BASEBALL MISCELLANY : NAMES AND NUMBERS

Collusion II: If $10.5 million seemed a modest price for the owners to pay for their collusion during the winter of 1985-86, the damages seem certain to be higher for 1986-87. The players’ association is asking for $60 million. The clubs acknowledge damages of $15 million to $17 million.

Milestone: Nick Esasky drove in 36 runs in August, tying the Boston Red Sox record for that month set by Ted Williams in 1939 and equaled by Vern Stephens in 1949. If timing is everything, Esasky has it. He leads the American League in runs batted in and becomes a free agent at the end of the season. It is rumored that Esasky, a resident of Marietta, Ga., and a close friend of General Manager Bobby Cox of the Atlanta Braves, is headed home.

1-2 Punch: Everyone talks about Kevin Mitchell and Will Clark, but how about Mitchell and Matt Williams, the San Francisco Giants’ third baseman? Mitchell has 40 homers this year and Williams has 39, 26 at Phoenix and 13 with the Giants.

Power Shortage: Did the Oakland Athletics miss Jose Canseco this season? Consider that Canseco, in his 41 games, has 37 RBIs and 12 homers, projecting to 147 RBIs and 47 homers for a full season.

Bad Timing: Ryne Sandberg, the Chicago Cubs’ second baseman, has hit 26 homers, accounting for only 33 runs. He hit 19 of the 26 with the bases empty, the seven others with one on.

Weird: The Chicago White Sox are vying for the team batting title in the American League, even though they have no one hitting .300. It also appears that their pitching staff will be without a 10-game winner for the first time since 1948, when the Sox won 51 games.