Eckersley

OAKLAND, Calif. -- It was just another day, another save for Oakland Athletics reliever Dennis Eckersley.During a telephone news conference with Bay area reporters yesterday, he had to cut the interview session short when his son, Jake, swallowed a dime.But, as A's fans have learned over the last six seasons, when the money's on the line, that's when Eckersley goes to work.Eckersley, the most dominant relief pitcher in baseball, became Oakland's third American League Most Valuable Player in five years when the Baseball Writers' Association of America bestowed the 1992 award to him over Kirby Puckett of the Minnesota Twins and Joe Carter of the Toronto Blue Jays.

In his six seasons with the A's, Dennis Eckersley has gone from washed-up starter to strong Hall of Fame candidate.Eckersley, 37, has had two distinct careers in baseball -- the first 12 seasons as a starting pitcher, going from rising star to mediocre journeyman -- and the past five-plus as the premier closer in baseball.It is the second, relatively short period that has led many baseball insiders and Hall voters to rate him a lock to become one of the few pitchers elected to the Hall for his work as a reliever.

Paul Molitor overcame a string of injuries to become one of baseball's most prolific pure hitters. Dennis Eckersley changed roles mid-career and established himself as the model for the modern closer. Each player took an unusual path to glory, but both ended up in the same place yesterday, earning induction into baseball's Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility. Molitor, who ranks ninth on baseball's all-time list with 3,319 hits, was named on 85.2 percent (431) of the 506 ballots submitted by the voting members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

CINCINNATI -- The Oakland Athletics never figured on this, and neither did the oddsmakers who made them a lopsided favorite to win the 87th World Series.The Cincinnati Reds have taken the first two games at Riverfront Stadium and with them a decided advantage in the best-of-seven series, scoring a 5-4, extra-inning victory in Game 2 last night to send the bewildered A's home empty-handed.Center fielder Billy Hatcher followed his 3-for-3 performance in Game 1 with four straight hits last night, setting a Series record for consecutive hits and tying another for most hits in back-to-back games.

Quote: "I'd have them pitching batting practice. If you're tired, take a 2 o'clock nap like a kid in the afternoon."-- Hall of Famer Bob Feller, on pitchers who complain of being overworked.It's a fact: Boston's Dennis Eckersley has passed Kent Tekulve and moved into second place on the career pitching appearance list. Eckersley has appeared in 1,052 games, behind leader Hoyt Wilhelm's 1,070.Who's hot: The Yankees' Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez has allowed just two runs and nine hits and has struck out 28 batters in his last 25 1/3 innings.

That was a bit of an awkward moment after Thursday night's Red Sox-Rays game on TBS. After fellow studio analysts Dennis Eckersley and Harold Reynolds offered opinions on turning points in the game, host Ernie Johnson turned to Cal Ripken Jr. But Ripken said those two already had covered his points. So Johnson went to a commercial. (For more, go to baltimoresun.com/mediumwell)

Jose Mesa and Dennis Eckersley.Bet you never thought you'd see those names in the same sentence when the Orioles traded Mesa for Kyle Washington three years ago.But now here's Mesa, needing just two more saves to tie Eckersley's record of 36 consecutive saves in a season.He's not just a Cy Young candidate, he's an MVP candidate. No other team has more saves.Mesa earned No. 34 with a perfect ninth inning last night in Cleveland's 9-6 victory over the Orioles.He could tie Eckersley before he leaves town.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Welcome back to the sport where nothing is automatic, the sport measured not in time but outs, the sport that humbles even its greatest stars.The Eck blew it.Perot wins the election.The Eck blew it.Anything is possible now.Imagine a team making four errors and recording the greatest triumph of its 16-year history. The Toronto Blue Jays did just that yesterday, in an earthquake of a game.The Jays trailed Oakland 6-1 in the eighth inning with Dennis Eckersley warming in the bullpen.

CINCINNATI -- It is not unusual for Jose Canseco and Dennis Eckersley to be the center of attention in the Oakland A's clubhouse.What is out of the ordinary is for those two to be central figures in an agonizing defeat that leaves chances of back-to-back World Championships in peril.Neither Canseco nor Eckersley offered excuses after the A's 5-4 loss to the Cincinnati Reds last night. And both admitted the A's were in a difficult, though not impossible, situation."I haven't even had time to second-guess myself," said Eckersley, who gave up three straight singles in the 10th inning.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- If the Toronto Blue Jays needed any more proof that this is their year, it came in the late innings of yesterday's marathon victory over the Oakland Athletics in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series.The Blue Jays were down by five runs going into the eighth inning with super stopper Dennis Eckersley warming up in the A's bullpen, but they came back to win, 7-6, in 11 innings to put Oakland on 24-hour notice in this best-of-seven playoff.Second baseman Roberto Alomar saved the game with a dramatic two-run home run off Eckersley in the ninth and catcher Pat Borders won the game with a sacrifice fly in the 11th to put the Blue Jays up, three games to one. Right-hander David Cone can put them into the World Series for the first time in club history when he faces Dave Stewart today in the last of three games at the Oakland Coliseum.