Notes on a Scorecard - Aug. 1, 1995

The NL West-leading Colorado Rockies made the most spectacular move when they traded for Bret Saberhagen, but the second-place Dodgers might have improved themselves nearly as much Monday night. . . .

They addressed two of their biggest needs by acquiring a starting pitcher, Kevin Tapani, and a left-handed middle reliever, Mark Guthrie. . . .

General manager Fred Claire got them cheaply enough from Minnesota. . . .

Jose Parra, Greg Hansell and Ron Coomer are performing for triple-A Albuquerque and didn’t figure prominently in the Dodgers’ immediate plans. . . .

Tapani and Guthrie weren’t having much success with the last-place Twins this season, but the move to a contender should give them a boost. . . .

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Thumbs down on Chili Davis and Todd Worrell for conduct unbecoming old pros who are having terrific seasons. . . .

Davis, the Angels’ designated hitter with the .341 batting average, went after a fan instead of a fastball in the fourth inning Sunday at Milwaukee. . . .

He poked the guy in the face after a lively debate at the railing. . . .

It was called a case of misidentification by some eyewitnesses, who said other fans had been heckling Davis more vociferously. . . .

Whatever, a 35-year-old veteran of 14 major league seasons ought to know that the best way to deal with hecklers is to ignore them rather than to acknowledge their presence. . . .

If Davis receives a suspension from the American League office, those foul-mouthed fans will consider it a trophy. . . .

Worrell, the Dodgers’ closer with 18 saves and a 1.96 earned-run average, second-guessed Manager Tom Lasorda for calling upon him to protect a 5-1 lead in the ninth inning Sunday against the Cincinnati Reds. . . .

Worrell said his job is to protect leads of three runs or less. . . .

It seems to me that he is the only Dodger reliever who can be trusted to protect leads of 10 runs or less. . . .

If he had a complaint, he should have aired it to Lasorda privately rather than start a mini-controversy just when the Dodgers were playing some of their best baseball of the season and preparing to begin a three-game series against the Rockies. . . .

Better yet, Worrell should have pitched more carefully to Hal Morris, who hit a three-run home run off him. . . .

How many runs are the Angels averaging a game this wild and crazy season? . . .

About as many as the New York Yankees in 1927. . . .

The most-feared team of all time had a 110-44 record and a lineup that featured Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Tony Lazzari, Earle Combs and Bob Meusel. . . .

They scored 974 runs, an average of 6.32. . . .

The Angels have scored 548 runs in 87 games, an average of 6.29. . . .

Of course, one advantage that belongs to the Angels is the designated-hitter rule. . . .

The American League season record is 1,067 runs, an average of 6.96, set by the Yankees in 1931, when they were 94-59 but finished 13 1/2 games behind the Philadelphia Athletics. . . .

Nolan Ryan will make the presentation Wednesday night when Jimmie Reese is inducted posthumously into the Angel Hall of Fame during ceremonies before the game against Seattle at Anaheim Stadium. . . .

The Angels will wear replicas of the franchise’s first uniforms, circa 1961, on “Turn Back the Clock” night Aug. 26. . . .

A lot of players wore that style of uniform. Fred Haney, who was then general manager, made 41 deals during the Angels’ first two years. . . .

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Los Angeles’ annual pro tennis tournament ought to have a better field than this week’s event at UCLA. . . .

The Miami Dolphins showed a commitment to win one for Don Shula when they outbid the San Francisco 49ers for Steve Emtman, who still has a chance to become a great defensive lineman. . . .

Raider quarterback Jeff Hostetler might scramble more than usual this season. New Coach Mike White thinks running is safer than taking a hit from a pass rusher. . . .

All-time great amateur wrestlers John Smith and Dan Hodge are in town appearing in the motion picture “One More Shot,” which tells the inspirational story of Wayne Boyd, a 1969 NCAA champion from Temple. . . .

I didn’t realize Natrone Means and the Chargers were only about $10 million apart. . . .

A fan shouted, “Dee-fense, dee-fense,” during the charity basketball game at The Pond of Anaheim Sunday night, but the rest of the crowd didn’t get with it. Neither did the players. Final score: Teals 203, Whites 195.