RAYS TALES

By MARC TOPKIN

Reliever Alan Newman's three seasons pitching for Alexandria in the independent Texas-Louisiana League turned out to be quite an experience. "It has that Sunday softball feel to it," Newman said. Among the most noticeable differences:

TRANSPORTATION: "One year we flew quite a bit, but then our GM wanted to look good and save money, so we took the bus."

QUALITY OF FOOD: "Usually burgers or something. The spreads were somewhere between Class A and Double A."

PAY: "I don't think I ever made more than $1,800-$2,000 a month." Triple-A players can make $10,000 a month.

ATTENDANCE: "It wasn't unusual if we played in front of 250 people some nights. It was kind of like that B game the other day. There were probably more scouts than fans."

FACILITIES: "At some of the places we were lucky if we had a clubhouse. We had a trailer (in Alexandria), and that turned out to be one of the nicer ones."

REKAR & REKAR

ANALYZE THIS!: A good comedy about a psychiatrist (Billy Crystal) forced to work for a mob boss (Robert De Niro) who has turned too sensitive. Rekar's grade: B

8mm: A grotesque film about a PI (Nicholas Cage) who is hired to find a young woman who is apparently murdered on an underground snuff film. The film is very graphic and a little slow but picks up nicely at the end. Rekar's grade: B- QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"I'm sure they won't miss me back there."
-- JOSE CANSECO

Rays DH on giving up playing the outfield

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING

Mike Rutsey, writing in the Toronto Sun: "It's difficult to tell whether Jose Canseco is getting ready for the baseball season or the WWF. Having added 20 pounds of bulk to his already muscular frame, Canseco -- he of the golden perma-tan -- has pumped himself up to 256 pounds in his readiness for the Devil Rays season. With the short fences at Tropicana Field the joke of the American League, Canseco may well eclipse last year's rebirth season with the Jays when he hit 46 homers and drove in 107 runs.

BY THE NUMBERS

.219, 25, 57: Canseco's average, home runs and RBI in 319 at-bats as DH last season

.258, 21, 50: Canseco's average, home runs and RBI in 264 at-bats as an outfielder.