NAMES & NUMBERS

The Baltimore Orioles lost 13 of John Oates’ first 20 games as manager, an upsetting transition for the former coach and Dodger catcher.

“The first week I didn’t eat and the last two I haven’t slept,” he said. “Between the two, I’m going to be a wreck. I got my hair cut the other day and the guy asked if I wanted him to put some tint in it. I’ve never been asked that before.”

Houston Astro Owner John McMullen, unable to find a buyer for the team in Houston and interested in looking elsewhere, said he sold only nine of 72 luxury boxes this year, an indication, he complained, of flagging interest and support compared to the football Oilers, who sold all 72.

The Astros have had 14 crowds of fewer than 10,000, but how much support did McMullen expect after reducing the team to triple-A level in the hope that a bargain payroll would attract buyers?

It happened in a 35-and-older softball game last Sunday, and it’s no wonder that Stan Kasten, president of the Atlanta Braves and Hawks, refused to talk about it at the owners’ meetings in Santa Monica last week.

Thrown out stealing, Kasten returned to the dugout and was told that the catcher had called him a dirty name. He responded by questioning the catcher’s sexual preferences and was ejected, but didn’t stop.

He continued to belittle the catcher from a position overlooking the field, challenging him to a fight. They later met in the parking lot and had to be separated.

Jim Tyler, a 71-year-old pitcher in the game, told the Atlanta Constitution: “A man of that stature, that’s terrible.”

John Smoltz, a 26-game winner for the dreadful Braves of 1989 and ‘90, is 2-7 for the improved Braves of ‘91, his team 2-11 in games he has started. The rest of the Tom Glavine-Steve Avery-led rotation was 29-14 through Thursday.

The Cleveland Indians, through Thursday, had been shut out nine times and had scored two runs or fewer 31 times, and the pressure may be mounting to trade Greg Swindell or Tom Candiotti to the Toronto Blue Jays, who continue to scout both pitchers.

Tim Wallach, who drove in only 15 runs in the 49 games before Buck Rodgers was fired as the Montreal Expos’ manager, had 12 RBIs in Tom Runnells’ first 10 games at the helm.

Jack Armstrong, the National League starter in last year’s All-Star game, is 5-11 since and has been dropped from the Cincinnati Reds’ rotation. Armstrong has given up 10 home runs in 63 innings after yielding nine in 166 innings last year.

Batterymate Joe Oliver, who joined Armstrong in a spring walkout after the Reds had unilaterally renewed their contracts, had one RBI in 74 at-bats through Thursday, that on a bases-loaded walk.

Oakland infielder Mike Gallego, a .226 career hitter, had been to bat 1,415 times in the big leagues before drawing his first intentional walk from Boston’s Tom Bolton the other day. No one was more surprised than Gallego.

“The first pitch went by and I thought he was asking for a new ball,” Gallego said. “I turned and saw Tony Pena standing there and I asked what he was doing and he said they were putting me on. I couldn’t believe it. My legs started shaking, I got nervous all over and I didn’t know what to do.”