John Kruk

John Kruk, who powered the Philadelphia Phillies to the National League pennant last season, had a testicle removed that was later found to be cancerous. Kruk, 33, will face further tests to determine if the cancer has spread. However, it is believed the cancer was confined to the testicle. If there is no spread, team physician Phillip Marone said Wednesday, Kruk can expect a full recovery.

No doubt figuring that the world would be eager for the information--and also to provide relief from the river of TonyaGate stories--the Lillehamer Olympic Organizing Committee issued a release on trolls, the legendary little creatures of local legend. Trolls are said to live in caves and come out and scare people to get food. They're crotchety characters, the release said. Some Norwegians claim: "We have had to fight with trolls because they are more stupid than us."

Phillie closer Mitch Williams got permission to skip Friday's workout, and said Friday he stayed back at the team hotel in Toronto to get some sleep. "I was up all night looking for assassins," he said, referring to Philadelphia fans. Williams, fearing the Phillie fans would boo him all the way to the bullpen after he helped lose Game 4, said they gave him a standing ovation instead.

Whatizit, the much-maligned mascot of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, has a new name--Izzy. Children chose the name for the big-eyed blue mascot as part of an effort to refine its image by the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games. Versions of Whatizit, an unpopular unisex creature, have included Itzaboxer, Itzaswimmer and Itzawrestler. Itzaflop might have been more appropriate. Trivia time: Who holds the World Series career record for most hits?

USA Today reports that if there is one guy who boosted his off-the-field opportunities in Tuesday's All Star game, it was Philadelphia first baseman John Kruk: "Call this guy a sitcom. John Kruk is America. "Kruk's attraction is his grubbiness. His batting helmet looks like he played high school football in it. His uniform always has that slept-in look. And he has the quirky, grumpy personality to match."

John Kruk had an arthroscopic procedure on his right shoulder on Thursday, and the first baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies will need further surgery on the shoulder next week. Team physician Dr. Phillip Marone said Kruk will have the operation Oct. 9. Kruk batted a career-high .323 this year and challenged for the National League batting title before his season ended Sept. 24. The Phillies also said they would not exercise their option on pitcher Ken Howell's contract.

You sportswriters make me mad. You may be writing a story about some other player, but you just have to drag Benito Santiago into it. Leave the man alone. You call him the man the fans love to hate, those fans are just a few clunks who don't know a good player when they see one. So he asked for a trade. So what? Bruce Hurst did the same, so did a lot of others. It's you sportswriters who make the so-called fans boo with all the junk you write. You even tried to make trouble because Benny did not have a picture of John Kruk on his locker.

OK, just because Krukker rhymes with supper. . . . Just because John Kruk believes the off-season is just that, the off -season, the time for daily Sonnyburgers with cheese sticks, fries (gravy and ketchup, please) and a cold beer at the down-home Hamburger Haven restaurant and lounge in McComb, Md., just across the Potomac River from his farmhouse in Burlington, W. Va. . . .