.”

Says Buddy Martin of the Denver Post: “Never mind bringing a major league franchise to Denver, just give back the city’s Zephyrs. You might win a pennant with former Zephyrs Eric Davis (Reds), Kal Daniels (Reds), Tim Wallach (Expos), Tim Raines (Expos) and Andre Dawson (Cubs).”

Milwaukee Manager Tom Trebelhorn, on how his mail is changing: “I put the letters up in the hate file upstairs. When the hate file gets to about 50, I’m going to think about getting a flak jacket.”

Trivia Answer: Clyde Sukeforth. In 1947, Brooklyn manager Leo Durocher was suspended before the season by Commissioner Happy Chandler, and Sukeforth managed the team for two games before the appointment of Burt Shotton. Sukeforth was 2-0.

Quotebook

Ben Hogan, to a playing partner who kept griping about his putting: “Did you ever consider hitting it closer to the hole?”