Between The Lines

Most Valuable Penmanship. The best handwriting in the American League belongs to Oriole coach Jerry Narron, who, using a cartridge pen, fills out Baltimore's lineup card in calligraphy (below). "It takes as long as it would take if I just scribbled it," says Narron, who claims to have no other artistic ability. Earlier this season an attendant in the visitors' clubhouse in Detroit told White Sox coach Terry Bevington that his lineup card was the second best in the league, to which Bevington took exception. But when the O's and the White Sox met in June, Bevington saw Narron's lineup card and tipped his hat to Narron.

Gone but Not Soon Forgotten. The amazing career of Marlin pitcher Charlie Hough, 46, ended July 26 when he was placed on the disabled list with a hip injury that will require hipreplacement surgery. There has never been a classier, more professional and less pretentious player. Hough's good-natured sense of humor will also be missed. To wit:

Hough on walking five batters in a row in one inning in 1992: "After a while I asked if I could pitch from closer in." On his fear of flying: "I'm not afraid of flying, I'm afraid of crashing." After a seagull was accidentally killed by a thrown baseball in spring training of 1982: "That's what happens when you don't wear a helmet." On whether Ranger pitchers' throwing a football as a drill made them better pitchers: "I don't know, but we're leading the league in third-down conversions." When told by a doctor that he would be able to dance two weeks after knee surgery in 1984: "That's great. I didn't know how to dance before the surgery."