Arizona Gates Drop Sharply After ‘94 High

Attendance is down 18 percent at big league exhibition games in Arizona this year.

The eight major-league teams that train in the desert averaged 5,760 fans per game through Thursday, compared with a record 7,021 fans in the spring of 1994, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

In the biggest twist of the spring, it’s possible that the Seattle Mariners will replace the Chicago Cubs as the Cactus League’s No. 1 draw.

The Mariners, who averaged 7,234 in their first 10 home games at the Peoria Sports Complex, were expecting to average 9,000 a game for their final five dates. That would put Seattle home attendance at close to 103,000, an average of 7,700.

Ron Pies, chairman of the Arizona Baseball Commission, said there’s no doubt that baseball is feeling the lingering effects of the strike.

“We had feared that after last season, people would find something else to do with their time,” he said. “This is just a gut-level impression, but I would say we have the usual number of tourists in our crowds, and it’s the locals who’ve stayed home.”

Snake bitten

Their stadium isn’t finished. Their team hasn’t yet drafted Rick Helling as its starting ace. They don’t know in which league they will be getting whacked. But Arizona Diamondbacks fans are ready to roll.

The “D-Backs,” as they are known around Phoenix, begin play in 1998, along with the fellow expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays. But the Arizona team that will be managed by Buck Showalter already is close to selling out the 48,500-seat Bank One Ballpark under construction in downtown Phoenix. The team has received deposits for 43,000 season tickets, and the number is expected to rise.

The ballpark will feature natural grass and a retractable roof that will stay closed during much of Phoenix’s oppressive summer heat. General manager Joe Garagiola Jr. said that even on a 110-degree day, the roof can stay open as late as 1 p.m., then close to cool the building off to the low 70s by game time.

The club got a nasty surprise this week, learning that construction costs are going to take a $30 million jump over previous estimates because of a steel shortage. The ballpark will cost $330 million to build, and public funding for the stadium is capped at $253 million.

White Sox mull moving site

Chicago White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf is interested in relocating the team’s spring training headquarters from Sarasota, Fla., to Tucson, Ariz., a move contingent on funding for a new stadium there.

“It would be very difficult to do anything that would get us out of here (Florida) in 1997,” Reinsdorf said. The team’s current lease at Ed Smith Stadium expires in 2008 but it can relocate if a replacement is found.

Reports says the White Sox would share a facility in Tucson with the expansion Diamondbacks. The third team in the city is the Colorado Rockies.

Dodgers sputter

The Los Angeles Dodgers made it clear early this spring they thought they were the team to beat in the National League this season, and wanted the Atlanta Braves to know it. Then the games began.

In three exhibition games this spring, the Braves are 3-0 against Los Angeles and have outscored the Dodgers 27-10.

“We still have confidence in ourselves,” Dodgers catcher Mike Piazza said, “but I think the Braves have made it clear that they’re the team to beat. Let’s put it this way: I don’t think they’re real intimidated by us.”

Daulton waits for bat

Darren Daulton has been trying to make the transition from catcher to outfielder for Philadelphia, and while he’s been struggling in the field, the team was more concerned about him at the plate until last week.

“If I can’t hit, I’m done,” Daulton admitted, “and I haven’t been hitting. I don’t know why, but I’m not worried. I still think I can hit.”

Last week, Daulton finally hit his first home run.

Around the American League

In an effort to preserve Jose Canseco’s health, the Boston Red Sox have backed off on their plans to put him in the outfield. On Friday, Canseco said that throwing was causing him too much pain. … Reliever Jeff Russell is seeking approval from the players union and the player relations committee to rejoin Texas. The Rangers reached an agreement with Russell on a major-league salary for Russell to be paid if he pitches after May 1, and for a minor-league deal that would allow him to work out at their training camp and pitch in their farm system. Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jamie McAndrew, considered a possible fifth starter when camp began, needs knee surgery that could sideline him until midsummer. … New York Yankees manager Joe Torre said Kenny Rogers does not have a guaranteed spot in the starting rotation. The struggling lefty signed in the off-season for $20 million. David Cone remains the opening- day starter, and Dwight Gooden and left-hander Andy Pettitte are the only other locks for the rotation.

Around the National League

Montreal Expos manager Felipe Alou said he would exercise his option to extend his contract through next season. Alou’s contract carried through the 1996 season, with an option for 1997. … The Cincinnati Reds put reliever Jeff Brantley, pitcher Jose Rijo and outfielders Eric Anthony and Thomas Howard on the disabled list. The four will be eligible to return April 6. Rijo’s move was a formality, as he is not expected back from reconstructive elbow surgery until later in the season.