Game In Cleveland

Browns@Bills 8:30 p.m. [ESPN] There's a lot of pride on the line in this one. Call this one the Rodney Dangerfield Bowl. After all, don't these two cities lead the NFL in disrespect? I'm reminded of the time Len Barker pitched a no-hitter for the Indians and a baseball writer, told that there had been a perfect game in Cleveland, replied: "There's no such thing."

Browns@Bills 8:30 p.m. [ESPN] There's a lot of pride on the line in this one. Call this one the Rodney Dangerfield Bowl. After all, don't these two cities lead the NFL in disrespect? I'm reminded of the time Len Barker pitched a no-hitter for the Indians and a baseball writer, told that there had been a perfect game in Cleveland, replied: "There's no such thing."

Blast forward Domenic Mobilio and midfielder Mike Stankovic won't play in tomorrow's game in Cleveland and are questionable for weekend games against St. Louis and Kansas City. Mobilio sprained his left ankle yesterday during warm-ups, and Stankovic injured his right foot during Saturday's 6-5 victory against the Crunch.* PLAYERS OF THE MONTH: Cleveland's Kai Haaskivi, who was relieved of coaching duties Dec. 29, has been named the MSL's offensive player for January.The defensive player of the month is San Diego goalkeeper Victor Nogueira, who had the league's only shutout since the goals were expanded.

The Orioles finally are able to team up pitcher Jaret Wright with catcher Ramon Hernandez. It's just not happening in Baltimore. Wright and Hernandez will report to Single-A Frederick on an injury rehabilitation assignment and start tonight against the Wilmington Blue Rocks. Hernandez will stay with the Keys an extra day and serve as their designated hitter tomorrow, while Wright rejoins the Orioles. If everything goes according to plan, Wright will come off the disabled list in time to start Sunday's game in Cleveland.

For tonight's 7: 35 game against the defending champion Cleveland Crunch at Baltimore Arena, the Blast is on the other end of the obstacle it faced last week. Now the Blast is the lower seed and, therefore, was awarded the opportunity to start the best-of-three series in the National Professional Soccer League's American Conference finals at home in front of thousands of its fans. "It is like us last week, when we had to start out in Philly," Blast captain Lance Johnson. "I don't think it's fair for the higher seed to have to start out on the road, but we'll take it. I think it definitely gives the lower seed the advantage.

Angels: California traded infielder Eduardo Perez, a former first-round draft choice, to the Reds for outfielder Will Pennyfeather.Athletics: The biggest crowd -- 11,149 -- turned out to see the game at Cashman Field in Las Vegas, where the A's moved their season-opening six-game homestand because of construction at the Oakland Coliseum.Blue Jays: Cito Gaston managed his 1,000th major-league game. Among active managers with at least 500 games, Gaston's .538 winning percentage ranks third behind Davey Johnson's .576 and Felipe Alou's .558.

You want to cheer on Baltimore's newest team but don't have the $4,000 or so in the cookie jar for permanent seat licenses to take the family out to watch the Browns at Memorial Stadium next year.There's a solution: Instead of waiting for the Browns to come to Baltimore, go to their final game in Cleveland.The Browns' last regular-season game at Cleveland Stadium will be Dec. 17 against the Cincinnati Bengals. There were nearly 8,000 no-shows for the Browns' game Sunday against the Houston Oilers, and if Clevelanders don't build a bonfire with their tickets to the Bengals game, they probably can be bought at reduced cost from scalpers.

There are a lot of people who feel that Orlando Magic guard Penny Hardaway should not be an All-Star. They base their argument on the fact that Hardaway, because of injuries, only played in 21 games during the first half of the season.But don't expect Hardaway to make any apologies about representing the Eastern Conference in the starting lineup of Sunday's game in Cleveland."There's no debate [in my mind] at all," Hardaway said. "I'm healthy, I most likely would have made the team anyway.

CLEVELAND -- Mike Hargrove had briefly considered giving Sandy Alomar the night off, given the fact that the veteran catcher was struggling at the plate and had caught every inning of his team's first eight playoff games. The thought passed quickly."In about five seconds," the Cleveland Indians manager said.Good thing, considering what Alomar did in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series and to the Orioles in last night's 8-7 victory at Jacobs Field. While he did it mostly with his bat -- getting three hits, including the game winner -- he also did it with his savvy.

HAS THE TIME come for Navy and Notre Dame to end their 63-year-old football rivalry? Of course it has -- and it's sad to have to admit that, if you can remember their storied games of the past. The Middies haven't beaten the Irish since '63. Notre Dame is a five-touchdown favorite in tomorrow's game at the Meadowlands."I've seen bigger upsets and so have you," says Navy coach George Chaump. Sorry, George, but I haven't. Navy would go on playing ND forever if only because that and the Army games are its big paydays.

No matter what happens to Omar Daal today against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, he apparently will remain in the Orioles' rotation and take his next turn when the teams meet again at Tropicana Field on Friday. Manager Mike Hargrove indicated yesterday that Daal would receive his fifth start on schedule, even if he continues to struggle. Signed as a free agent in January, the left-hander is 0-2 with an 8.04 ERA in three games. In his most recent appearance, Daal retired the first nine batters before the Cleveland Indians jumped him for seven runs and nine hits in 1 1/3 innings.

Invitations were sent out yesterday for next month's Major Indoor Soccer League All-Star Game in Cleveland with five players representing the Blast. Named as East squad starters from the Blast were defender Sean Bowers and midfielders Denison Cabral and Paul Wright. Defender Lance Johnson and goalkeeper Scott Hileman were chosen as reserves. The game, set for 3:30 p.m. Feb. 17 at Gund Arena, will be the highlight of the inaugural MISL All-Star Weekend. The three-day event will start Feb. 15 and include a skills competition and legends game.

For tonight's 7: 35 game against the defending champion Cleveland Crunch at Baltimore Arena, the Blast is on the other end of the obstacle it faced last week. Now the Blast is the lower seed and, therefore, was awarded the opportunity to start the best-of-three series in the National Professional Soccer League's American Conference finals at home in front of thousands of its fans. "It is like us last week, when we had to start out in Philly," Blast captain Lance Johnson. "I don't think it's fair for the higher seed to have to start out on the road, but we'll take it. I think it definitely gives the lower seed the advantage.

Matt Stover has been under the microscope before. Having spent 10 years in the NFL, Stover is no stranger to pressure, whether it comes with lining up to attempt a game-winning field goal or having to preserve his job with a potential replacement lurking in the wings.For the past month, Stover has faced the prospect of losing his roster spot to Joe Nedney, whom the Ravens claimed off waivers from the Arizona Cardinals. The Ravens were dissatisfied with Stover's distances on kickoffs, a Nedney specialty.

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Looking like an impatient man while completing what he considers the most patient phase of his career, Orioles third baseman Cal Ripken concluded two days of rehabilitation work in Florida yesterday, persuading club officials he's healthy enough to rejoin the club.Ripken, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 17 with nerve irritation in his back, went 3-for-6 against the Minnesota Twins' Gulf Coast League affiliate at Lee County Sports Complex yesterday, and played five innings of defense free of discomfort.

Having made it through two throwing sessions without recurring pain in his left hamstring, Doug Drabek is expected to pitch a simulated game in the bullpen tomorrow. From there, the Orioles' right-hander could go on a rehabilitation assignment before being activated from the disabled list.Drabek has been on the DL since Aug. 1 with a strained hamstring. He threw without pain for about 10 minutes in Cleveland on Friday afternoon, and again for about 17 minutes before Monday's game against Minnesota.

They were 4 1/2 games out on the occasion of the first pitch last night at Memorial Stadium, a fourth straight division title still very much a possibility, but they were just six games over .500 and they'd blown a game in Cleveland the night before and now another pitcher was injured, and you couldn't help but begin to wonder if the pieces were ever going to fit this season.That's a crazy assumption to make about the Oakland A's, of course, because while there have been nights this season when the injuries have added up to a lineup resembling a practical joke -- Riles, Law, Quirk, Bordick, Komminsk, Blankenship, these are the A's?

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. -- Lenny Webster still winces at the leftovers of last season's pain. Doctors inserted a screw to reattach his labrum to his left shoulder, the one that left him with a "lazy arm" for the season's last two months. It's only been two weeks since he's regained sensation in the last two fingers on his right hand, such was the severity of a stretched nerve near his elbow.These are strange sensations for a career backup catcher coming off a season that merited a guaranteed contract for the 1998 season.

CLEVELAND -- Mike Hargrove had briefly considered giving Sandy Alomar the night off, given the fact that the veteran catcher was struggling at the plate and had caught every inning of his team's first eight playoff games. The thought passed quickly."In about five seconds," the Cleveland Indians manager said late Sunday afternoon.Good thing, considering what Alomar did in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series and to the Orioles in Sunday night's 8-7 victory at Jacobs Field. While he did it mostly with his bat -- getting three hits, including the game-winner -- he also did it with his savvy.