Mitchell Sticks in the Needle, Punctures Kelly’s Balloon

That wacky Kevin Mitchell.

The same guy who said he was a “mystery man” during spring training is now a regular Shecky Greene in the Cincinnati Reds’ clubhouse.

Meet the ever-so-tubby Kevin Mitchell, who has been laughing all the way around the bases these days, what with 26 runs batted in and a robust .375 batting average.

Typical Mitchell humor includes such rollicking gags as asking the superstitious Bobby Kelly about a career-high hitting streak.

“Hey, Bobby, how long’s that streak--12 games?”

Told yes by Kelly, Mitchell said: “Now he’s going to lose it. He knows about it.”

What a guy.

Trivia time: When Hall of Famer Rick Barry played for the Houston Rockets, what was his jersey number?

Where the buffalo roam: Harvey Wallbanger, meet Richard Ashe.

And that’s what happened during last Saturday night’s Arena Football League game in Phoenix when Harvey, a 1,500-pound “trained” bison, ran onto the field and then ran over Ashe, a lineman for the Arizona Rattlers.

“I was going to charge at him, but I saw how big it was and decided not to,” said Ashe, stunned but uninjured after the collision. “I was like yelling at his handler, ‘Get him out of here.’ ”

Harvey was supposed to race up and down the field after every touchdown, but he got a little carried away after the first score in the third quarter.

Ashe, who said it was the hardest hit he has received on a football field, was a logical candidate for the incident. After all, he used to play for the Rams.

Safe sets: Just to be on the safe side, the men’s tennis tour has implemented a new policy that includes suspension and public disclosure for any player caught using performance-enhancing drugs or narcotics, such as steroids or cocaine. Players were tested at last week’s Italian Open.

Jim Courier, who won the tournament for a second consecutive time, wasted little time explaining why he supported the new policy.

One, he said he didn’t want to lose to an opposing player just because “somebody had a better pharmacist than I did.”

Two, he said: “I think it is good for the image of tennis in general to be perceived as a clean sport.”

Perceived?

Marlin fever: Not everyone in South Florida is thrilled about the success of the Marlins.

The University of Miami, long a powerhouse in college baseball, has experienced more than a 50% drop in attendance this season.

“Even our hard-core fans walk in the gate with Marlins hats on,” Hurricane Coach Brad Kelley told the Associated Press.

The Hurricanes have also been the victims of a so-so record, the lingering aftereffects of Hurricane Andrew and the retirement of longtime Miami coach Ron Fraser.

“The nucleus of our following is still there,” Kelley said. “The rest go watch the Marlins or stay home and fix their house.”

Trivia answer: He had two jersey numbers: No. 4 for road games, No. 2 for home games.

Quotebook: Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan on a worst-case scenario: “The NHL might be setting up (Commissioner) Gary Bettman’s nightmare: a Toronto-Montreal final.”