Facing Rookie Hendrickson Is No Slam Dunk

Darin Erstad didn’t have much of a scouting report on the new Toronto pitcher, other than knowing that he could dunk.

“I knew more about him as a basketball player than a baseball player,” Erstad said.

He’s Mark Hendrickson, who retired Erstad during his one shutout inning Friday. Hendrickson, 28, an NBA forward turned left-handed reliever, was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round of the 1996 draft and played for four NBA teams before deciding to turn baseball into a full-time job two years ago. When the Toronto Blue Jays promoted him this week, he became the tallest player in team history (6-foot-9) and the 10th man to play in the majors and the NBA, a list that includes Danny Ainge, Chuck Connors and Dave DeBusschere.

Hendrickson, an All-Pac-10 honoree at Washington State, has fond memories of one 1993 game--a 67-56 victory over Ed O’Bannon, Tyus Edney and the UCLA Bruins.

“That was nice,” he said. “I was a freshman, they were running plays for me and I was scared because I didn’t know what was going on.”

That was the game after which former UCLA Coach Jim Harrick famously said: “These are 18- to 22-year-old kids running up and down the court with my paycheck in their mouths.”

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In a Baseball America poll of American League managers and coaches, Mike Scioscia was selected the third-best manager in the league, behind playoff-proven Joe Torre of the Yankees and Lou Piniella of the Mariners.

“It’s obviously flattering, but there’s 1,000 things more important than that,” Scioscia said.

For best fastball, Troy Percival ranked second to Oakland’s Billy Koch.

For best curve, Aaron Sele ranked third behind Oakland’s Barry Zito and the Yankees’ Mike Mussina. For best slider, Ramon Ortiz ranked third behind the Yankees’ Jeff Weaver and Seattle’s Jeff Nelson.

For best hit-and-run batter, David Eckstein ranked third behind the Yankees’ Derek Jeter and Cleveland’s Omar Vizquel. For best defensive catcher, Bengie Molina ranked second behind Texas’ Ivan Rodriguez. Troy Glaus ranked second for best infield arm, behind Texas’ Alex Rodriguez, and third for best defensive third baseman, behind Oakland’s Eric Chavez and Minnesota’s Corey Koskie.

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The Angels have been invited to send players to a Puerto Rican winter league team owned by Boston Red Sox infielder Carlos Baerga and managed by former major league infielder Carmelo Martinez.

The general manager, former Dodger outfielder Candy Maldonado, told Angel officials such players as rehabilitating pitchers Steve Green and Derrick Turnbow would be welcome.

TODAY

ANGELS’

JOHN LACKEY

(3-2, 3.02 ERA)

vs.

BLUE JAYS’

STEVE PARRIS

(5-2, 3.77 ERA)

Skydome, 1 p.m. PDT

Radio--KLAC (570), XPRS (1090).

Update--Garret Anderson set a franchise record with his 43rd double of the season. David Eckstein broke his club record with his 22nd hit-by-pitch, one more than last season.