BETWEEN THE LINES

WELFARE CADILLACS
The Pirates are paying Lee Mazzilli $600,000, Sixto Lezcano
$625,000, Jason Thompson $800,000, Johnny LeMaster $500,000 and Steve
Kemp $1,200,000 not to play.
HALL OF FAME FOOTNOTE
In his 158 games from the All-Star break of 1985 to the All-Star
break of 1986, Mike Schmidt batted .300 with 41 homers and 121 RBIs.
Probable reason: An adjustment in his stance that has eliminated a
wiggle in his bat and helped him keep his head down.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
-- ''He has nothin' to do with nothin'.'' -- Dave Winfield on
the Yankees owner.
-- ''Let's face it, if I were 10-10 last year and not a Cy Young
Award winner, I'd just be another average ballplayer right now.
Actually, I would probably be in Triple A.'' -- Bret Saberhagen,
currently 6-10 with the Royals.
AN OPEN INVITATION
A woman wearing a wedding gown and veil walked through the Shea
Stadium stands in the fifth inning of the Mets' 9-2 win over the
Cubs on July 28 carrying a sign that read MARRY ME, LENNY. Lenny
Dykstra, who already is married, saw the sign from the on-deck circle
and laughed. His comment later was, ''I better not say anything.''
Dykstra, now playing centerfield regularly and leading off, hit
.361 in June and July after batting .262 the first two months of the
season.
THE ANSWER IS . . .
TERRY MULHOLLAND
The question is, Which member of the Giants rotation of Terry
Mulholland, Vida Blue, Kelly Downs, Steve Carlton and Mike LaCoss was
not released by another team?
Mike Krukow, please get healthy.
TED WILLIAMS, BEWARE
Wade Boggs may have fallen below .350, but Phillies pitcher Dan
Schatzeder entered August batting .429 with an on-base percentage of
.538. Schatzeder was over .400 in mid-August of 1984, but went 0 for
6 the rest of the way and dipped to .314.
A WISH FULFILLED
! -- On July 28 Mickey Mahler was quoted in USA Today as saying
that if he were commissioner of baseball for one day, he'd send every
player who had played three straight years in the majors ''back to
Triple A for one month, just to let them see what it's like so they
won't forget how good they have it now.'' The next day the Rangers
shipped Mahler to Triple A.
MISCELLANEOUS
-- The Mets' 17-game lead after the first game of last Tuesday's
doubleheader was the biggest in the National League since the end of
the 1975 season. The Reds won the West that season by 20 games.
-- Dennis Leonard has started 10 games without a win and hasn't
had a victory since June 4. He has lost six straight decisions and
since June 4 has pitched 55 1/3 innings, allowing 75 hits, 10 home
runs and 42 earned runs for an ERA of 6.83.
-- Kansas City's rightfield platoon of Darryl Motley and Mike
Kingery went 0 for 30 before Kingery singled on July 25, and
fellow outfielder Lynn Jones got his first RBI since Sept. 4, 1985,
when he grounded out in that same game. ''It was so long since I'd
been to the plate,'' Jones said, ''that I fell down going to first.''

-- The three highest season save totals in Toronto history: 1) Tom
Henke, 16, 1986; 2) Bill Caudill, 14, 1985; 3) Henke, 13, 1985.
-- In Sid Fernandez's first three innings last Wednesday the Mets
lefthander struck out nine Cubs and trailed 4-0.
-- Rangers manager Bobby Valentine was voted ''the sexiest man in
the Metroplex'' in a poll by a Dallas radio station.
-- Of the first 99 balks called in the National League, 15 came
with Vince Coleman on first base.
-- After setting a record for the lowest first-half winning
percentage (.260) in California League history, Bakersfield started
the second half 6-28.
-- Bob Uecker did not hit a triple in his illustrious major league
career. In the Seattle oldtimers' game on July 26 Uecker finally got
his triple -- over centerfielder Paul Blair's head.