NAMES AND NUMBERS

* RAPID ROBERT: It is only the fourth month of the new year, but Bob Feller, the Cleveland Indians’ Hall of Fame pitcher, calls it his “greatest year” since 1946, when he was 26-15 with 348 strikeouts in 371 1/3 innings and had the second of his three no-hitters.

The Feller Statue at Indians Plaza outside Jacobs Field was unveiled last week, and at Monday’s official opening of the new stadium, there was the dedication of his retired number on a right-field column, visible throughout the stadium. He also joined President Clinton in throwing out the first pitch, then watched Randy Johnson of Seattle hold Cleveland hitless for 7 1/3 innings.

As the only pitcher to hurl an opening day no-hitter--he did it on April 16, 1940, against the Chicago White Sox--Feller, 75, said the other day: “I’ve sweated it out for 50-some years. It’s about the only record I’ve got left except the most bases on balls in one year (208 in 1938). That’s one Nolan Ryan didn’t get from me.”

* DOC’S DEBUT: Dwight Gooden almost always beats the Chicago Cubs and almost always wins on opening day. He improved to 27-4 against the Cubs and 6-1 for openers despite giving up three home runs to Karl Rhodes--and a total of 11 hits and seven runs--in the New York Mets’ 12-8 victory.

Gooden will be eligible for free agency when this season ends, and the Mets will be watching his ongoing transition from pure power pitcher. He has lost what General Manager Joe McIlvaine calls the rising hop on his fastball.

“Hitters tend to sit on his curveball and wait for his fastball,” McIlvaine said. “He still throws hard, but it’s straighter now. He needs to develop a change-up so they have three things to look for. He’s at a point where you have to ask, ‘Is he a 12-12 guy or can he win 18 or 19 games again?’ ”

* THE SHOW: At 32, after 14 minor league seasons, Billy Taylor personifies the Crash Davis of “Bull Durham.” Taylor’s perseverance was rewarded when he made the Oakland A’s pitching staff and worked a perfect inning in the 11-7 loss to Milwaukee on opening day. Said Taylor, of finally reaching the majors: “There is a God.”