Between The Lines

SHOWING A LOT OF HEART
On April 13, A's pitcher Dave Leiper had open-heart surgery to correct an electrical irregularity that caused his heart to beat wildly at times. On Aug. 3 he pitched for the A's Class A Modesto team, and last Friday he was promoted to Triple A Tacoma. "I'm not shocked," says Leiper of his remarkable recovery. "But if you had asked me if I thought I would be capable of throwing in August, I didn't think I would be able to. But now I feel great. It's fixed." Leiper's condition became a source of concern in July 1989 while he was pitching for San Diego. He took medication, which seemed to solve the trouble, but a recurrence this spring made surgery necessary. "I didn't have the operation because of baseball," he says. "I did it because I had to. It really wasn't a difficult decision."

BORDERLINE CASE
Shortstop Mario Mendoza, whose name became synonymous with weak hitting when players began calling a .200 batting average the Mendoza Line, is considering retiring from summer league baseball after this season with the Monterrey Sultans in the Mexican League. Mendoza, 39, has played 21 summers and 20 winters, including nine years with the Pirates, Mariners and Rangers (1974-82). He is hitting .251 for Monterrey, but his career batting average in the majors was .215, and he averaged under .200 five times. Mendoza says the term Mendoza Line was invented by former Mariners teammate Tom Paciorek, but Paciorek insists otherwise: "It wasn't my idea. I think it was [former Mariner] Bruce Bochte's. I got the credit, but I don't want it." Paciorek says Mendoza was one of the Mariners' most popular players, although the club's designated hitter, Willie Horton, might disagree. Mendoza was forever giving Horton a hard time. "Willie used to always say to Mario, 'Get away from me, you crazy Mexican,' " says Paciorek. "One night on a bus ride, I was sitting next to Willie, who was sleeping. He woke up screaming, 'Get away from me, you crazy Mexican.' "

DOWN-AND-DIRTY PLAYER
At an Aug. 4 charity auction held by the Milwaukee players' wives, Denny Brock, wife of first baseman Greg Brock, paid $200 for an oil-and-lube job to be done by second baseman Jim Gantner. Gantner and his brother Mike own Gantner's Repair Inc. in Mayville, Wis. The garage usually handles 18-wheelers, and it is actually Mike who does most of the work. "But I can change oil," says Jim. "Brocker told me, 'For $200, I'm bringing in both my vehicles, you're doing both, and I'm taking pictures.' "

BY THE NUMBERS

?On Aug. 10, Nolan Ryan gave up home runs on consecutive pitches to Craig Grebeck and Ozzie Guillen of the White Sox. It was Grebeck's first major league homer and Guillen's first in his last 430 at bats.

?Through Sunday, Padres catcher Mark Parent had 14 RBIs, but he would have had three more if it weren't for teammate Jack Clark. Twice, Clark was called out for leaving third base early on apparent sacrifice flies by Parent. On Aug. 9, Clark pulled up lame with a hamstring injury while rounding third on a hit by Parent and couldn't score.

?Angel pitcher Mark Langston has not won at Anaheim Stadium since April 11, his first start of the year, when he and Mike Witt pitched a combined no-hitter.