CANDLESTICK QUANDARY : AIDS AWARENESS EVENT CREATES CONTROVERSY.

Byline: TIM BROWN 

Baseball in the kingdom:

News item: San Francisco Giants pitcher Mark Dewey, a fundamentalist Christian, refused to participate in a pregame ceremony to promote AIDS awareness at Candlestick Park this week. Gay leaders subsequently asked the club to trade or release Dewey.

Reaction from the kingdom: Not very compassionate for a segment of society that frequently begs for the same understanding.

Falling Rockies zone: Colorado is in a stretch in which it plays 18 of 21 games away from Coors Field. The Rockies, 18-36 on the road, host the Marlins for three games beginning Monday, then head out for 11 more on the road. However, they play 21 of their last 36 in Denver.

Not only did the Yankees take on Cecil Fielder's $7.2 million salary, but they tossed in an extra $1 million to the Tigers to take Ruben Sierra off their hands. Sierra was last seen calling Joe Torre a liar, and now he's in Detroit. There's a lesson there.

The player who clinched the Fielder-Sierra deal was neither Fielder nor Sierra. For the Tigers, it was 21-year-old Matt Drews, a 6-foot-8 pitcher who has been touted as a right-handed Randy Johnson. ``I was pleasantly surprised (the Yankees) gave up on him,'' Tigers manager Buddy Bell said.

Possible club record: How many pinstripes for Fielder?

The Rockies banished Marvin Freeman to their bullpen after several lackluster starts. In fact, the club has considered releasing him. As a pitcher, where do you go when you're not good enough to be in that rotation?

Jack McKeon, the Reds director of player personnel, was perusing USA Today last week when he noted that the Rockies were searching for a left-handed pinch-hitter. He took the clip to Reds general manager Jim Bowden, who then sold Eric Anthony to the Rockies. Bowden then took the money from that transaction and purchased Kevin Mitchell from the Red Sox. Sounds like a pyramiding thing.

It's kind of sad when an aging player whose skills have left him finally gets a pitch he likes and then scatters cork all over the infield. There are others like Chris Sabo, according to Cubs first baseman Mark Grace, who told the Chicago Tribune that there are at least 20 other big-leaguers with corking reputations.

One of the great corkers, Grace said, was Howard Johnson, who batted a Sabo-like .195 for the Cubs last season.

``Howard didn't cork it when he was with us last year,'' Grace said. No, of course not. ``But he made a career out of it before that.

``Howard told me he corked his bat when he played in New York.''

Johnson and his drill bits are in Tampa Bay, where he serves as batting instructor for the expansion Devil Rays.

New third baseman Carlos Baerga, who made two of the Mets' club-record seven errors Thursday at Shea Stadium: ``Every time the ball goes to my left, it comes up. I have to get used to the field.'' See, in Cleveland, balls to his left went down.

Rickey Henderson is taking the arrival of Greg Vaughn in San Diego as most expected he would. In Vaughn's first start on Thursday, Henderson was booed at the Murph for trotting after Chipper Jones' triple, and later dropped a fly ball.

Arne Harris, WGN's Cubs director, on what the retirement of Tom Lasorda means to him: ``Lasorda and Don Zimmer were the most photogenic managers I ever worked with. I'll miss him. He was a great `reaction' guy. I shot him four times as much as any other guy.''

By Tuesday night, Todd Van Poppel, among the most sought-after amateur pitchers in baseball history when the Oakland A's selected him in the 1990 draft, could be pitching for another team. The A's designated Van Poppel for release or assignment on Thursday. He can be claimed for $20,000.

``I hope he doesn't come back to haunt us,'' said Bob Cluck, A's pitching coach.

Van Poppel, 24, was 1-5 this season, 18-29 in his career. He won't be haunting anyone. Todd, say hi to Sierra for us when you get there.

Mark McGwire had 38 home runs after 106 games (26 of which he missed due to injuries). After 106 games in 1961, Roger Maris had 41 homers, and after 106 in 1927, Babe Ruth had 35.

The 1997 Hall-of-Fame ballot: Dave Parker, Dwight Evans, Ken Griffey Sr., Rick Reuschel. Sounds like a dull day in Cooperstown.

The 1999 ballot: Nolan Ryan, George Brett, Carlton Fisk, Robin Yount, Dale Murphy. Ryan, Brett and Yount are in. Fisk and Murphy will get there eventually, but aren't first-balloters.

The 2001 ballot: Dave Winfield, Kirby Puckett, Don Mattingly. Rack 'em.

Disney's got a mess on its hands. Losing is forgiven with an expansion hockey team, but not with a club predicted to win its division after what happened last season. Everything out of the manager's mouth sounds as if he wants out.

Mitch Williams was promoted from Single-A to Triple-A by the Phillies last week. And all over Philadelphia, fans are hoarding their eggs and toilet paper.

The Astros would be wise to bring Danny Darwin into their rotation and demote Doug Drabek to the bullpen.

Astros catcher Rick Wilkins batted a National League-low .168 in home games. When it's that bad, change homes. He was traded to San Francisco for catcher Kirt Manwaring.

It's been awfully quiet around Albert Belle lately.

In a week of mortality checks around Dodger Stadium, Dodgers employees shuddered at the thought that Vin Scully will one day retire. Scully and Tom Lasorda are the most identifiable personalities in the organization, and are approximately the same age.

MEMO: Staff writer Tim Brown's column appears Sundays during the baseball season.