INSIDE THE N.L.: MARLINS' MESS SPOTLIGHTS ONGOING CONTRACTION ISSUE.

Byline: Brian Dohn Staff Writer

Get used to the contraction issue being an undercurrent all season, because what is taking place in Florida and Montreal cannot be overlooked for its current mess.

Montreal, which is run by Major League Baseball, opened the season with a spirited but ugly scene against Florida, and now there's a different kind of ugliness with the Marlins in South Florida, where no one is aware games are being played.

It prompted former Expos owner Jeffrey Loria, who sold that organization to baseball and bought the Marlins, to send out a plea to the fans.

``We're going to be here this year, we're going to be here next year and we're going to be here the year after,'' Loria said. ``We're not going anywhere.''

The Marlins, one of commissioner Bud Selig's targets for contraction during the offseason, drew their smallest opening-day crowd in franchise history. Just 23,877 showed up to watch the game with the Expos, and in the process learned programs won't be sold this season because of economic issues, and concessions reportedly ran out of hot dogs by the fifth inning.

South Floridians followed up that crowd with a franchise-low attendance of 5,422 against Montreal on Wednesday, then bottomed out when 4,466 fought their way into Pro Player Stadium the next night.

--Dynamic duo, Part II: Everyone in baseball understands how dominant Arizona's Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson were last season, but there also were questions as to whether two pitchers could lead an otherwise mediocre staff to the playoffs and possibly the World Series.

That was obviously cleared up last season, and now folks are wondering if they can do it again. They might have to, and started the season as if they will.

Johnson and Schilling are each 3-0 with a 1.17 ERA in their first three starts. They are averaging 7 2/3 innings per start. Through 10 games, that accounted for all of Arizona's wins.

The rest of the pitching staff is 0-5 with a 5.69 ERA, and the supposedly improved rotation has provided little help. Brian Anderson, free-agent acquisition Rick Helling and Todd Stottlemyre began the season 0-4 with a 6.75 ERA and are averaging six innings per start.

If such a lack of support by the remaining members of the pitching staff seems familiar, it is. A year ago Schilling and Johnson, who had a victory in relief, combined to go 50-18 with a 2.76 ERA as starters. They averaged 7 1/3 innings per start. The rest of the rotation was 17-31 with a 4.97 ERA and averaged 5 1/3 innings per start.

--Eric the disappointing: Upon signing a two-year deal with Milwaukee, former Colorado, Dodgers and Chicago Cubs second baseman Eric Young asked what the Milwaukee Brewers' club record was for stolen bases. When he learned it was Pat Listach's 54, he said it would fall.

Then, as the season began, Young said he was going to drop a bombshell on the city of Chicago, detailing how Cubs management messed with him, when his Brewers made their first trip to Wrigley Field in early May.

So how has he sparked interest and made the Cubs feel wrong about their decision not to re-sign him? Young entered Saturday's game against San Francisco batting .097 (3 for 31), with one hit in his past 18 at-bats and being thrown out twice attempting to steal. As for the stolen-base record, Young had yet to swipe one.

WHAT'S ON

Nationally televised games this week

--Dodgers at San Diego, Today, 5 p.m., ESPN

Dodgers have turned it around after a bad start.

--Atlanta at New York Mets, Monday, 4 p.m., ESPN; Wednesday, 10 a.m., ESPN

It's always interesting when these rivals tangle. The Mets look improved, but the Braves are struggling.

--St. Louis at Arizona,Wednesday, 4 p.m., ESPN

Defending champion Arizona takes on the trendy sleeper pick for the National League pennant.

AROUND THE HORN

By Jeremy Littau

QUICK GLANCE

WHO'S HOT

Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle looks like he'll be avoiding the sophomore slump after improving to 3-0 Friday. He allowed only one run in seven innings against Baltimore and saw his ERA rise to 0.95.

WHO'S NOT

Manny Ramirez isn't exactly playing like his superstar self in Boston. He's hitting .231 (6 for 26) with just three RBI through Friday, and he has only three extra-base hits. If it weren't for his eight walks, he'd practically be invisible.

ROOKIE WATCH

Hank Blalock was likely near the top of most impact rookie lists a month ago, but the Texas third baseman is slumping. He's hitting .200 (5 for 25) with only two RBI. Worse, he's already struck out nine times and has no home runs.

HIGH FIVES

--The leaders in on-base percentage through Friday:

Barry Bonds (SF).605

Carlos Delgado (TOR).574

Bobby Abreu (PHI).556

Jim Edmonds (STL).556

Ellis Burks (CLE).531

EXTRA BASES

--If commissioner Bud Selig had his way, the Minnesota Twins would have been one of two teams eliminated during the offseason in an attempt to ease baseball's alleged fiscal woes. The Minneapolis faithful gave its response Friday night when 48,244 fans showed up for the Twins' sold-out home opener.

--Jose Lima was 37-18 with a 3.64 ERA from 1998-99, his first two full seasons as a starter. Since then, he's 13-30 with a 6.27 ERA and doesn't look like he'll regain his old form any time soon.

--Former American League Rookie of the Year Ben Grieve is showing signs of a thaw after a poor 2001 season. Grieve hit two homers Friday, giving him four this season, and raised his average to .303. It took Grieve until June 12 to hit four homers last season.

STAT LINES

484: Estimated feet a Sammy Sosa homer traveled in Chicago's victory Friday over Pittsburgh. It's the longest homer in PNC Park history.

46: Number of runners left on base in last Sunday's 14-inning game between Atlanta and the New York Mets.

1: Take note, Detroit: Only one of the 10 teams to ever start 0-9 got above .500 by season's end. Houston finished 85-77 in 1983.

CAPTION(S):

2 boxes

Box:

(1) WHAT'S ON (see text)

(2) AROUND THE HORN (see text)