Foul Ball Kos Wife Of A Cardinals Owner

The wife of one of the owners of the St. Louis Cardinals was knocked unconscious during Game 3 of the National League championship series Saturday in St. Louis after being struck on the head by a foul popup.

Kathy Hanser, the wife of Fred Hanser, was sitting in the front row just to the right of home plate when she was hit during Marquis Grissom’s at-bat to start the third inning. Cardinals catcher Tom Pagnozzi lunged into the stands to try to catch the ball.

Team trainer Gene Gieselmann left the dugout to administer to Hanser and Cardinals team physician Stan London also was at her side. She had been revived and was wearing a neck brace at the half-inning when she was taken by stretcher to the trainers’ room, team official Joe Abernathy said.

Preliminary X-rays were negative on Hanser, who was taken to Barnes-Jewish Hospital to see a neurosurgeon and possibly undergo a CAT scan.

Later in the game, an attendant sitting on a stool next to the St. Louis dugout got hit by a foul ball off the bat of the Cardinals’ Royce Clayton in the fifth inning and left the field under his own power.

“It’s scary,” Cardinals third baseman Gary Gaetti said. “They ought to all have gloves, sitting that close.”

Torre nose his wines

You might expect to find Torre on the cover of some national sports magazines this time of year, not “Wine Enthusiast.”

Torre, an admitted novice on wine tasting, was interviewed by the magazine and his picture appears on the cover seated at his desk with a baseball sitting in a wine glass.

“It’s a new hobby of mine,” he said before Game 4. “I’m not into it like some other guys. But I really enjoy Napa Valley (Calif.). My wife and I would love to live there.”

Torre even took a moment to poke fun of his ability to differentiate between good and bad wines.

“If I say not a very good nose, I know what I’m talking about,” he said, referring to his ample proboscis.

Thanks, dad

Rocky Coppinger, the starting pitcher for Baltimore in Game 4, can thank - or blame - his father for his nickname.

Coppinger’s real first name is John, but his father nicknamed him Rocky after boxer Rocky Marciano because the youngster “looked all beat up and ugly.”

Strange feeling

For the first time since 1993, the Atlanta Braves have some catching up to do.

The St. Louis Cardinals beat Atlanta 3-2, putting the Cardinals up two games to one in the N.L. championship series. And the next two games are in St. Louis.

Not that the Braves are ready to throw in the tomahawk.

“What, do you think we’re giving up?” said Ryan Klesko. “No way. This team can go out and win a few games in a row, and I guess that’s what we’ll have to do.”

Playing from behind is an unaccustomed position for the Braves, who have won five straight division championships and been dominant in recent postseason play.

Prior to Thursday, Atlanta had won 15 of its last 18 playoff and World Series games. The Braves haven’t lost a postseason series since the Phillies beat them for the 1993 pennant.

In 1995, the Braves won three of four from Colorado in the opening round, swept Cincinnati, then beat Cleveland 4-2 in the World Series.

The trend continued this year when Atlanta swept Los Angeles and won Game 1 against St. Louis.

The Cardinals have rallied against two pitchers with five Cy Young awards between them. Gary Gaetti’s grand slam was the topper in an 8-3 win over Greg Maddux Thursday, and Ron Gant hit two long home runs in Saturday’s win over Tom Glavine.

“We’re down two to one, but we’ve been in this position before,” Glavine said. “You’re not going to see anybody panic.”

Shifting lineups

Yankees manager Joe Torre gave a couple of slumping starters another chance to get their swing in order by starting third baseman Wade Boggs and right fielder Paul O’Neill in Game 4 of the A.L. championship series.

Both players were benched Friday. Boggs is batting .059 in the playoffs and O’Neill .150.

“These guys have done it for me all year,” Torre said. “I feel I owe it to the players who have helped us get to where we are now.”

Speaking of Boggs, who sat out two straight games, Torre said, “Hopefully two days off will help him clear the register.”

O’Neill, like Boggs, isn’t in perfect health. Boggs has been bothered by a sore back and O’Neill is nursing a sore hamstring.

“If (O’Neill) can do what he can do, fine. But I don’t want him to go out there if, physically, he can’t compete,” Torre said. “Sixty, 70 percent isn’t good enough - now is not the time for heroes.”

In yet another move, Torre rested left fielder Tim Raines, who has been bothered by bad knees all season. Darryl Strawberry, who started in right on Friday, replaced Raines in left.

Baltimore manager Davey Johnson finally dipped into his bench, in part to shake up an offense that was limited to just three hits in Friday’s 5-2 loss.

Johnson sat down designated hitter Eddie Murray and left-fielder B.J. Surhoff, both of whom were 2 for 10 in the championship series.

Mike Devereaux started in left and Pete Incaviglia opened the game at DH. Devereaux came into the game hitless in two postseason at-bats, while Incaviglia was 1 for 5.