Tartabull

NEW YORK -- Outfielder Mark Leonard was optioned to the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings on Monday night, but he never got there. He was recalled 17 hours later when the Orioles placed Sherman Obando on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring.The club had optioned Leonard to make room on the roster for hot-hitting Red Wings first baseman Paul Carey, then learned that Obando had suffered the hamstring strain during the Orioles' 8-6 victory over the New York Yankees Monday night.

All of the Orioles' attention during this off-season, at least publicly, has been focused on adding another hitter and improving their pitching depth. But there is another area that also needs to be addressed before spring training.The departure of Mike Pagliarulo, who took a megabucks offer to play in Japan, and the presumed departure of Harold Reynolds leaves the Orioles' glaringly short of infielders. Counting Mark McLemore, who spent most of last year in right field, and Manny Alexander, a solid prospect who could use another year in Triple-A, the Orioles have only three middle infielders on their major-league roster.

Ben McDonald's shoulder is sore and he goes on the disabled list. Kevin Brown's finger is dislocated and he's sidelined for perhaps a month. The Orioles are some eight games behind the Boston Red Sox.Much more of this and it could be time to just start planning and playing for the future. Play Manny Alexander every day at second base. Play Jeffrey Hammonds every day in right field (and leave him there). Leave Scott Klingenbeck in the rotation and find out whether he'll ever be more than a guy who just gives you a chance to win. Call up Brian Sackinsky, Jimmy Haynes, Mark Smith, Alex Ochoa, find out what they can do. Find out whether they can help.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Danny Tartabull has survived three years of potential turmoil with the New York Yankees without his placid nature becoming the least bit disturbed.There was the night at Camden Yards in September 1992 when he had nine RBI in a blowout of the Orioles and declined a chance at breaking or tying the major-league record of 12 RBIs in a game by allowing manager Buck Showalter to remove him from the lineup in the late innings as the game got out of hand.There was the night in Milwaukee in September 1993 when the Yankees were trying to stay in the American League East race with Toronto and owner George Steinbrenner suggested Tartabull needed to assert himself more and not be so quick to come out of the lineup because of minor injuries, a charge the outfielder-DH has faced most of his 11 seasons in the majors.

NEW YORK -- The toughest part of signing a $27.5-million free-agent contract, being asked to carry a ballclub, yearning for recognition as one of baseball's elite players and having to do it on the bright stage that is New York is the furniture. You see, Danny Tartabull has none, at least none of his own yet.His new home in Saddle River, N.J., has some pieces of rental furniture. But they are so few in number that Tartabull had to laugh when he described the decor as unintentionally minimalistic.

In their first major player move in more than a year, the New York Yankees made a surprise late offer to Danny Tartabull, and the free-agent outfielder agreed yesterday to a $25.5 million, five-year contract.The deal, which makes Tartabull the fifth-highest-paid player in baseball, came six days after Daniel McCarthy replaced Robert Nederlander as the team's managing general partner. Tartabull became the first major addition to the Yankees' roster since pitcher Mike Witt signed as a free agent on Jan. 2, 1991.

The Orioles' Cal Ripken still leads the American League batting race -- barely.His 0-for-4 in yesterday's 6-4 loss to the Seattle Mariners trimmed his average to .3315, a mere three-thousandths of a point ahead of the Kansas Royals' Danny Tartabull.* JUNIOR TOO MUCH: Another junior, Seattle's Ken Griffey Jr., went 3-for-4, including a three-run homer, and is swinging a .478 bat in his last 46 at-bats.* MARINERS BID FAREWELL: The Mariners became the first team to bid the stadium farewell. They won't be back until next spring.

It will go into the books as another in a series of frustrating one-run defeats, but Baltimore Orioles manager John Oates will not remember it quite that way.The Orioles came back from a seven-run deficit last night -- against two-time Cy Young Award winner Bret Saberhagen, no less -- and still dropped a 9-8 decision to the Kansas City Royals in extra innings.Outfielder Danny Tartabull hit towering home run off reliever Mark Williamson in the 10th to complete a two-homer, six-RBI performance that saved the Royals from what would have been a most embarrassing loss.

BASEBALL American League * New York Yankees -- Agreed to terms with Danny Tartabull (outfielder) on a five-year contract.National League * Pittsburgh Pirates -- Fired Larry Doughty (senior vice president and general manager of baseball operations).BASKETBALL (NBA) * Philadelphia 76ers -- Waived Michael Ansley (forward). Signed Jeff Ruland (center).

2003 voting Hall of Fame voting results (496 votes were cast; 372 were needed for election; x-elected): Player..................Votes......Player..........Votes x-Eddie Murray.......423.......Dave Parker... 51 x-Gary Carter 387 Fernando Valenzuela 31 Bruce Sutter 266 Keith Hernandez 30 Jim Rice 259..................Darryl Kile 7 Andre Dawson 248 Vince Coleman 3 Ryne Sandberg 244 Brett Butler 2 Lee Smith 210 Sid Fernandez 2 Rich Gossage 209 Rick Honeycutt 2, Bert Blyleven 145 Tony Pena 2 Steve Garvey 138 Darren Daulton 1 Jim Kaat 130 Mark Davis 1 Tommy John 116 Danny Tartabull 1 Jack Morris 113 Danny Jackson 0 Alan Trammell 70 Mickey Tettleton 0 Don Mattingly 68 Mitch Williams 0 Dale Murphy 58 Todd Worrell 0 Dave Concepcion 55 Note: Kaat, Kile, Coleman, Butler, Fernandez, Honeycutt, Pena, Daulton, Davis, Tartabull, Jackson, Tettleton, Williams and Worrell are no longer eligible for election by the Baseball Writers Association of America.