Hottest Team in Baseball? Try the Braves

Historians may note that the recent fire in the luxury box section of Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium wasn’t the first in the place.

The first occurred when the former Brave mascot, Chief Noc-a-homa, accidentally torched his tepee while he was celebrating a home run. The Chief’s fire was extinguished when fans in the upper deck leaned over and poured beer on the flames.

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Hot off the press: The cover of the Braves’ game program the night of the fire was a photo of shortstop Jeff Blauser surrounded by flames with the headline: “Blazin’ Blauser.”

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Trivia time: How many rookies are on the San Diego Padre roster?

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Or ask Vince Coleman: New York Met public relations director Jay Horowitz (and hasn’t he been busy lately?) has offered to let the players shave his head if they win four games in a row.

Only problem is, Horowitz has a big head.

Said pitcher Eric Hillman: “That head’s so big, if he wore a Malcolm X hat, helicopters could land on it.”

Said coach Bobby Wine: “We’re going to use one of those big highway department mowers.”

Funny, but let’s see them win four in a row first.

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Headline award: It goes to the New York Daily News, on the story about Vince Coleman throwing the exploding device in the Dodger Stadium parking lot:

“Stupid Met Trick”

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Babe was unavailable: Last week, 71 New York Yankee season ticket-holders paid $40 for a team-sponsored luncheon at a Manhattan restaurant. The Yankees were officially represented by bullpen coach Jake Gibbs and retired announcer Mel Allen.

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Mommie dearest: After checking into the Chicago Bears’ training camp at a svelte 300-plus pounds, Craig (Ironhead) Heyward said his weight problem isn’t really all his own fault. Actually, it’s hereditary, said Heyward, who blamed his mother.

“My mom goes about four bills,” he said.

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Trouble spot: Pressed into emergency duty in relief on the mound, St. Louis Cardinal first baseman Rod Brewer gave up five runs, four of them on a grand slam by the Braves’ Francisco Cabrera.

Said Brewer: “I sure didn’t hit any spots. The only spot I hit was the middle of Cabrera’s bat.”

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Wait a minute: USC Coach John Robinson gazes intently from a billboard on I-710. The billboard reads: “Be a Trojan: Beat Notre Dame, Buy Season Tickets”

What about the Pac-10, the Rose Bowl and UCLA?

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Batting disorder: Last week, Baltimore pitcher Gregg Olson became the first Oriole hurler to bat since the designated-hitter rule went into effect 20 years ago--and he looked pretty sad. He used Sherman Obando’s helmet, Damon Buford’s bat and wore one batting glove of Obando’s and one of Jack Voight’s.

Olson was quickly called out on strikes by umpire Tim Welke.

Said Kansas City pitcher Billy Brewer: “I think that the umpire might have just been trying to get him out of there.”

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Nice healthy number: According to Jayson Stark of the Philadelphia Inquirer, since Cal Ripken Jr. began his consecutive-games streak in 1982, other players have been put on the disabled list a total of 2,988 times.

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Tiger tale: How tough is the American League East? The Detroit Tigers recently finished a monthlong stretch of 7-20, the worst record in baseball, and lost only 4 1/2 games in the standings.

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Trivia answer: Twelve.

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Quotebook: Philadelphia Phillie John Kruk to his bat as he put it in the rack before a game: “Now do your job!”