BASEBALL'S COMEBACK KIDS.

Byline: Ben Walker Associated Press 

Any time John Hudek needs inspiration, he just looks at his necklace.

There, hanging from a chain, is a shiny, 4-inch bone. It was Hudek's No. 1 rib until last summer, when doctors removed it after determining it was cutting off circulation to his arm.

"I plan on wearing it the whole season," the Houston Astros reliever said. "I think it will be a constant reminder that it could have ended my career, but it didn't."

Hudek, a surprise All-Star in 1994, went on the disabled list before the break in 1995 and missed the rest of the season.

While Hudek's jewelry is unusual, his story isn't - at least not this year. Because spring training is all about new beginnings, and baseball '96 is all about the comeback club.

There's Ryne Sandberg, returning from a 1-1/2-year retirement. There's Dwight Gooden, back after a drug suspension. There's Jimmy Key and Eric Davis, rehabilitating from injuries.

Add in the likes of Bryan Harvey, Duane Ward and Aaron Sele and it's quite a collection.

"I didn't retire thinking that I was going to come back," Sandberg said. "When Michael (Jordan) came back, all that I heard from everyone was 'Now that he's come back, you can come back."'

Sandberg is hoping he can be as successful as NBA stars Jordan and Magic Johnson have been in their returns. Sandberg, 36, was a 10-time All-Star second baseman for the Chicago Cubs when he abruptly left baseball in June 1994, saying the game was no longer fun.

But a new marriage and a new perspective have him excited about playing again at Wrigley Field.

"A lot went into it, but the fact that I was feeling better, having a lot of fun and was mentally better, I knew this is what I wanted to do again," Sandberg said at Cubs camp in Mesa, Ariz.

Gooden and Key, both in camp with the New York Yankees in Tampa, Fla., did not lose their desire to pitch. Instead, they were forced out last year for different reasons.

Gooden, once among baseball's best and brightest stars with the New York Mets, was suspended on June 28, 1994, for violating his drug aftercare program. He was banned from the majors in 1995, signed with the Yankees after the season ended and recently pitched well in the Puerto Rican winter league.

"I feel like I'm a rookie again," said Gooden, 31. "My main goal is to be in the rotation."

Key made just five starts last season before being sidelined by shoulder problems that required major surgery. At 34, he's aiming to pitch again like an ace and is happy that he's holding up well in workouts.

Ward and Harvey both were All-Star relievers in 1993 before injuries wrecked them for two years. Ward has moved from Toronto to the Chicago Cubs and is trying to come back from shoulder trouble, and Harvey has gone from Florida back to California in hopes that he's recovered from elbow problems.

Davis, a two-time All-Star and once among baseball's best all-around players, missed 1995 after undergoing neck surgery. He played sparingly in 1994 for Detroit.

Davis has returned to the Cincinnati Reds, the team he helped win the 1990 World Series, and is trying to earn a spot as a backup outfielder at 33.

Sele seemed to have a bright future when he won his first six decisions as a rookie for Boston in 1993. He pitched well in 1994 and then started on opening day for the Red Sox last year.

But in late May, he came down with a sore arm. What began as inflammation in the back of his right shoulder turned into atrophied muscles that kept him out for the rest of the season.

"It feels fine," he said.

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PHOTO

Ryne Sandberg has renewed enthusiasm for baseball. Daily News File Photo