Joel Skinner

The international phone rates did not stop Shawn Green and Carlos Delgado from burning up the long distance lines this season. The former Toronto Blue Jay teammates and best friends were in frequent contact, with Green leaning on Delgado for support as he struggled through a long summer with the Dodgers, putting pressure on himself as he adjusted to a new league and the often humorless atmosphere of the Dodger clubhouse.

Either way, Chuck Finley will get his day in the sun. If the Angel left-hander is chosen for the American League All-Star team, as seems almost inevitable after he earned a 2-1 victory over the Indians Monday night and improved his record to 11-4, he will have a chance to shine with the American League's brightest. If not, it won't darken his day. "If somebody thinks I deserve it, that would be nice," Finley said, "but if they don't pick me, I'll just kick my feet up on the beach."

When he pitched badly and lost, as happened in April and May, Kirk McCaskill could understand it even if he couldn't accept it. But when he pitched well and still lost, as happened during most of June and July, he agonized over his failures. "I can't tell you I didn't panic, that I didn't sit there thinking, 'I lead the world in losses. The planet in losses. The universe in losses,' " he said. "It hits me sometimes, but I have to dispel it, move on, remember what my goal is."

Padre starter Ed Whitson normally isn't the superstitious type, but after his performance Friday night in which he won his first game since May 20, well, let's just say he plans to pitch with that gold coin around his neck the rest of the season. Whitson, thoroughly frustrated this season by an elbow injury and lack of run support, walked to his car one night when an elderly couple stopped him.

The Oakland Athletics appear to be out of their hitting slump. In the last two games they have had 22 hits and 12 runs. The catch is they haven't been competitive in either game. The Cleveland Indians, who were last in both leagues in runs scored, followed their 20-run production Saturday with a 15-6 rout of Bob Welch and the Athletics Sunday at Oakland. In two lopsided games, the Indians scored 35 runs and pounded out 40 hits. In their previous 19 games, the Indians scored only 54 runs.

Roger Clemens is recognized as the ace of the Boston Red Sox staff, but Bruce Hurst is enjoying the role of stopper in 1988. Hurst raised his record to 17-5--and 11-1 in games that follow a Boston loss--as the Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles, 6-1, Monday night at Boston. With the victory, the Red Sox maintained their 3 1/2-game lead over the Detroit Tigers in the American League East and took a 4 1/2-game lead over the New York Yankees.

For many years teams have hated to visit Yankee Stadium. Even in the years when the New York Yankees weren't winning pennants, the team was tailored for the "House That Ruth Built." Last year, for example, when the Yankees finished second in the East, their record at home was the best in the American League: 58-22. But teams are anxious to visit New York.

Detroit's Jack Morris tossed his second straight shutout and struck out 12 batters Sunday in pitching a four-hit, 5-0 victory over the Royals at Kansas City. Morris (9-6) stretched his scoreless inning streak to 22. "Just 33 more to catch Don Drysdale's record," said Morris, who was aided by home runs from Lou Whitaker and Kirk Gibson. "That's about as good as you'll ever see," Royal Manager Dick Howser said. "When Morris is right, he's about as dominant as anybody in the league."

A stopper is essential to a team driving to a division title. He makes certain the club doesn't go into a prolonged slump. At the moment, the Boston Red Sox have baseball's best stopper--Roger Clemens. Clemens straightened out the floundering Red Sox Saturday night at Seattle when he pitched them to a 9-4 victory over the Mariners to end a three-game skid and increase their lead in the American League East to six games.

Phil Lombardi calls New York City home these days. The city that never sweeps. The city that made the news recently when a mugger snatched a man's pet monkey, held a knife to its throat and threatened to "cut the monkey's head off" unless the owner handed over some money. But say what you will about New York, it isn't Paintsville, Ky. And Lombardi is very, very thankful for that. The former Kennedy High catcher spent an entire baseball season in Paintsville.