AROUND THE NL : Walker Gave Leyland Joy in Down Season

Jim Leyland bows out as the Colorado Rockies’ manager today, maybe as a major league manager, period. Although the Rockies were a major disappointment, there was one significant highlight to Leyland’s final season: watching Larry Walker.

The Rockies’ right fielder had knee surgery Thursday after having wrapped up his second consecutive National League batting title with a .379 average. He also hit 36 home runs, drove in 115 runs, was 11 for 15 in stolen base attempts and had 12 outfield assists.

“It’s been like a freak show,” Leyland said, using unusual terminology. “The things he does, even when he’s hurt! He’ll sit for three days, never get an at-bat, and then he comes up and gets four hits. He’ll stretch a single into a double, make a shoestring catch, throw out a big run at the plate. If you break it down, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a guy have a better year.”

One thing for sure, no one has ever had a better year at Coors Field. Walker hit a mile-high .461 there.

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Outgoing NL President Leonard Coleman on the Dodgers’ firing of President Bob Graziano: “I think Fox wanted their own man in that position and Bob was perceived to be part of the Peter O’Malley regime. I don’t think Bob ever had free rein to do some of the things he wanted to do. It’s too bad. I found Bob to be an outstanding person and baseball man.”

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Mark McGwire says he hopes to stay in the game when he is through hammering homers.

“I’m planning on coaching some day, or managing,” he said. “I want to teach. I’ve been on top of the game and the bottom. I’ve had injuries that had me thinking of quitting. Young players have to learn to cope with failure if they hope to reach the majors and stay in the majors, and I think I have a lot to offer.”

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Chicago Cub first baseman Mark Grace went into the final series at St. Louis six hits ahead of Texas Ranger first baseman Rafael Palmeiro in their battle to be the hit leader of the ‘90s.

“It’s something I want, and I want it bad,” Grace said. “There have been plenty of guys to get 3,000 or 2,000 hits or hit 500 home runs. But only one guy can say he got the most hits in the 1980s, and that was Robin Yount.

“Only one can say he got the most hits in the 1990s, and that would be a good feather in my cap. I mean, for 10 straight years I’ve been out there every day. I’m not flashy, and I don’t wear fancy shoes or earrings. I just do my job. To get that [title] would be cool.”

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Having now completed two full regular seasons in the majors, Kevin Millwood has a 35-15 record and a 3.29 earned-run average, which puts him far ahead of his celebrated colleagues in the Atlanta Braves’ rotation. John Smoltz was 26-22 with a 3.42 ERA after two years, Greg Maddux was 24-22 with a 4.11 ERA, and Tom Glavine was 21-25 with a 4.13 ERA.

Said Maddux, “Why should that be a surprise? Maybe he’s better than us. You don’t have to have experience to make good pitches. It’s not one of the requirements to be a good pitcher.”

How good have the Braves been? If Maddux doesn’t get a win in relief today, this will be the first time since 1995 they have not had a 20-game winner and it will be the first full-schedule season since 1990 they have failed to have one.