Jim Palmer

Before laptops, spreadsheets and VORP, the wizard of Baltimore was winning pennants by following his own internal baseball calculus

3 Short-course world records set by U.S. swimmer Kate Ziegler last weekend: two in the 800-meter freestyle, lowering the mark to 8:08, and one in the 1,500 meters (15:32.90).

JIM PALMER, 61-year-old former pitcher, on his recent wedding proposal: "I didn't have any problem getting down on my knee, but I had a problem getting back up."

Tom Seaver (11-3) vs. Steve Carlton (3-12)17 games, 1970 to '83. Even in Lefty's 27-10 Cy Young season of 72, Mets' Seaver has upper hand: only pitcher to beat Phillies ace twice that year.

Good thing Don Rickles wasn't there. The Sports Boosters of Maryland Headliners Banquet on Nov. 2 was supposed to be a good-natured roast for former Orioles manager Earl Weaver. But after Jim Palmer took the dais and...