A Very Brady Performance

Brady Anderson played with appendicitis last season and this year started opening day with a broken rib, so obviously it’s going to take more than a strained leg muscle to keep him out of the playoffs.

Anderson’s pain threshold is almost legendary, and that’s why Baltimore Orioles manager Davey Johnson laughed when asked if his center fielder might be sidelined today for Game 3 of the American League Championship Series.

“You’d probably have to cut off one limb to keep him out,” Johnson said, “and he might sew it back on and try to hit with one hand. He’s a remarkable character.”

Anderson strained a muscle near his right groin catching a fly ball in the fourth inning of Thursday night’s 5-4 loss to the Indians. He aggravated the injury while running out a grounder in the fifth, but refused to come out despite Johnson’s reminder that there’s plenty of baseball left this season.

After waving Johnson off the field, Anderson attempted to steal second base. Then, in the ninth, he beat out a potential double-play grounder to keep the Orioles’ hopes alive.

“Hey, we only have a certain amount of games left anyway. I see no reason to rest or come out,” Anderson said Friday. “You want your teammates to count on you.”

Oh, they do. Even baseball’s all-time Iron Man, Cal Ripken, shakes his head in amazement at Anderson’s endurance.

“Brady is pretty amazing in a lot of ways,” Ripken said. “He’s very athletic and a great competitor.”

Twins banking on Legislature

Minnesota Gov. Arne Carlson said he will call a special legislative session Oct. 23 to deal with the Minnesota Twins’ demands for a publicly subsidized stadium.

Though a legislative panel voted 9-4 to pay for a stadium with lottery and slot machine money, that recommendation is likely to go through several changes.

Reds drop Schourek

The Cincinnati Reds have dropped one-time Cy Young runner-up Pete Schourek from their 40-man roster and added another lefty, Joey Eischen. Schourek, 28, was claimed from the New York Mets on waivers in 1994 and responded with the best season of his career.

He was 5-8 with a 5.42 ERA in 18 games this year, including 17 starts, and on Tuesday underwent surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow.

Gagne looking elsewhere

The Dodgers announced that Greg Gagne, who hit .251 with nine homers and 57 RBIs in 144 games this past season, has opted to become a free agent.

Gagne, who turns 36 next month, said late in the season that he might retire, but also left the door open to playing for a team closer to his home.

Gagne committed just 16 errors in 548 total chances last season for a fielding percentage of .971. In 13 full big-league seasons and parts of two others, he has a .254 average with 111 homers and 604 RBIs.

Phillies trio go free

Outfielder Danny Tartabull, who signed with the Phillies for $2.2 million but played just three games, has declared free agency.

Tartabull suffered a broken left foot when he was hit by a foul ball opening day. In late September, he underwent an MRI, which showed that he still had a broken bone.

Tartabull turned down a minor-league assignment.

Phillies pitchers Scott Ruffcorn and Billy Brewer also rejected outright assignments and opted for free agency.