Major League Baseball
NL notebook: Marlin leaves Cubs tickets for Steve Bartman

Steve Bartman

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CHICAGO — Among those on the Florida Marlins' ticket-pass list for yesterday's doubleheader at Wrigley Field was ... Steve Bartman?

Yes, Steve Bartman, the fan who supposedly interfered with the Cubs beating the Marlins in last October's National League Championship Series.

Four tickets were ordered for Bartman by Florida starting pitcher Carl Pavano, who was also the starter in Game 6 of the NLCS when Bartman caught a foul ball Moises Alou thought he could catch.

"I put those there as a joke," Pavano said. "I was hoping he'd use them."

There were no Bartman sightings yesterday at Wrigley Field — just as there are no Elvis sightings when players leave tickets for him — but Pavano did win the first game of the doubleheader, 7-0, before the Cubs came storming back for an 11-2 victory in the nightcap.

Coming back to Wrigley for the first time since last October brought memories to Marlins manager Jack McKeon. He also was the general manager for San Diego when the Padres eliminated the Cubs from the 1984 playoffs after dropping the first two games in Chicago.

"This is an important stadium in Marlins history, in my history," he said.

Chicago: OF Sammy Sosa, still nursing a sore hip, didn't play the second game after going 0 for 4 with an error and having a fly ball drop between him and OF Corey Patterson.

Colorado: Manager Clint Hurdle said he had already made out the lineup card when he found out OF Jeromy Burnitz was feeling better. Burnitz didn't play Thursday against San Diego because of two strained groins.

Houston: INF Adam Everett, who suffered a fractured left wrist Aug. 7, had the cast removed yesterday, but manager Phil Garner doesn't expect him to see any action in the remaining games of the regular season.
 
Milwaukee: Cincinnati Bengals quarterbacks Carson Palmer and Jon Kitna, an ex-Seahawk, took batting practice with the Brewers. Kitna is a first cousin of OF Chris Magruder, an ex-Washington Husky. "They were like little kids in a candy store," Magruder said. "Each of them was wondering if they could hit one out. I said, 'Get it out of the infield first.' " Palmer did hit one homer.

Montreal: RHP Livan Hernandez, who starts today, is a leading contender for a Silver Slugger award. He leads NL pitchers with 19 hits and 10 runs batted in.

New York: CF Mike Cameron batted leadoff for the first time with the Mets. "It's special to hit leadoff. It puts you in the game more, you get more at-bats," Cameron said. Cameron leads the team with 21 stolen bases. "I guarantee you if he lets me keep hitting leadoff the rest of the season, there will be a lot of 1-0 ballgames going into the second inning," he said.

Philadelphia: Because of a shortage of starting pitchers, the Phillies plan to use only relievers tomorrow against the Mets. RHP Brian Powell or RHP Geoff Geary probably will start.

San Francisco: Since Barry Bonds hit home run No. 697, Major League Baseball has supplied specially marked baseballs when he is batting. The reason: to authenticate No. 700. He is at 698.

St. Louis: CF Jim Edmonds needs two home runs for 43, which would equal Johnny Mize's club record for homers by a left-handed hitter — set in 1940.

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