Koufax Upset, Says He Was Duped

Sandy Koufax said he is so upset over what happened to the 30 yarmulkes he autographed, he has lost sleep over it.

The Hall of Fame pitcher for the Dodgers in the 1950s and '60s said that when he signed the skullcaps, he was told they were to be given as awards to students at a Jewish religious school. Instead, they were sold for $75 each as collectibles.

Yarmulkes are worn by observant Jews in synagogues and by orthodox Jews at all times.

Koufax said in view of what happened, and because the sports-collectible hobby has been turned into an industry fraught with greed, autographing the yarmulkes was a mistake.

"This has changed my outlook," he said. "It makes me wonder whether trying to be nice to people is the same as asking for trouble."

Koufax made his comments to the New York Post, which recently disclosed that B&J Collectibles in Lakewood, N.J., had sold the autographed yarmulkes.

"I was told they were going to be presented to kids at an awards ceremony at a Hebrew school," Koufax told the Post. "The understanding was that I'd sign for no charge because no money was going to be made from them."

We'll (not) show you

The Detroit Red Wings pulled the plug on a Sports Illustrated photographer at a recent game, so the magazine dropped plans for a cover photo and story on the Stanley Cup playoffs, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.

The beef began when Red Wing management shut off power to the

photographers' station, meaning they couldn't use strobe lights. That angered Mark Mulvoy, the magazine's managing editor.

"During the national anthem, someone connected with Mike Ilitch (Red Wing owner) pulled the plug on us," Mulvoy said.

That meant SI had no fresh photos and, with no pictures, Mulvoy said, there would be no cover photo and no story.

No. 33 for Jordan

Basketball's Michael Jordan is pictured along with Shaquille O'Neal on the cover of SI's May 22 issue, tying the Chicago guard with Muhammad Ali for most SI cover appearances with 33.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is third, with 27, followed by Jack Nicklaus, 23; Magic Johnson, 22; and Larry Bird, 19.

Another 10

Upon learning that Hollywood Park has scheduled its Bo Derek Stakes for June 2, trainer Bobby Frankel said maybe he ought to enter his mare, Possibly Perfect.

Gut check

Researchers at Purdue University report they have developed a surgical technique that removes portions of a pig's intestines and uses them to replace damaged ligaments and tendons in humans.

They said it

-- Tim Salmon, California Angels, after facing Seattle pitcher Randy Johnson: "Basically, I had no idea what to do. I'd come back to the dugout and say, `What is it? What's wrong?' He throws so stinking hard."

-- Tom Trebelhorn, former Milwaukee and Chicago Cub manager: "Baseball has got to be fun, because if it's not fun, it's a long time to be in agony."

He wrote it

-- Blackie Sherrod, sports columnist, Dallas Morning News: "And then there was the celebrated ballplayer who just finished his first book and now will try to read another."

Compiled by Chuck Ashmun, Seattle Times