BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE MAJORS : Gun-Toting Fan Threat to Alomar

A distraught female fan seeking a relationship with Roberto Alomar went to SkyDome with a loaded pistol Sunday, Toronto police said.

Tricia Miller, 31, a factory worker from Port Hope, Ontario, was arrested at the SkyDome hotel while Alomar was playing in Toronto’s 9-7 loss to Baltimore.

Alomar was removed from the game in the ninth inning because police wanted to speak to him immediately.

“She came to Toronto with the sole purpose of murdering Mr. Alomar and then killing herself with the revolver,” detective Reg Pitts said. “The gun was fully loaded and cocked and ready to be fired.”

Pitts said Miller had met Alomar once but had no relationship with him. She tried to phone Alomar over the weekend and left a message on his answering machine, but there was never a face-to-face meeting.

“She was frustrated with her attempts to develop a relationship with him, and then developed this intention” Pitts said.

Police took Alomar to his room at the SkyDome hotel, where they found a box left by the woman. It contained several hundred plastic-encased baseball cards, a gold chain with Alomar’s No. 12 and a letter to Alomar, the contents of which were not revealed.

Miller arrived at the hotel at 2 p.m. acting despondent and asked hotel security for medical assistance. Guards found the .22-caliber Smith and Wesson revolver in her purse and called police.

“It’s really sad to hear things like this happening in Toronto,” Alomar said. “You take it seriously when someone has a gun.”

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Baseball has lost about one-third of its fans since last year, according to a Harris Poll. In May 1994, a Harris Poll found 49% of adults said they followed major league baseball. In a survey conducted from June 8-11 this year, 33% said they followed the sport.

Among those who said they follow baseball, 71% said they were less interested than before the 232-day strike. Twelve percent said they were more interested and 16% said their level of interest hadn’t changed.

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The Mariners activated left-handed pitcher Steve Frey from the 15-day disabled list and optioned outfielder Marc Newfield to triple-A Tacoma.

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Some former Negro League players say the Detroit Tigers’ plans to honor them before a game this week is an insult because the team refuses to pay most of the players for attending.