AROUND THE NL : Sorry, but This Piazza Trade Isn’t Happening

So the Dodgers have made two attempts to reacquire Mike Piazza from the New York Mets by trade? Forget it.

The Mets regard Pizza as the cornerstone of their attempt to end the Atlanta Braves’ dominance in the National League East and a marquee response to the tabloid dominance of the New York Yankees.

There is no way they would trade him in the first year of his $91-million contract, and the Dodgers do not have enough resources with which to make even a tempting offer.

The bottom line on this story revealed by colleague Jason Reid in Saturday’s editions of The Times is that the Dodgers have made themselves look foolish even trying to reacquire Piazza, even thinking they could.

Dodger General Manager Kevin Malone would not confirm or comment on the story, but knowledgeable sources insist it’s true--a stark admission that Fox executive Chase Carey erred big-time in getting involved where he shouldn’t have when he traded the former Dodger catcher. It seemingly is nothing more than an unrealistic attempt by management to show fans it’s doing something.

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The sequel to baseball’s great home run race has failed to stir the interest it did last year, which is a little surprising, considering there is more to it this year than Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire. The added aspect involves the possibility that Sosa will become the first player to finish with more home runs than his team has wins. Sosa has 59 homers. His Chicago Cubs have 56 wins. It’s going to be close.

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Marge Schott’s controversial tenure as owner of the Cincinnati Reds is expected to end officially Thursday when major league owners, meeting in Cooperstown, N.Y., approve the sale of her shares to Cincinnati businessman Carl Lindner and two partners. The Reds have had an encouraging season and remain in playoff contention, but whether the new owners will give General Manager Jim Bowden permission to increase the $34-million payroll is uncertain. Bowden has two key players eligible for arbitration and is hopeful of signing both: Juan Guzman, acquired before the July 31 trade deadline, and Greg Vaughn, acquired from the San Diego Padres during the off-season.

Vaughn, who hit three home runs in Wrigley Field on Tuesday and six in a six-game span to raise his season total to 36, said Bowden’s hopes and promises mean nothing to him because “I don’t trust anybody in a front office. No disrespect, but these people like to tell you what you want to hear, blow a little smoke to make you feel good, then do just the opposite. I don’t believe any of them.”

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Owners are also expected to approve the purchase of the Oakland Athletics by a group that includes Reggie Jackson, who will be involved in both the business and baseball operations, a potentially dicey situation that could prompt General Manager Billy Beane to leave. Beane is a hot ticket, given the development and success of the A’s, and is expected to interview for the Colorado Rockies’ general manager vacancy, as well as others.

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Atlanta batting coach Don Baylor on the Angels’ managerial vacancy:

“I’d be interested if I got a call, but our season is so far from over, I can’t allow myself to think about what-ifs. Besides, living out there [La Quinta] and being a part of the community since ‘76, when I first went there [as a player], there are just too many positives to be real. But in that way it’s probably one of those things that will never pan out.”