AMERICAN LEAGUE: AROUND THE HORN : TIME HEALS CAL'S WOUNDS.

Byline: - Matt McHale

During his record streak for consecutive games, Cal Ripken rarely seemed anything less than immortal. There were occasional batting slumps, a few suggestions he should take a day off. But his consistency made him the most admired player in the game.

But now that he has returned from his first visit to the disabled list for severe lower back pain, Ripken admits the time off was good for him as a person.

Not only did he hit safely in the first six games back, Ripken said being away from the game helped him grieve the loss of his father Cal, Sr., who died in late March.

``There was a silver lining to the injury,'' Ripken said. ``It gave me time to heal mentally and physically. I jumped right back into baseball because I thought it was the best thing to do after my dad's funeral. Maybe it was a little too soon. Maybe I should have taken a little time.''

Ripken also came back with a new batting stance, similar to one he used in his MVP year of 1991. The result: eight hits in 26 at-bats in the first six games and more than an RBI per game. He still needs around 110 hits to reach 3,000 and would like to do it this season.

Indians roll: Just when the Chicago White Sox were feeling good about their start, they were crushed by the Cleveland Indians this past week. The Indians completed a three-game sweep by scoring 39 runs (13 in each game) while hitting .414 (48 for 116).

After 39 games, Cleveland is on pace to win 120. During that span the Indians have scored 290 runs, an average of 7.4 per game. Ten times they've scored 10 or more runs. The modern-day record for runs in a season is 1,067 by the 1931 Yankees. Cleveland is on pace to score 1,199.

See ya, Zim: Although the New York Yankees lost their first two games after the return of Joe Torre, the club was ready for interim manager Don Zimmer to return to his duties as dugout coach. One veteran player said having the 68-year-old Zimmer as their leader for two months was ``like a grandfather watching the kids for too long.''

Zimmer's reign probably reached its end when he crashed a players-only meeting after a 1-0 loss to the Angels at Yankee Stadium. Although Zimmer was generally well-liked by the players, he also had gotten on the bad side of owner George Steinbrenner, who suggested he take the job when Torre was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Hot and cold: After hitting two home runs in his first 119 at-bats this season, Seattle DH Edgar Martinez hit five in the span of eight at-bats. One of them was hit to left field, two were to center field and two to right field.

Martinez's mini-hitting streak is at four games, and for each of them he has had his arthritic left thumb heavily taped, then hidden beneath thick black batting gloves. . . .

Oakland's Ben Grieve grounded out as a pinch-hitter Wednesday, dropping his average to .131. Two hits off K.C.'s Jeff Suppan on Thursday raised it only to .144.

At the season's quarter-pole, many in the A's clubhouse are wondering how much longer manager Art Howe can go with the 1998 AL Rookie of the Year.