CLEVELAND VS. NEW YORK REPORT / NOTES : Steinbrenner Fined Again for Criticizing Umpires

Yankee owner George Steinbrenner was fined an undisclosed amount by the American League on Friday for making “inappropriate comments about postseason umpiring” after the Indians’ 4-1 victory in Game 2 Wednesday.

The fine was believed to be either $5,000 or $10,000.

Steinbrenner said Ted Hendry’s non-interference call on Travis Fryman’s 12th-inning bunt was “one of the worst calls I’ve ever seen,” adding, “This guy Hendry is not a good umpire.” He also criticized the league for assigning playoff umpires on a rotating basis instead of by merit.

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The starting pitchers for Game 4 today are as feisty as they are different.

The old man is the Indians’ Dwight Gooden. The rookie is the Yankees’ Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez.

When told that Hernandez idolized him while playing on the Cuban national team, Gooden, 33, smiled.

“It makes you feel old . . . but he’s probably my age,” he said.

Hernandez, who will be 29 Sunday, was asked if this will be the biggest game he’s pitched.

“The biggest game was jumping on a boat and leaving Cuba,” he said through an interpreter.

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David Wells entertained an interesting clubhouse visitor before leaving New York--Kevin Costner, who wanted to talk to him about a movie Costner is making about a perfect game.

Wells, who pitched a perfect game earlier this year, agreed to lend technical support.

Then he asked Costner what any other baseball player would ask in those circumstances.

“Hey dude, you want a jockstrap or something?” he said.

Later, when asked which actor should play him in a movie, Wells didn’t hesitate.

“Tom Arnold,” he said.