BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : AMERICAN LEAGUE PLAYOFFS : Blue Jays Have Stewart and Plenty of Confidence

Right fielder Joe Carter stood in the middle of the Toronto Blue Jays’ clubhouse at Chicago’s Comiskey Park, admiring the haircut he had just given teammate Tony Fernandez.

Rickey Henderson, habitually late, made sure not to change his routine for the playoff series.

Even Manager Cito Gaston, who normally would make Al Gore appear relaxed, told reporters a few jokes.

If this is a team apprehensive about returning to Chicago, needing a victory tonight or Wednesday over the Chicago White Sox to assure their spot in the World Series party, there were no signs of it.

“We wanted to come back,” Carter said. “A lot of us have some stuff on layaway from our last time in. Now we have a chance to pick it up.”

The primary reason for the confidence is that Dave Stewart is starting tonight. Stewart has started nine times in the American League playoffs, going 7-0 with a 1.99 ERA. His teams have won all nine of those games.

“It’s like having Michael Jordan for the seventh game,” Carter said. “He’s in a class by himself.”

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While the Blue Jays were working out Monday morning, Stewart was in a Toronto homeless shelter, feeding the poor on Canada’s Thanksgiving Day.

He got permission to stay behind, then paid his own way to Chicago.

“To me there are people out there, deserving people, who have had bad breaks,” Stewart said Sunday. “We make a lot of money. It’s selfish to make all that money, and keep it to myself.”

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Gaston on Stewart: “What Dave’s doing tells you a little bit about him. When he played in Oakland, he was very involved in the community. The only thing about Dave is, he keeps asking people where the ghetto in Toronto is, and you really can’t find one.”

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White Sox Manager Gene Lamont hinted strongly that Bo Jackson--hitless in 10 at-bats with six strikeouts--will be replaced as designated hitter in today’s lineup with either George Bell or Warren Newson.

Lamont, who was heard screaming at Bell on Saturday while discussing Bell’s criticism of Lamont’s managing, said that he won’t allow their personality clash to sway his decision.

“I don’t like what George said but my first allegiance is to the team,” Lamont said. “It’s pretty much going to be what I think the best matchup is against Stewart. George hit a home run against Stewart and we didn’t get a whole lot of them.”

There seems little to choose from in matchups against Stewart: Bell is hitting .203 with three homers, Jackson .235 with one homer, and Newson is hitless in three at-bats.

Lamont also is leaning toward replacing catcher Ron Karkovice with Mike LaValliere. Karkovice is hitless in 14 at-bats, with six strikeouts.