Between The Lines

By TIM KURKJIAN

Joltin' Joe. Blue Jay Joe Carter is still hampered by a right thumb that was broken in spring training and remains so sore he can't open his car door with it, yet he set a major league record for the most RBIs in April, with 31, surpassing the old mark of 29 that was shared by three players. (Colorado first baseman Andres Galarraga also bettered that mark, with 30 April RBIs.) Carter's 31 ribbies were one more than Barry Bonds, David Justice, Mark Grace, Andy Van Slyke and Howard Johnson had -- combined -- for the month.

De-Juiced in Detroit. The only American League team that didn't score in double figures in a game this April was the Tigers. With virtually the same lineup last April, Detroit hit double digits five times, including two games in which it scored 20 runs.

Hail to the Chief. Twin first baseman Kent Hrbek, who has said he might retire after this season at 34 because of the abuse his body has taken during 14 years in the major leagues, was told that he shouldn't quit because, after all, the Celtics' Robert Parish, who's 40, wants to play another season. "But he's the Chief," Hrbek said, "and I'm a wreck." And that was before he went on the DL again on Sunday with a strained right hamstring.

The Age of Specialization. On April 26 Oriole Brady Anderson had four extra- base hits in his first four at bats during a 10-4 win over the A's, all of them while leading off an inning. But when he came up as the third batter in the seventh, he struck out. "See that?" he said, joking. "I can't be expected to produce in other roles. I'm a leadoff guy."