Hibbard scratches up start vs. A's

No fines or suspensions have been announced from last Friday'sWhite Sox-Rangers brawl, but left-hander Greg Hibbard will pitchtoday with a scratch on the inside of his left index finger.

Hibbard was on the bottom of the pile after Steve Buechelecharged the mound when hit by a pitch from Hibbard, who doesn't know how he got thescratch.

"It's fine," he said. "The only time it bothers me is when Ithrow a changeup."

Pitching coach Sammy Ellis noted that Hibbard pitched threeinnings with the finger following the brawl. He also threw on theside Sunday. "He's OK," Ellis said. "It'll be fine by the time hepitches."

Hibbard is looking forward to tonight's start under pressure."It's fun when you get to pitch against somebody who's supposed to bebetter than you," he said. "It adds a little more to it because youwant to prove something to yourself." When Bobby Thigpen recorded his 40th save Sunday, it was theearliest any reliever had reached that plateau. Thigpen got there 21 days (23 games) earlier than Bruce Sutter of St. Louis in1984, research by the Rolaids Relief awards people showed. Sutterfinished with 45 saves that season. When the Yankees Dave Righettiset his record of 46 saves in 1986, he reached 40 on Sept. 15. For the first time, Puerto Rico native Ivan Calderon says he willrest after the season. "No winter ball this year," he said. "I will play basketball and lift weights for my (left) shoulder.Maybe I'll get stronger and I can hit more home runs." Sox manager Jeff Torborg on the seemingly endless rain delays anddoubleheaders: "We should make the clubhouse into a dormitory. We'velived at the ballpark the last few weeks." Asked in late afternoon what the weather forecast for Monday nightwas, Torborg replied: "Ozzie (Guillen) has been all over me aboutthat. He says, `Are you the manager or a weatherman? Heck, Ithought we were going to play that (rained out game) Sunday." Oakland manager Tony LaRussa is carrying a copy of Notre Dame coachLou Holtz' book The Fighting Spirit. Said LaRussa, "I use a lot ofhis stuff. There isn't anything I know I haven't learned fromsomebody else. I was - and still am - a big Bobby Knight fan, too." Little Craig Grebeck has not yet sent home the ball from his firstmajor league home run off Nolan Ryan. Grebeck says the homer was abig deal, "but maybe making the team the first time was bigger." Disabled Eric King throws on the side again today, then it may beminor league rehabilitation. "I'm assuming I'll be back the (Sept.)first, that's what I've been hearing," he said. "Everything's good sofar." When the rosters expand Sept. 1, look for Class AA Birmingham DHMatt Stark to be among the callups. A right-handed power hitter whodoesn't catch because of a shoulder operation, Stark's 101 RBI areseven short of the club record. He is seventh in the Southern Leaguewith .303.