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Sunday, September 23, 2001

The idea for the Cincinnati Reds to donate a day’s pay to the fund for widows and children of firefighters and policemen who died in New York came from Pete Harnisch, but it was Upper St. Clair’s Sean Casey who did the legwork.

“I went to Casey ... because he is the voice of reason, a good person with a big heart,” Harnisch told Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News.

Casey, in turn, called a team meeting, made the pitch, then put a piece of paper and a pen on the clubhouse table for those wishing to donate. Said Casey: “It was like flies at a picnic.”

Any wonder why they call him The Mayor?

Salute

On one level, we know about the players, the stars, who set aside their careers to enlist in World War II. Ted Williams. Joe DiMaggio. Bob Feller. Better than 200 others. But perhaps their sacrifices of 60 years ago were not understood so well until these past 10 days. “You kind of took for granted what those guys did,” Anaheim pitcher Matt Wise, 25, told Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. “But now that it’s hit home, it’s something we think about more, their patriotism.”

Suh-weeng, batter

Davey Lopes would just as soon we forget the record his Brewers set Friday. But hey, history is history. With 10 strikeouts against the Reds, Brewers batters broke the 1996 Tigers’ record of 1,268 whiffs in a season. But that’s only the tip of the strike zone. In one of the more obscure feats still within reach, the Brewers have the “opportunity” to finish with more strikeouts (1,272 entering yesterday) than hits (1,249), something no team has ever managed to pull off, reports The Elias Sports Bureau. Flailing the way into futility history: Jose Hernandez (170 Ks-128 hits), Richie Sexson (165-143), Jeromy Burnitz (138-125) and Geoff Jenkins (105-93).

To help them in their pursuit of infamy (they need help?), the schedule-makers send them to Phoenix for three games Tuesday-Thursday, when they’ll face major-league strikeout leader Randy Johnson in the finale, then allow them to finish the season against the Diamondbacks at home Oct. 5-7. A series in which -- how’s this for cruel irony? -- Johnson could be looking to break Nolan Ryan’s single-season strikeout record of 383.

Twenty and counting

Twenty-and-one. Amazing even for a pitcher who is not 39. Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter insists Roger Clemens’ record should be even gaudier. “It could easily be 22-1 or 23-1 if we had scored some runs in some games,” said Jeter, who homered twice in a 6-3 victory against the White Sox Wednesday that made Clemens the first pitcher to see 20-1 after his name. FYI: Clemens not only will be after win No. 21 Tuesday vs. Tampa Bay, but he goes into the start needing six strikeouts to pass Bert Blyleven (3,701) for third on the all-time list.

Stretch runnings

Notes and quotes from the playoff races ... Robert Person (15-6) has earned the “ace” label in Philadelphia. He has won six in a row and is 11-1 since June 5 after beating Atlanta Monday. ... Since the trade deadline, the Giants are 7-2 in games started by Jason Schmidt -- best among all San Francisco starters in that span. ... The revamped schedule means the Braves will go a major-league high 25 days between home games. Considering that they are 34-38 at Turner Field, that might not be a bad thing. ... There was no pileup of players in the middle of the field. There were no showers of cheap champagne. The Mariners’ American West Division-clinching party Wednesday was like none seen before -- the players lined up behind flag-bearing Mark McLemore and walked around the basepaths. “I’ve never experienced anything like it in baseball,” said veteran Edgar Martinez.

Series of the week

Cardinals (85-64) at Astros (87-60), tomorrow-Wednesday. ... Although both would be in the playoffs as of today, the Cardinals -- second to Houston in the NL Central but first in the wild-card race-- have the more favorable road to the postseason than do the NL Central-leading Astros. Including today, the Cardinals play the Pirates (55-94) four times and the Brewers (63-86) three times when they’re not playing Houston. The Astros, meanwhile, have five games left with Chicago and three with San Francisco besides the head-to-heads with St. Louis. What’s more, the final three meetings with the Cardinals are at Busch Stadium (Oct. 5-7). That puts the pressure on Houston to hold serve at Enron the next three nights.

This ’n’ that

Talk about tough days to bring a child into the world. The wives of Red Sox outfielder Trot Nixon and Indians pitcher Dave Burba gave birth on the same day -- Sept. 11. ... One of the more surreal scenes of baseball’s comeback: Fans in Boston’s Fenway Park standing and singing along to Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” -- home to the rival Yankees. ...

Amount of money Mike Piazza will donate to disaster relief efforts as part of the Mets’ decision to donate their Friday paychecks: $68,306. ... San Diego’s Rickey Henderson needs seven runs to break Ty Cobb’s all-time record of 2,245. ... An example of the demise of the once-model Orioles franchise: They informed Class AA Bowie Manager Dave Machemer he had been fired by overnight letter. ...

White Sox DH Jose Canseco has begun his campaign for a job in 2002: “I’d be a 40-40 guy [home runs and stolen bases] for sure if I played outfield every day. Go ahead and laugh. I’d do it.” And if no team bites, well, the seat in the California 18th District might be open soon. ... Former big-league manager Davey Johnson joined the athletic staff at Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla. ... Haves and have nots: The Rockies drew 30,301 to Coors Field Wednesday for a game vs. Arizona, the smallest crowd in the history of the franchise. The same night in Montreal, the Expos drew 2,887 for a game with Florida. ... Said one fan at Stade Olympique: “I think I had more people at my wedding, and I had a small wedding.”

Shot and a jeer

Shot: Rough in Expos-land? Rumor has it that GM Jim Beattie, a longtime baseball man, is willing to jump ship for that dream job or dream jobs -- the athletic director’s chair at Dartmouth??!!

Jeer: In light of recent events, The Guy doesn’t know what the future might hold, but he is certain of one thing: He doesn’t want to share a foxhole with Boston’s Carl Everett.

Box score lines of the week:

The Cardinals took over the NL wild-card lead with the win."Real typical," said Manager Tony La Russa. "Those RBIs ... were the kind he's been getting all year long. Huge."

How many players collect their first big-league hit sitting in the clubhouse after the game? His second-inning one-hopper off P Kelvim Escobar was scored an error, then later reversed. Which raises the question: What does he put in his trophy case? An eraser?

A tone-setter for a series in which he would strike out eight times in the first three games -- all losses.