Hit A Homer, Take A Nap

Frustrated by his team’s swoon, Cleveland Indians manager Charlie Manuel barred pingpong and card games in the clubhouse and took out a leather couch players slept on.

Of course, that stuff all came in a few years ago, when the Indians were winning division titles. Albert Belle brought the pingpong table. There were tournaments and player rankings. Rap music blared. Carlos Baerga went home by limo.

“I didn’t like some of that stuff back then,” Manuel told the Akron Beacon-Journal’s Terry Pluto. “But I was just a coach and we were winning. And when you have a guy hitting 45 or 50 homers and about six guys hitting .300 and you’re in front by 10 or 15 games …”

In one game last week, you had to go five hitters deep into the Indians lineup before you got to one hitting better than .270.

The players say they learned their lesson. Asked Russell Branyan after hitting two home runs in a 15-7 victory over Toronto two days after Manuel’s edict: “Can we get our couch back now?”

Right idea, wrong medium

Matt Muehlebach says he’s the first agent to have used a CD-ROM to promote his client, Eduardo Najera of Oklahoma, before the NBA draft.

Included were action clips, interviews with coaches and teammates and links to articles about Najera.

“We sent one out to every single team in the NBA,” Muehlebach told the Arizona Daily Star. “We’re hoping this type of thing helps with the promotion of him.”

Najera went in the second round, the 38th pick overall, to Houston.

Darn CD wouldn’t play on a PlayStation.

Leaving yourself wide open

After years of lining up behind Hall of Famers Joe Montana and Steve Young at quarterback, the San Francisco 49ers are starting this season with Jeff Garcia.

“The main way I have to look at it,” Garcia told the Oakland Tribune, “is not to try and step into anybody else’s shoes but try to be myself and do what I’m capable of doing.”

To which Mark Heisler of the Los Angeles Times responded: “That’s what the Niners are afraid of.”

Oscar material

“Entertainment Tonight’s” Julie Moran reported Dunknet.com threw a party for Shaquille O’Neal at the local Planet Hollywood, where O’Neal issued this warning to restaurant co-owner Arnold Schwarzenegger:

“I heard Arnold was doing Terminator III, and if he doesn’t call me for Terminator III, I’m going to beat his rear end in real life. All right, Arnold? So, you better call me for Terminator III.”

The last word …

“When Sebastian Janikowski signs on to America Online, does his computer really say, `Welcome … you’ve got bail’?”

- Gary Shelton of the St. Petersburg Times.