Making The Team

Cutdown day resembled the unofficial motto of the Washington Redskins this season - go with experience. That is what led the team to sign veterans Deion Sanders, Bruce Smith and Mark Carrier during the off-season. It continued yesterday when the Redskins cut 13 players. The best case study comes with the punters. The Redskins kept 15-year veteran Tommy Barnhardt and released first-year player Rodney Williams. Williams had the stronger leg and was impressive during camp, but Barnhardt provided more stability and consistency with his punts.

ASHBURN, Va. - Defensive end Derrick Ham's play dictates he should keep an eye on the depth chart. If he keeps sacking quarterbacks in practice and in games at his current rate, he will be moving up, even if it is unofficial. But he is not worrying about elevating his third-string status. Ham said he is just concerned with making the team at a position that has depth, quality and experience. "Once you start thinking about whether you are doing good or not, then you start getting complacent," said Ham, a first-year free agent out of Miami.

Ravens rookie defensive end Marques Douglas wants to embark on a law career and some day become a judge, but he doesn't want to start on that journey Monday.Douglas, from Howard University, has been impressive in training camp and the Ravens' three preseason games, but is still one of about 15 players on the bubble heading into today's final preseason game against the New York Giants at PSINet Stadium at noon.The Ravens have to cut 12 players by 4 p.m. Sunday to get down to the mandatory 53. "No, I really wouldn't like to be faced with that situation any time soon," said Douglas, laughing.

If the progression of a new franchise can be likened to that of a child, then the Women's National Basketball Association's Washington Mystics head into their second year of existence in much the same way a toddler approaches the world -- with much more energy than perspective.And while most of that enthusiasm, personified in four-time college All-American Chamique Holdsclaw, is good, new coach Nancy Darsch is to be forgiven if she sees herself as a parent who is trying to teach a 2-year-old the alphabet -- an experience that can be rewarding, but also frustrating.

HAGERSTOWN -- The skies were crystal blue, just a couple of cottony clouds snoozing above the mountains, sunshine dripping everywhere, temperatures cruising to 80, a perfect evening to watch the Hagerstown Suns baseball club, in first place with religion on their side.One problem: Almost nobody showed up for the game.The pretzel man resigned himself to serving a dozen pretzels. The pizza woman rang up 15 customers. The souvenir girl sold one hat, one ball, a couple of 50-cent score cards -- that's it.Never has the future looked so bleak for the future of professional baseball in Hagerstown.

This article appeared in an earlier edition of The Sun.As a youngster, Bryan McDermott played on travel teams in baseball, basketball and lacrosse. So his father, Patrick, never expected Bryan to wrestle when he entered Mount St. Joseph four years ago."One day, he comes home and says, `Dad, I just want to wrestle,' " said the elder McDermott."I'll take credit for that," said Gaels athletic director Tony Brockmeyer, who spotted "this tough kid" in a freshman phys-ed wrestling class. Three years later, McDermott's wrestling skill has earned him a partial scholarship to Duquesne University.

Coach Ted Marchibroda and his staff began shaping the Ravens' final roster yesterday, cutting 17 players, including three draft picks.Among the cuts were Ron Rogers (sixth round), a Georgia Tech linebacker, Colorado safety Ryan Sutter (fifth) and Weber State tight end Cam Quayle (seventh), who became "Mr. Irrelevant" again yesterday after earning the title originally for being the last player selected in the NFL draft in April.The Ravens also put fullbacks Rob Robertson (knee), Tony Vinson (shoulder)

WESTMINSTER -- You walk down the long, dark hallway leading from the locker room, hit the panic bar on the double doors and step into the blinding sunshine.It's a little before 9 in the morning, but already the air feels thick and hot. Before you are two football fields, green and lush and perfectly lined. You stare at them a moment and then slap on your helmet and jog lightly past your new coaches, who look at you like you're a hair they found in their soup.As you run onto the field, some of the few hundred fans in the bleachers look up your number in their programs to see if they've ever heard of you. But, hell, you're a nobody.

They have handled similar situations the only way they know (( how -- with class.One is rich, famous and a future Hall of Famer.The other is a senior at Howard High.Say hello to Cal Ripken and Rachel Grantham."Cal Ripken would rather be playing shortstop, there's no doubt about it," said Howard coach Dave Vezzi. "But Cal's playing third base and helping his team. Rachel's the same way. She's not going to come out and say, 'I don't want to play second base, I want to be pitching.' She's going to help the team whatever way she can, and if playing second base is where she's going to help, that's what she'll do."

There's nothing like a warm, fuzzy baseball story to liven up a cold, snowy day, which might help explain why more than a dozen reporters and photographers converged on Camden Yards yesterday, all hot on the trail of the Free Agent Fan.Surely by now you've heard of The Fan -- a k a Virginia business management consultant Michael Volpe. He's the guy who got so fed up after his beloved team, the San Francisco Giants, traded All-Star third baseman Matt Williams that he sent the team a letter ending the relationship and declaring himself a free agent.