BASEBALL NOTES

Mike Hampton’s record $121-million, eight-year contract with the Colorado Rockies was formally announced, a deal that left other teams scrambling for second-tier pitchers.

Hampton’s contract--the longest for a pitcher since Cleveland gave Wayne Garland a 10-year deal in 1977--became the focus of an industry still trying to figure out how high salaries will go this off-season.

“It’s more money than Mike will spend in his lifetime,” said the pitcher’s agent, Mark Rodgers.

Sandy Alderson, an executive vice president in the commissioner’s office, didn’t appreciate Hampton’s claim that he made the decision because of family.

“The spin to which that deal was subjected, I think, was just an embarrassment,” Alderson said. “I don’t want to hear about the Wheat Ridge (Colo.) school system.”

Hampton, a 28-year-old left-hander acquired by the New York Mets from Houston a year ago, had four offers of more than $100 million, turning down St. Louis, the Chicago Cubs and the Mets.

“What it boils down to is a family decision,” Hampton said. “As a whole, this was the place I could move my family to without taking my kid out of school every three months or so.”

With the loss of Hampton, the Mets have talked to the agents for right-handers Kevin Appier and David Cone.

In another move, veteran left-hander Terry Mulholland, 37, agreed to terms on a two-year contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

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The Texas Rangers plan to talk again today with Alex Rodriguez’s agent, a meeting that could produce a detailed offer for the free agent all-star shortstop.

Ranger General Manager Doug Melvin said Saturday the two sides have only maintained the framework to continue talks. Melvin met briefly with agent Scott Boras on Friday, the opening day of the meetings.

While no specific offers have been made to Rodriguez, who is expected to ask for $200 million over 10 years, Melvin said things could change today when he and Ranger owner Tom Hicks meet with Boras.

“There will probably be a little more,” Melvin said. “I think it’s coming down the stretch a bit.”

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Major league baseball teams have made marginal increases since 1997 in the number of minority employees but the percentage of black employees among the clubs declined.

A survey released Saturday during the winter meetings revealed 764 minorities were among 3,415 people employed by the 30 major league teams on June 30.

That comes to 22%, up from 20% in the previous survey.

The number of black employees among the 30 clubs dropped from 11% to 10%. Hispanic employees rose from 7% to 9%, and Asian employees increased from 2% to 3%.