Schottzie Hawking Dog Biscuits

All right, the Cincinnati Reds win the World Series and make the front of Wheaties boxes. But now there is something really big--a box starring team mascot Schottzie.

Schottzie, the 8-year-old, 170-pound St. Bernard owned by the Reds’ president, Marge Schott, isn’t making the Wheaties front, though. Schottzie is on Wheaty Bone brand dog biscuits.

The box has a picture of Schottzie wearing a Reds cap. There is a paw print below her name. Meaty Bone will also contribute 25 cents from each box that is purchased to a pet charity.

What’s in a name?Cleveland Indians outfielder Albert Belle hit 11 home runs in spring training to earn the starting left-field job, but it hasn’t been easy for the 25-year-old slugger. He spent 10 weeks of rehabilitation at Cleveland Clinic last year because of a drinking problem and played just nine games with the Indians.

Since then, Belle has stayed sober, although there is something else different about him now. When Belle came up to Cleveland in 1989, he was Joey Belle. After completing rehabilitation, Belle said he wanted to be called Albert instead. To say the least, others have noticed that Albert Belle has been a big success.

“I think I’m going to change my name to Albert, too,” said Ron Kittle.

Trivia time: Who is the coach of the Philadelphia Eagles?

He sure did: From a Seattle Times story on SuperSonic center Benoit Benjamin talking about his career as a Clipper: “My years there were like a dark cloud hanging over my head. But I worked hard. I think I showed what type of character I had as a player.”

More Clippers: What’s been wrong with the Clippers? Just about everything, according to former Clipper Quintin Dailey of the SuperSonics.

“The Clippers have always had a scapegoat for everything and everybody,” Dailey said.

“They had Benjamin, of course, all those years. And all of a sudden, (Michael) Cage couldn’t shoot. (Ricky) Pierce was too slow. (Terry) Cummings had an erratic heartbeat. Norm Nixon had the Achilles’ problem. Reggie Williams couldn’t score. Danny Manning’s knees are gone. You can go on down the line. It was always something.”

Obviously, this team didn’t need a coach, it needed Rosanne Rosannadanna.

Eagle has grounded: Newsprint in Philadelphia is a lot less combustible these days. Eagle tight end Keith Jackson has been refusing interviews since he apologized for calling team owner Norman Braman “a moron” and threatening to disrupt the team. Jackson said he is determined to be less controversial.

A hole-in-one?: The week before the Masters, Nick Faldo was in Houston for a tournament that wound up getting rained out, so instead of golf, he spent one full day shopping at the Galleria mall.

“I’m going to give my credit card a bashing,” Faldo said before setting out on this shopping trip.

He returned with a pair of socks.

Trivia answer: Rich Kotite

Quotebook: From Jay Leno on the “Tonight Show”: “The season was off to a great start until Defense Secretary Richard Cheney showed up at Yankee Stadium and closed two bases.”