Sports: Mac should hurry his way back

Mac should hurry his way back

By BRUCE LOWITT

Mark McGwire has forgotten what made him an American icon.

He is not bigger than the game.

The St. Louis slugger, who embraced baseball as a team sport two years ago while the nation embraced him during his home run odyssey, wants very much to play again.

But only on his terms.

In essence, he's saying, "Put me in the lineup or leave me alone."

Tony La Russa wants to activate McGwire on Friday and have him around as a threat to pinch hit. Bad knees or not, just the idea of McGwire in the on-deck circle can cause havoc in an opposing manager's mind. McGwire at the plate with a bat in his hands is worse.

La Russa can see it now. "He can stand up there flat-footed and hit the ball in the seats or draw a walk or get a base hit," the Cardinals manager says. "How do you defend him? You play him to pull and he'll slap it to the opposite field. He's a terrific weapon.

"We don't want to use him that way, but we need every weapon we can get. If he can stand and walk to the plate, then he ought to be on our active list."

Not good enough, McGwire says. He wants his glove as well as his bat. He wants to be a full-time player, as though being a batter but not a fielder would somehow emasculate him.

Hello? Do the words designated hitter come to mind? If the Cardinals were in the American League that's what he'd be right now -- good hit, no field.

Is Jose Canseco less of a man because he sits on the Yankees bench while his teammates go on defense, or while Joe Torre waits for the right moment to terrorize a pitcher?

"You don't want to risk whatever (McGwire) has left of his career," La Russa says. He knows that half a Big Mac is better than none.

McGwire should know it, too, leave his ego in the clubhouse and, for the good of the team and his future, listen to La Russa.

THE RIGHT STUFF: B.J. Surhoff understands.

Bobby Cox decided to hold him out of Monday's game because bruised ribs, the result of being hit by a pitch in an earlier game, affected Surhoff's swing.

The Braves manager could have put him in the field but chose a safer course. Thus ended Surhoff's streak of consecutive games at 445. Afterward, Cox sounded more distressed than Surhoff. "I don't know what to say. "I'm sorry?' "

Surhoff, in essence, said not to worry about the streak coming to an end. "Hopefully you start a new one," he said. "I came up only 2,200 short of Cal." THREE FOR THE SHOW: Carlos Delgado is quietly making a run at a Triple Crown.

Toronto's first baseman went into the weekend tied with Frank Thomas for the home run lead (38), six points back of Nomar Garciaparra in batting (.369-.363) and eight RBI behind Edgar Martinez (123-115).

If he pulls it off he'll be the first Triple Crown winner since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967. But will he be the AL Most Valuable Player, regardless of where the Blue Jays finish?

Hint: In 1947 Ted Williams won the Triple Crown, the Red Sox finished third, the Yankees won the pennant and Joe DiMaggio was the MVP.

One reason DiMaggio won it: MVP voting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America was (and, truth be told, in some cases still is) a popularity contest.

Williams and the writers weren't very fond of each other. Delgado and the media, on the other hand, get along nicely.

While we're at it, if Todd Helton bats .400 or better, does he win the NL MVP Award?

Hint: In 1947 Williams batted .406, the Red Sox finished second, the Yankees won the pennant and DiMaggio. . .

UNTHINKABLE: Tony Gwynn in a uniform other than San Diego's? Hard to imagine, but not that far-fetched.

He has been a Padre for 19 seasons, but he has missed much of this one with a damaged left knee.

The Padres have an option on Gwynn after this season. If they pick it up, they'll pay him $6-million. If they don't, he'll get $2-million -- and free agency.

"It's going to be another long winter," Gwynn said. "Even in spring training, I won't know until I get out here. ... I knew last winter I'd be in this sort of situation. Now they've got to decide if they want to pick me up."

Rookie Mike Darr, 24 and a lefty like Gwynn, is the heir apparent in rightfield. If the Padres don't want Gwynn, you know an ALteam will be willing to make the future Hall of Famer a DH.

"If I stay (in San Diego) I want to play every day, but I know that's not going to happen," Gwynn said. "The young guys need to play. ... I don't want to be a part-time guy or DH. If I can't do what I'm capable of doing, I'll think about retirement."

THE LAST WORD: "I'm bald, I have a big nose, I've been released five times, I have a thick skin. I'll make it," said Phillies manager Terry Francona on being criticized for their miserable season.

- Information from other news organizations was used in this report.