Baseball notebook : Mets add Park to pitching hopefuls

Chan Ho Park is joining the expanding list of pitchers trying to earn spots in the New York Mets’ rotation.

Park and the Mets agreed Friday to a $600,000, one-year contract, giving the team another option for its starting rotation heading into spring training. In addition to his base salary, Park could earn $2.4 million in performance bonuses based on innings.

“We’re happy to add a veteran pitcher like Chan Ho to our staff as we approach spring training,” Mets general manager Omar Minaya said.

Park will compete with John Maine, Oliver Perez, Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber and Aaron Sele for jobs in the Mets rotation behind Tom Glavine and Orlando Hernandez. Pedro Martinez is expected to be sidelined for the first half of the season, and Dave Williams likely will be sidelined until June following surgery last week to repair a herniated disk.

All eyes will be on the ball

Baseballs will keep their cool this summer.

The commissioner’s office is telling teams for the first time that balls must be stored at a uniform temperature after they are delivered from the manufacturer.

“The specifications that Rawlings recommends are a 70 degree temperature and 50 percent humidity,” baseball senior vice president Joe Garagiola Jr. said.

“We have contacted all 30 of the clubs, and they have all confirmed to us that they will all be storing their baseballs in a temperature-controlled facility. We’re not going to have humidors everyplace, but every place will be temperature controlled, and so I think there will be a very high degree of uniformity.”

Williams looking to exit

Bernie Williams couldn’t bring himself to say his Yankees career is over, but the sad look on his face and his somber tone provided enough proof.

Saying he is “leaning toward” declining the Yankees’ invitation to spring training as a non-roster player, Williams acknowledged it looks as if his time in pinstripes has come to an end.

“I think if they wanted to have me, they would have signed me already,” said Williams, 38. “Having the option to go to spring training to see what would happen is something that … I don’t think at this moment it’s something I want to consider.”

Patterson staying put

Center fielder Corey Patterson avoided arbitration with the Baltimore Orioles, agreeing to a $4.3 million, one-year contract.

Patterson had a career-high 45 stolen bases last season and batted .276 – 61 points higher than he hit in 2005 with the Chicago Cubs. He had 16 homers, 53 RBIs and scored 75 runs.