Between The Lines

Radio Daze
Three times this year Oriole instructor Rick Dempsey has been mistaken for Baltimore manager John Oates by members of the media, and Dempsey has gone ahead and given interviews as if he were Oates. "Look at us side by side from 20 yards, and we look a lot alike, same receding hairline," says Dempsey, who especially enjoys impersonating Oates on radio shows that give their guests a gift certificate. "It's been fun. Sometimes I hammer the players. I told one radio guy, 'I don't know if I can play Cal [Ripken] anymore.' He says, 'You mean you're thinking of sitting him down?' I said, 'Yeah, that streak doesn't mean much anyway.' "

Service with a Smile
On May 25 Expo pitcher Scott Service made his first appearance of the season, and the first hitter he faced was Astro catcher Scott Servais, whose name is pronounced just like Service's. Servais singled. "I've never met him before, but I've been asked to sign his baseball card—those card collectors don't know anything," says Servais. "My teammates were all over me after I faced him. They told me, "You'd better have gotten a hit, you knew what was coming, you were pitching to yourself.' "

Working on Fundamentals
On May 26 Phillie pitcher Don Robinson had a perfect game for 4? innings when Atlanta's Damon Berryhill hit an infield pop-up. Robinson, who would lose his perfecto in the sixth inning, saw third baseman Dave Hollins and shortstop Kim Batiste converging under the ball near the pitcher's mound, so he shoved Batiste to the ground to make sure he didn't collide with Hollins. "That might be a new drill in spring training," says Philadelphia pitcher Curt Schilling. "We'll have Batiste go out there with a neck brace and run toward us, and we get to clobber him."

He Won by Default
Blue Jay outfielder Rob Ducey earned a dubious distinction last week. Through Sunday, Ducey was the only nonpitcher who had been on a team's active roster all season and not gotten a hit. His teammate Alfredo Griffin singled on May 26 for his first hit, leaving Ducey (0 for 10 with seven strikeouts) with the Hitless Wonder Award.

Let the Fielders Field
On May 26 Bill Gullickson pitched a complete-game victory without a walk or a strikeout to become the first Tiger to do that since George Zuverink in 1954. In the last five years Roger Clemens (1987), Jell" Ballard ('89), Bob Tewksbury ('91) and Gullickson are the only pitchers to have done it.

By the Numbers

? Nolan Ryan, who was pitching professionally before Frank Thomas of the White Sox was born, has struck out Thomas 11 of the 12 times he has faced him.

?Dodger first baseman Todd Benzinger, who had only 48 lifetime homers at week's end, hit the fifth grand slam of his career last week.