Spitball

BALTIMORE: Major League umpires agreed to suspend until Thursday a planned boycott of the playoffs just five minutes before the first American League game was set to begin. Umpires had threatened the walkout when the American League announced that Baltimore Orioles second baseman Roberto Alomar would not have to serve a five-game suspension until next season for spitting on umpire John Hirschbeck in a game last Friday. Alomar, a wonderful ballplayer but a lousy diplomat, then infuriated Hirschbeck with these comments after the game: "I used to respect him a lot. He had a problem with his family when his son died -->