BASEBALL MISCELLANY

NAMES AND NUMBERS

Ryan’s Route: The Texas Rangers delayed Nolan Ryan’s first start of the second half, representing a bid for his 298th career victory, until Saturday so that Ryan wouldn’t have to face Baltimore during a three-game series starting Monday. The Orioles, through good years and bad, inexplicably own Ryan. He has a career record of 5-16--1-11 since pitching a no-hitter--against them, including an 0-9 record in his last 12 starts, and has not beaten them since April 20, 1980. Ryan (9-4) beat Detroit Saturday night.

Robin’s Egg: The Milwaukee Brewers’ Robin Yount, the American League’s most valuable player in 1989, opened the second half of the 1990 season with a .239 batting average and a .217 average with runners in scoring position. Yount has not hit less than .277 since 1982 and never less than .250, his average as an 18-year-old rookie in 1974. Yount is 34, and the Brewers are concerned that (a) he refuses to recognize he must finally make adjustments and (b) he refuses to work with hitting instructor Don Baylor because he doesn’t subscribe to Baylor’s use of videos.

Murphy’s Law: If Yount is displaying stubbornness, the Atlanta Braves may be doing the same in regard to veteran Dale Murphy. The statistics indicate that it may be time for Murphy to start platooning. He opened the second half with a .319 average, nine home runs and 25 runs batted in against left-handers but only a .180 average, four home runs and 18 runs batted in against right-handers. The bigger issue: Should the Braves re-sign Murphy, still a Georgia favorite, or allow him to leave as a free agent when the season ends?

Junior’s View: Ken Griffey Jr., the Seattle Mariners’ All-Star, wasn’t that impressed with his first visit to Wrigley Field. Griffey said he preferred the Kingdome. “No wind, no rain, no hassles,” he explained.

Reds’ Shuffle: Rookie Chris Hammond, who was 10-1 at Nashville, will start for Cincinnati against the New York Mets today with a shot at becoming the Reds’ fifth starter. In another rotation move, the Reds have sent Scott Scudder, a disappointment as the initial replacement for injured Jose Rijo, to the bullpen and will give Norm Charlton a crack at that spot. Will fellow relievers Randy Myers and Rob Dibble expel Charlton as a Nasty Boy? “When I see my picture crossed out on the T-shirts, I’ll know it’s over,” Charlton said.