Putting the Cart Before . . .

The newest thing on the PGA’s Seniors Tour is the Centinela training center, a mobile fitness facility .

“Hey, even Billy Casper is in there riding the bicycle,” said Gay Brewer. “Of course, he took a cart to get there.”

A Matter of Priorities: With the Houston Astros, Dodgers and San Diego Padres coming in for a 10-game home stand, here was the headline on the Atlanta Braves release:

“Oscar Mayer Dale Murphy Poster Night, Toyota Sportsbag Night and Black & Decker Seat Cushion Day Highlight Braves’ Upcoming Home Stand.”

Trivia Time: What pitcher holds the Baltimore Orioles’ record for most wins in a season? (Answer below.)

Ouch: From Patrick Reusse of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, crediting Minnesota’s release of Mickey Hatcher and the acquisition of Dan Gladden for much of the Twins’ success: “Hatcher was a liability in the field and running the bases. He couldn’t hit more than a single, and he couldn’t hit when it mattered.

“Every time he came within five feet of an outfield wall, Hatcher went through more ice in the trainer’s room than Jackie Gleason went through in a lifetime of conviviality.”

Now-it-can-be-told Dept.: Oakland’s Mark McGwire told the San Jose Mercury News he really got motivated for the first time after a reporter from his hometown of Claremont wrote a scathing article about him when he was a freshman at USC.

McGwire’s family tried to hide the story from him, but eventually it got into his hands and he says: “I took the story back to my dorm with me and pasted it up by my bed. It was the first thing I saw every morning and the last thing I saw at night.”

Add McGwire: Calling the rookie a delight to talk with, the Boston Globe said: “A New York reporter was so impressed with McGwire that he called McGwire’s dad, a California dentist, to compliment him for raising such a fine son.”

From Tommy John, admitting he doesn’t understand today’s music: “To tell you what I know, two years ago my daughter wanted to see Power Station. I said OK. I thought she wanted to see where they made electricity. I took her to the concert and when I left I couldn’t hear the car radio.”

While negotiating with the New York Giants on a new contract, Coach Bill Parcells doesn’t figure to get much help from George Young after what he said about the general manager in his new book.

Claiming that Young negotiated behind his back with Howard Schnellenberger in 1983, Parcells says: “I think George and I work very well together. But we’re never going to go on outings together, OK? . . . While he was saying ‘No way’ to the Schnellenberger rumors, I was getting different information. I had him meeting with Schnellenberger. A lot. I figured they weren’t drawing up a game plan for Nebraska.”

From Charlie Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press: “Former Twin Rod Carew is enjoying a bonanza with his batting school in Placentia, Calif. Carew charges $100 per hour for private lessons and $35 per half-hour for semiprivate (two students or more) lessons.”

Trivia Answer: Steve Stone, with a 25-7 record in 1980, earning him the American League Cy Young Award.

Quotebook

Coach Marv Levy of the Buffalo Bills, explaining why defensive end Leon Seals, who is nicknamed Dr. Sack, ended his holdout: “I told his agent if Leon didn’t get to camp soon, he wouldn’t be Dr. Sack, he’d be Dr. Bench.”