BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : WORLD SERIES : Why Aren’t These Guys Talking?

Former Indian power-hitter Andre Thornton, who retired in 1987, said he’s perturbed by the attitude of the young players in the game today and can’t understand why so many of the Cleveland players have been dodging the press.

“There are so many more unhappy players now, guys with a chip on their shoulder,” Thornton said. “I see too many young stars who had a poor relationship with the game and the people in baseball.

“You have to stand up to the scrutiny. Young players need to understand that people will write and say bad things about them when they play poorly--and they can’t take it personally. If they accept the praise for playing well, then they have to take some of the criticism when they don’t. They can’t just say, ‘I’m not talking to anybody.’

“They make it such a business. It is disturbing when I hear a young player say, ‘I’m going to play five years and then retire.’ To me, that is like the guy saying he can’t stand the game--that he is playing because he has to. You wonder what is eating at some of these guys.”

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Leo Mazzone, Brave pitching coach, when asked whether Greg Maddux would be available for Game 7:

“We haven’t discussed it or even talked about it, and I don’t want to think about it right now. Let’s hope it doesn’t come down to that. We’re getting way ahead of ourselves with that.”

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Cleveland Manager Mike Hargrove, who found himself second-guessed after the Game 3 victory for allowing starter Charles Nagy to open the eighth inning, was able to laugh at the criticism.

“Our bullpen situation is good,” Hargrove said, “but obviously after listening and reading what you wrote in the papers maybe it shouldn’t be as good.”

Has Hargrove ever read a newspaper article on baseball that enlightened him?

“No.”

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Atlanta closer Mark Wohlers, who grew up in Holyoke, Mass., says he laughed at all of his teammates complaints over the 29-degree wind-chill temperatures Tuesday night.

“It was good pitching weather, really,” Wohlers said. “I used to pitch when it was snowing in high school. This was nothing.”

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Atlanta pitcher Tom Glavine on finding some way to slow down Cleveland leadoff hitter Kenny Lofton: “I think we need to be more aggressive with the guy. I think we’re making more mistakes because we’re afraid to walk him. We’ve got to be more aggressive.”

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Glavine, on the boisterous crowds at Jacobs Field in Cleveland compared to the quiet in Atlanta: “It’s got to be exciting for those guys. You look at all of the buildings. You see the banners that say, ‘Go Indians’ or ‘Go Tribe.’ Every restaurant you go into people are wearing all this Indians stuff.

“I guarantee you in ’91 that Atlanta was every bit as excited. But you can’t expect Atlanta to capture the same enthusiasm and emotion four years later.”