Just An Appetizer

When Los Angeles gave Kevin Brown a $105 million deal two years ago, Sandy Alderson of the baseball commissioner’s office yelped in protest.

He was no happier Saturday about left-hander Mike Hampton’s $123.8-million contract with Colorado.

“There is a benefit to saying no from time to time,” said Alderson, executive vice president for baseball operations out of the commissioner’s office. “It would be nice for baseball to experience that.”

Alderson aimed his remarks at free-spending teams rather than the players. He said baseball is following the path to “massive consolidation - the big eat the small.”

Wait’ll he hears about Alex Rodriguez.

Guess who said this

After half a century of marriage, it’s not surprising that Yogi Berra’s speech habits are starting to rub off on his wife, Carmen.

“If I hadn’t woken up, I’d still be asleep,” the Baseball Hall of Famer’s spouse said in accepting the Salvation Army Association of New York’s “Pinnacle of Achievement Award.”

You can’t lick inflation

Tom FitzGerald in the San Francisco Chronicle: “The Raiders’ Regan Upshaw was fined $30,000 for spitting in the face of Pittsburgh punter Josh Miller.

“Three years ago, Denver’s Bill Romanowski was fined $7,500 for doing the same thing to the 49ers’ J.J. Stokes. That’s inflation for you. Even spit costs more.”

Sorry, no sake

Ichiro Suzuki, the Japanese outfielder signed by the Seattle Mariners, on new teammate Kazuhiro Sasaki, the American League rookie of the year: “He likes to drink. I hope I don’t have to go out with him. I’m going to have a clause in my contract that says I don’t have to go out with him.”

Suzuki says he was only kidding.

Cast your votes now

Oklahoma will play Florida State in the Orange Bowl for college football’s BCS championship Jan. 3 in Miami.

“With any luck at all,” says comic Argus Hamilton, “the people in Florida will have arrived at a final score by Valentine’s Day.”

Cowboys will be Cowboys

The latest edition of “The Dallas Cowboys’ Family Cookbook” contains snippets of information about the players.

Asked what he would leave behind for the world to learn from his life, rookie running back Troy Hambrick said: “My police record.”

The last word …

“I don’t know about you, but if I’m Ryan Leaf, I shave my head, paint my face and invite Vince McMahon to lunch.”

- Gary Shelton in the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times