Indians Credit Divine Intervention

Bip Roberts figures he’s fielded more than a million batting practice balls since he started playing baseball at age 7.

He’s had balls hit his head, his arm, his shoulders, but never has a batting practice ball hit the exposed part of his glove hand.

Never has Bip Roberts missed a ballgame because of something that happened in batting practice.

“It’s mind-boggling, man,” he said in the celebratory Cleveland locker room Wednesday night.

As Roberts scooped a ground ball before Game 6, Tony Fernandez drilled a line drive that hit Roberts on the back of his left hand, swelling his surgically repaired left hand to unplayable dimensions.

So the Indians turned to Fernandez, whose broken right elbow as a Yankee last season forced him from their season of championship fun. Batting second, Fernandez had two hits, including the game-winning home run in the 11th inning of a scoreless tie, catapulting the Indians to their fifth-ever World Series.

It was Fernandez’s first home run in 37 postseason games.

“So where’d that come from?” Roberts said afterward, his thumb heavily taped. “It came from upstairs, man. It had to.”

At least that’s what David Justice told him. And Orel Hershiser. And about a dozen other guys.

“It’s always in God’s hands,” Justice told him. “Everything happens for a reason.”

Thing is, Bip believed.

“No way I hit a home run in that situation,” said Roberts, who hit five this season as a member of the Royals and Indians.

“God wanted Tony in that game,” Hershiser said. “Sandy (Alomar) and I went up to Tony and told him, ‘God’s got you in this game for a reason.”’

Fernandez believed. Especially when he faced Armando Benitez with one out in the 11th inning.

“I asked the Lord to guide my thoughts,” he said.

Marlins favored

Before the season began, fans of the Florida Marlins could have gotten 25-1 odds on the team’s chances of winning the World Series. Now the Marlins are in the World Series, and favored to win it all.

Oddsmakers have made the Marlins a minus-150 favorite to beat the Indians in the World Series, meaning bettors would have to spend $15 to win $10 on the National League team.

The Indians, meanwhile, are plus-130 underdogs, meaning those who bet $10 can win $13 if the Indians win.

White Sox interested in Gaston

Cito Gaston, former manager of the Toronto Blue Jays, is reported to be the leading candidate to take over as field boss of the Chicago White Sox.

The Globe and Mail of Toronto, citing anonymous sources from the White Sox front office, says White Sox co-owners Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn are extremely high on Gaston and have suggested to general manager Ron Schueler that he offer the job to the former Blue Jays manager as soon as possible.

Gaston has been told of the White Sox interest and has agreed to meet with Schueler within the next 10 days.

Clearing the bases

The Seattle Mariners released left-hander Greg Hibbard, who has not pitched for 3-1/2 seasons because of a shoulder injury, and outrighted left-hander Mark Holzemer.

Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Ben McDonald, who missed the last two months of the season with a torn rotator cuff in his pitching shoulder, exercised his contract option that will pay him $4.5 million next season.

Anaheim Angels center fielder Jim Edmonds underwent successful surgery to repair damaged cartilage in both his knees, the team said.