BASEBALL : SPRING TRAINING REPORT : Bo (.372) Makes the White Sox; Fernando Sharp

Bo Jackson, the first All-Star in two sports, is set to become the first pro athlete to play with an artificial hip.

The Chicago White Sox exercised the option on Jackson’s 1993 contract Wednesday and assured him of making the 25-man roster.

“I have never worked so hard in all my life, things always came easy for me,” said Jackson, the 1985 Heisman Trophy winner out of Auburn who suffered his hip injury in a playoff game for the Raiders in January 1991.

Jackson’s contract will pay him $910,000 with incentives that could add up to another $1.5 million.

“Bo has been hitting well all spring and he has made steady improvement in his running and ability to play the outfield,” General Manager Ron Schueler said. “He has passed in all areas. His bat has been good all spring. His running has picked up and he is getting a jump on the ball in the outfield.”

Jackson was hitting .372 with nine runs batted in in 14 spring-training games. He leads the team in hits, RBIs and total bases.

In his last season with the Kansas City Royals in 1990, Jackson batted .272 with 28 home runs and 78 RBIs. In 1989, he batted .256 with 32 home runs and 105 RBIs.

“I have never doubted myself,” Jackson said, but “I didn’t expect the kind of spring I’ve had.”

Said Manager Gene Lamont: “I tried not to get sentimental. You could see he could swing the bat. Playing the outfield was the big question. He has moved well enough to play defense. He showed he can still play.”

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Fernando Valenzuela made yet another statement in his bid to win a job with the Baltimore Orioles by pitching two scoreless innings.

Valenzuela faced the minimum six batters in two innings of the Orioles’ 4-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. In four games and 12 innings, the former Dodger left-hander has given up five hits, four walks and no runs.

“I think this is great for me,” he said. “I never had a good spring training; I’ve always been hit pretty good. But I’m surprised that I’m doing pretty good.”

Could he possibly do any better?

“Well, he could have struck everybody out,” pitching coach Dick Bosman said.

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Jimmy Key pitched two-hit ball for six innings as the New York Yankees defeated the Montreal Expos, 2-0. . . . Left-hander Sid Fernandez, who missed his previous start because of shoulder tendinitis, gave up three runs on seven hits for five innings in a New York Mets intrasquad game.