Team’s Attempt at Hardball Doesn’t Work Off the Field

This must be some fancy new theory of public relations: You may recall that the Canton-Akron Indians of the Class AA Eastern League told the local newspaper to keep its coverage positive or forfeit its seats in the press box.

Indian General Manager Bob Auman, in a letter to the Repository, warned that if “a negative article about the franchise appears anywhere in your paper, your credentials will be revoked and you will be asked to purchase a ticket and cover the games from outside the press box.”

The newspaper said it wouldn’t accept limits on its coverage and would buy seats for its reporters, if necessary.

Since then, Bob Stewart, the Repository’s sports editor, met with Auman and quoted Auman as saying, “It’s frustrating to me and the staff here at the Indians to work as hard as we do to produce a good product for the public and get such a negative reaction.”

But the team withdrew its threat, apparently embarrassed at having provoked a negative reaction.

Indian spokesman Scot Berggren said he knew nothing about the resolution of the case, couldn’t comment and didn’t know how to reach Auman.

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Trivia time: Name last season’s six division leaders when the baseball season was called off.

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Needs a life: A 21-year-old AC Milan soccer fan offered to donate his cartilage for transplant to the ankle of injured forward Marco Van Basten.

AC Milan told Paolo Simonetti that his donation could not be accepted for medical and legal reasons. It might have added psychiatric reasons to the list.

“Transplant of cartilage and even self-transplant has proven unsuccessful so far, especially in the case of athletes,” team physician Rodolfo Tavana said.

Van Basten, 31, is a three-time European player of the year who has been sidelined since last March. Simonetti made his offer in a letter to the club magazine, “Forza Milan.”

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$$$$: Memorabilia collectors are already offering money to Baltimore Manager Phil Regan for the historic lineup card from the game in which Cal Ripken Jr. breaks Lou Gehrig’s record of 2,130 consecutive games.

“A lot of money,” Regan said.

So, he’d sell?

“I’m keeping it,” Regan said.

What if the Hall of Fame wants it?

“I might make ‘em out another one.”

What if Ripken wants it?

“I might have to give it to him,” Regan said.

Ripken, meanwhile, is braced for streak-mania. Upon reporting to the Orioles’ camp in Sarasota, Fla., he was obliged to hold a news conference. Said Ripken, “I’m going to retire and play professional basketball.”

He was just kidding, memorabilia-heads.

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Severance: Tim Brando won ESPN’s 600-entry pool on the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

Brando had just been dropped by the cable network.

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Arf: The bear has long been popular as a team mascot, as has the lion, the tiger and recently even the shark, diamondback rattlesnake, manta ray, velociraptor and the mighty duck.

However, there has been scant mention of man’s best friend. Fortunately, before dogs could protest this lack of respect, the Sports Arena’s new International Hockey League entry named itself Ice Dogs.

“We did some research,” team president Greg McElroy said. “We found out that not one NFL, NBA or NHL team was named after a dog and it’s a dog-eat-dog world out there.”

The Portland, Me., entry in baseball’s Eastern League is named the Sea Dogs, but on behalf of pooches everywhere, thanks, Greg.

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Trivia answer: Dodgers, Expos, Reds, Yankees, White Sox and Rangers.

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Quotebook: Former Raider Howie Long, on the theory that Al Davis stage-managed the Rams’ departure to get Los Angeles to himself: “He’s probably been responsible for everything but the Hindenburg.”