Molitor Ponders Switching Teams

Paul Molitor, a member of baseball’s 3,000-hit club, is considering joining a new team next season if he’s not happy with the Minnesota Twins’ direction in 1998.

The Twins star has met twice in recent weeks with team owner Carl Pohlad to talk about his future. Pohlad has tried to make sure that Molitor, 41, stays with the organization in some capacity.

Molitor has three options: activate his option to play one more year with the Twins for $2.75 million; retire; or become a free agent and sign with another team.

If Molitor doesn’t retire, he said he will look at the Twins’ efforts to improve and Tom Kelly’s willingness to return as the team’s manager before deciding whether to sign elsewhere.

“I think it’s important at this time to allow yourself to keep all of your opportunities available to you,” Molitor told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “It’s hard for me to envision that scenario at this point - to go to a new team and a new city to play one more year. Naturally, the first decision I need to make is to play or not to play.”

Molitor, a native of St. Paul, said he won’t play another season just to reach statistical goals.

He became the 21st player in major-league history to collect 3,000 hits last year. He also is among the all-time leaders in at-bats, runs and doubles.

Davis says he’s ready

Eric Davis, who underwent colon cancer surgery in June, plans to play in a game for the first time in nearly four months during the Baltimore Orioles’ current homestand.

“It’s going to be legendary,” Davis said Thursday, a huge smile crossing his face. “As good as our fans have been during the whole ordeal, they deserve to see it first-hand and not on the ESPN highlights.”

Davis, 35, had a baseball-sized tumor removed from his colon June 13. The outfielder has since undergone seven 2-hour chemotherapy treatments.

Davis has been working out with the Orioles for several weeks, but Thursday marked the first time he went through batting and fielding practice one day after receiving chemotherapy.

“I’m not looking at my playing as being an inspiration. I’m looking at it as being able to do what I love to do,” he said. ” … I feel in my heart that the cancer is gone and I’m on the road to recovery.”

More accolades for Ashburn

Old men and young boys cried as they gathered around a roped-off area in front of the Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame at Veterans Stadium. A sign rested on the wall below Richie Ashburn’s plaque.

“He played the game. He called the game. He loved the game.”

The city that embraced a Nebraska farm boy and made him a favorite son was still getting used to the notion that Ashburn, who died Tuesday morning at age 70 in New York, had called his last out.

“Summer will never be the same,” said Richard Sand, 54, of Philadelphia as he looked at the flowers and tributes that were placed at Ashburn’s plaque. “It’s just not going to be the same.”

The Phillies, Ashburn’s team for 12 years as a player and 35 years as a broadcaster, saluted their Hall of Famer with a moving tribute before Thursday night’s game against the San Francisco Giants.

The broadcast booth from which Ashburn, known to his friends and fans as Whitey, so often issued his trademark expression - “Oh brother!” - was officially dedicated to his memory.

Record in sight

Tonight, against San Francisco, Florida Marlins catcher Charles Johnson is going to break Rick Cerone’s major-league record for consecutive games without an error. Cerone is convinced of it, but he’s equally sure Johnson won’t get his other record.

“He’ll have the major-league record, but I’ll still have the American League record,” Cerone noted from his home in New Jersey. “The Marlins aren’t in the A.L., so I know that record is safe.”

Johnson is tied with Cerone, who broke Yogi Berra’s major-league mark of 148 with a 159-game streak that began July 5, 1987, when Cerone was with the New York Yankees, and ended May 8, 1989, when he was with Boston.

Clearing the bases

Toronto starter Juan Guzman had surgery to remove bone spurs from his right shoulder… . Baltimore’s Jimmy Key has an 0-7 record for his last nine starts at home… . Ivan Rodriguez became the 11th player to hit three homers in a game this season… . Jim Thome’s 38th homer helped Cleveland become the first A.L. team to reach the 200-mark three straight years… . Former Spokane pitcher Doug Brocail has allowed one run in his last 34-1/3 innings for Detroit.