Paul Molitor

The advice comes from many places, and it does little to help the struggling hitter."In a five-day period just a couple weeks ago, I had one person tell me he'd never seen me hunched over so much, and the other guy told me I was standing way too upright," said Paul Molitor, the Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter.The reason for all the scrutiny is simple: Molitor, 38, isn't having one of his typical seasons, the kind worthy of a seven-time All-Star and career .307 hitter.His average has made a slow climb to .243.

Orioles first baseman Rafael Palmeiro is hitting .308 with 12 homers, and is eighth in the AL in RBIs with 46, this after bashing 39 homers last season.But he's not ranked among the top eight AL first basemen in All-Star balloting; Palmeiro is behind No. 1 Frank Thomas, No. 2 Will Clark, No. 3 Eddie Murray and No. 6 Paul Sorrento, among others, and he's not happy about that."It's bogus," Palmeiro said yesterday. "[I'm] going to be overlooked. I'll just take my three days [during the All-Star break]

Neither rain nor rail system can prevent the Orioles from experiencing a day off. It's scheduled for today, and as far as they're concerned, it's about time. How long has it been since the Orioles didn't wake up expecting to play? It didn't take manager Mike Hargrove more than a few seconds to respond correctly. "Thirty-two days," he said, "but who's counting?" Perhaps nobody except the Orioles, who haven't enjoyed a scheduled day off during the second half. They lost a July 30 open date to make up one of the games postponed because of the train accident.

MILWAUKEE -- By the number he wears you'd think Alan Mills was on loan from the junior varsity.He comes out of the bullpen with that "75" on his back and you can almost hear the barb coming from the stands: "He's either an offensive tackle or he's not good enough to get a real number."There was a time in his career when Mills would've had trouble qualifying for a "real" number, but no longer. If Orioles general manager Roland Hemond doesn't have the steal of the year in this righthander, then the Yankees know a lot more than it would appear right now.For the fifth time this year, Mills came in last night and put his grip on a game that had been threatening to get away from the Orioles almost from the start.

Somebody's luck has to change tonight when the stars come out at Camden Yards. The 64th All-Star Game brings together two teams that both could argue that the law of averages is leaning in their direction.The National League has lost the past five years in a row, which would leave room to wonder if they are about due to turn things around.The Toronto Blue Jays, who are representing the American League this year, have lost 10 of their past 11 games, and they can't keep losing forever.Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston has taken a lot of heat for putting together an AL roster that includes seven members of his own team, but it isn't a bad-looking lineup.

With the Major League Baseball Players Association and negotiators for the owners honoring a general media blackout, the two sides have quietly continued working toward a new Basic Agreement. A primary issue -- one that will affect the coming free-agent class -- is whether players will receive credit for service time lost during the strike.As it stands, there will be some intriguing free agents, although it is generally a crop weak in pitching. The potential free agents include:Catchers: Joe Girardi, Kirt Manwaring, Tom Pagnozzi, Benito Santiago and Terry Steinbach.

When Paul Molitor and Dennis Eckersley are inducted into the Hall of Fame today in Cooperstown, N.Y., every kid who ever thought about playing professional baseball should take a moment and think about the meaning of perseverance. Molitor might have ended up with 4,000 hits if he had not had to battle through a long series of injuries that cost him hundreds of games over the course of his great career. He also battled some personal demons in the late 1970s and early '80s, and admitted to using cocaine.

Paul Molitor has played five different positions in All-Star play -- designated hitter, first base, second base, third base and center field -- tying Pete Rose's record.

A partial list of eligible first-time players for upcoming Hall of Fame elections: 2004:Joe Carter, Dennis Eckersley, Jimmy Key, Dennis Martinez, Paul Molitor, Terry Pendleton, Juan Samuel. 2005:Wade Boggs, Tom Candiotti, Chili Davis, Willie McGee, Jeff Montgomery, Terry Steinbach. 2006:Albert Belle, Will Clark, Gary Gaetti, Orel Hershiser. 2007:Harold Baines, Scott Brosius, Jose Canseco, Eric Davis, Tony Gwynn, Stan Javier, Wally Joyner, Mark McGwire, Paul O'Neill, Cal Ripken, Bret Saberhagen.

Quote: "If you'd told me [before the game] I was going to throw a complete game, I would've said you were crazy." -- Tigers' Brian Moehler.It's a fact: Texas finished April with a record 180 runs.Who's hot: Darin Erstad has reached base in 25 of Anaheim's 26 games.Who's not: Twins' Paul Molitor is 8-for-47 (.170) in last 11.On deck: Texas' Aaron Sele (5-0) faces Boston's Bret Saberhagen (4-0) today.Pub Date: 5/01/98