Fitting Tribute? Johnson May Don Ryan's No. 34 -- Numbers Game Includes Records Within M's Reach

When Randy Johnson takes the mound Sunday against Oakland in the 1993 Kingdome finale, he might be a changed man.

The Seattle Mariner ace may ask the club for permission to wear No. 34 for one game, in honor of his friend and pitching mentor Nolan Ryan.

"I'd like to pay tribute to him," said Johnson, who visited Ryan in the Texas trainer's room after the Hall of Fame-bound pitcher suffered a career-ending tear of a ligament in his pitching elbow Wednesday night. "He's done a lot for me and for the game. I think it would be a nice thing to do."

Johnson had considered putting Ryan's number on his hat. "But then I thought no one would see it," the pitcher said. "And I'd like everyone to recognize what I'm trying to say."

Needing two wins for a team-record 20, and 14 strikeouts to become the eighth American League pitcher to reach 300, Johnson hopes for a different outcome than the last time he switched numbers. In an effort to reverse his luck last July, the 6-foot-10 left-hander wore 15 instead of his usual 51 and lost 7-6 at Yankee Stadium after a flock of unearned runs.

The Mariners' No. 34 was last worn in training camp by departed minor-league pitcher Kevin Coffman.

Johnson's uniform number is not the only set of digits for Seattle fans to consider this weekend. As of this morning, it appeared The Mariners would pass 2 million in 1993 attendance on Fan Appreciation Night tonight, and have a chance to set a single-game

record.

Seattle had sold 49,000 tickets. The record is 57,762, set on April 6, 1977. With this season's attendance at 1,959,844 through Wednesday, and advance sales of 83,000 for the final home series, the Mariners expect to wind up with a season total between 2,050,000 and 2,070,000, depending on walk-up sales. The club has sold more tickets just once before - 2.1 million in 1991 - and then only because King County bought 200,000 tickets to help keep the team in Seattle.

In the final series, Seattle will face Oakland's three pitchers of the future - Steve Karsay, Todd Van Poppel and Miguel Jiminez.

"We'd like to do well but it's not going to be easy," Manager Lou Piniella said of the A's team managed by his old Tampa pal, Tony La Russa. "Oakland is an improved club, scoring some runs and getting good pitching from those kids. They're already into the rebuilding program, and it's off to a strong start."

Piniella also has hopes for Texas' three-game visit to Chicago.

"I'd like to see Chicago sweep that series and clinch the division," Piniella said. "Then the White Sox would be a little more relaxed when we come to town for our four games next week. If they swept and clinched Sunday, they might have hangovers from celebrating when they play us Monday. If they clinch, they may even play subs against us in some games."

Piniella is shooting for a chance to move past Kansas City and to challenge Texas for second place. "Second or third would give this club a real shot in the confidence," he said. "We've done pretty well all things considered. But finishing in the money would be a nice capoff to the distance we've come this year."

$6.50 TICKETS, ONLY $10!

As of last night, the Mariners had taken 150 orders for unused tickets to Ryan's final game Wednesday night.

According to team spokesman Dave Aust, there were about 5,900 general admission tickets unsold for the game. Anyone interested can place orders with the Mariners for the tickets, sold as souvenirs for $10 apiece plus $2 for postage and handling.

General admission tickets bought before the game were $6.50.

Notes

-- Fan Apreciation giveaways tonight feature trips to the Bahamas and 1994 spring training, and to the Hall of Fame ceremonies next year when the Mariners meet the Philadelphia Phillies in the annual Hall of Fame Game at Cooperstown. In addition, 39 game jerseys will be given out as prizes and autographed memorabilia.

-- Several presentations of checks will be made to United Way tonight, including Piniella's $50,000 bonus for reaching 2 million in attendance. That amount will be matched by Mariner ownership and by Microsoft owner Bill Gates, who will contribute $75,000, bringing the total donation to $175,000.

-- Also tonight, the Mariners and the Boeing Co., will award their ninth youth baseball field to the Shoreline Baseball Project.