Three prized balls go up for auction

Tuesday, Jan. 12, 1999 | 10:28 a.m.

SUN WIRE REPORTS

When Philip Ozersky and Albert Chapa recovered landmark balls from the greatest home run season in history, they were offered autographed paraphernalia in exchange.

When Richard Arndt caught his landmark ball, he was offered a chance to keep his job.

All three deferred, and their prized baseballs -- Ozersky's No. 70 by Mark McGwire, Chapa's No. 66 by Sammy Sosa and Arndt's No 755 by Hank Aaron -- are the headliners of Guernsey's auction tonight at Madison Square Garden.

Ozersky, a research scientist at Washington University in St. Louis, was at an office outing at Busch Stadium last Sept. 27 when he retrieved McGwire's 70th.

Two days earlier at the Houston Astrodome, Chapa interrupted a phone call with a client and returned to his seat just in time to grab Sosa's No. 66.

Then there was Arndt and Aaron's No. 755.

Arndt was a groundskeeper at Milwaukee County Stadium when Aaron hit the final home run of his career on July 20, 1976. There was no way to tell it would be the career home run leader's last one, but Arndt wanted to return it. The Brewers, however, refused to set up a meeting, so Arndt refused to return the ball. The decision cost him his job.

Now all three balls are for sale to the highest bidder. Each is a home run exclamation point, the final shots for McGwire and Sosa in their record season, and the last one in Aaron's career.

Also included in tonight's auction are several other McGwire and Sosa balls from the 1998 race to the record -- McGwire's No. 63, No. 67 and No. 68, and Sosa's No. 61 -- as well as a ball signed by former record-holder Roger Maris, Mickey Mantle's 500th homer and the usual assortment of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig items.

* RED SOX: Right-hander Pat Rapp agreed Monday to a $1.5 million, one-year contract with Boston, giving the Red Sox a projected starting rotation of five former National Leaguers.

Rapp, 31, spent 4 1/2 seasons with Florida and went 12-13 with Kansas City last season. He became a free agent after the Royals failed to offer him a contract by the Dec. 20 deadline.

After going 12-13 with a 5.30 ERA in a career-high 188 1-3 innings last season, Rapp figures to join Pedro Martinez, Tim Wakefield, Bret Saberhagen and Mark Portugal in the rotation. All five had at least 10 wins last season.

* OAKLAND: The Athletics, one of the major leagues' youngest teams, have signed one of baseball's oldest players.

Right-handed reliever Doug Jones, 41, who has played for six other clubs during a 14-season major league career, signed a one-year free agent deal with the A's on Monday.

Jones, who has 291 career saves to rank 11th on the career list, probably will be a middle reliever with the A's. Bill Taylor remains the Oakland closer.