BASEBALL NOTES

ONLY PIRATES FAIL TO INK NO. 1 PICK BY DEADLINE

Pitcher Mark Appel spurned the Pittsburgh Pirates and decided to remain at Stanford for his senior season, the first big casualty of baseball's new restrictions on amateur signing bonuses.

Appel was the only unsigned player among 31 first-round picks, turning down an offer of $3.8 million from the Pirates. Projected by some to be the No. 1 selection, some teams shied away from the right-hander because of the expected demands of his adviser, Scott Boras. Appel was selected eighth by the Pirates.

That slot was assigned $2.9 million from the drafting team's bonus pool in baseball's new labor contract, which imposes penalties on clubs that exceed the threshold - the totals of the slots for a team's selections in the first 10 rounds. Pittsburgh was prepared to go as much as 5 percent above its threshold and incur the first level of penalty, a 75 percent tax on the overage. But the Pirates didn't want to fall into higher levels, which include the loss of future draft picks.

First-round picks who signed before Friday's deadline include:

-Lucas Giolito, right-handed pitcher from Harvard-Westlake School in California, with the Nationals, for a $2.925 million signing bonus.

-Andrew Heaney, Oklahoma State left-handed pitcher, with the Marlins, for a $2.6 million bonus.

-Ty Hensley, right-handed pitcher from Santa Fe High School in Edmond, Okla., with the Yankees, for a $1.2 million bonus.

-Richie Shaffer, Clemson third baseman, with the Rays, for a $1.71 million bonus.

■ DYKSTRA FACES PRISON - Former All-Star outfielder Lenny Dykstra pleaded guilty and could face 20 years in prison for hiding and selling sports memorabilia and other items that were supposed to be part of his bankruptcy filing. Dykstra, 49, filed for bankruptcy three years ago, claiming he owed more than $31 million and had only $50,000 in assets.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

■ RED SOX - A Massachusetts police officer is under investigation after allegations that he directed a racial slur at Boston outfielder Carl Crawford last week.

Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella said the patrolman is on vacation and will be put on desk duty when he returns next week. Mazzarella, a life-long Red Sox fan, wouldn't name the officer involved, but he said the officer is a five-year force veteran and white, with no prior disciplinary issues.

Crawford, who is black, was on a rehab assignment July 5 in Manchester, N.H., when a heckling fan called him a "monday," which can be a derogatory term for blacks and is often associated with Mondays being one of the least-liked days of the week.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

■ DODGERS - Star outfielders Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier were activated from the disabled list, and outfielders Elian Herrera and Scott Van Slyke were optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque.

Kemp, hitting .355 with 12 home runs and 28 RBIs, missed 51 of the Dodgers' previous 53 games because of a left hamstring strain.

■ CARDINALS - First baseman Lance Berkman went through an intensified workout without problem and could be activated today.

■ BRAVES - Catcher Brian Mc-Cann was placed on paternity leave.