Would You Believe the Santa Clara Giants?

They don’t call them the Anaheim Angels.

They don’t call them the Arlington Rangers.

The NBA champions aren’t known as the Auburn Hills Pistons.

In the NFL, they’re not the Foxboro Patriots, the Irving Cowboys, the Pontiac Lions or the East Rutherford Giants.

Why, then, must they be called the Santa Clara Giants?

From a provincial standpoint, it’s understandable why the folks in the Santa Clara Valley want their name on the major-league sports map. Surely, there’s more to life than cultivating prunes, peaches and computer chips.

But Santa Clara Giants? It has a minor-league ring to it. Can you imagine the snickering when the National League West standings list Santa Clara with Los Angeles, Atlanta and Cincinnati?

Granted, Giants owner Bob Lurie has consented to the name change. Spurned by San Francisco, he simply will take his toy down the street and change its name. That surely will shake up the boys in the financial district.

What did anyone expect Lurie to do? He has no choice, other than selling to owners who would move the Giants much farther away than Santa Clara. If he wants to keep the team in his beloved Bay Area, he would agree to call them anything -- perhaps even the Milpitas Giants or the Saratoga Giants.

But it’s a ridiculous idea. This is a regional baseball team, and it deserves better than to be named after a suburb.

If a change must be made -- and that’s a reasonable assumption given the fact that San Francisco doesn’t care that much about its baseball team -- why not at least give it a regional identity? Something like Bay Area Giants or Redwood Giants isn’t ideal, but it makes more sense.

Santa Clara Councilwoman Sue Lasher, who spearheaded the Santa Clara Giants movement by insisting on a name change, has noble intentions. But how would her voters feel if such a stubborn stance cost them an opportunity for a major-league team?

Anyone who isn’t emotional about the issue might realize that it’s far more important to acquire a team of such stature than to be petty and concerned about what it is called.

THE RIPPER REBOUNDS--The San Diego Padres were 1-11 in new manager Greg Riddoch’s first 12 games before entering the weekend with a 9-3 record in their next 12. Much of the credit for the turnaround goes to Jack Clark.

He was batting .358 with nine homers and 19 RBI in his last 24 games through Friday, a hot streak that has led him to announce his intention of remaining with the Padres despite the likelihood of being granted free agency because of the recent collusion ruling.

“I’m glad there are people in this organization who are patient,� Clark said. “My priority is to stay here. I would like to be a part of this team next year.�

Clark, who is in the final year of a $2 million contract, once again is forming a solid one-two punch with newcomer Joe Carter, who had seven RBI in his last four games through Friday. Over a longer haul, Carter has 15 RBI in 13 games after producing only four in his previous 21 games.

Craig Lefferts also has contributed, bouncing back from a mid-season slump to register 11 1/3 scoreless innings. He also has 15 saves and has allowed only four of 30 inherited runners to score.

STREAKING SABO--While many observers expect Eric Davis to carry the West-leading Cincinnati Reds down the stretch, third baseman Chris Sabo continues to be the club’s surprising offensive standout.

Sabo homered for the fourth consecutive game Friday night, one away from Johnny Bench’s club record, set in 1972. Sabo is among the league leaders with 27 doubles and has a career-high 21 homers. He leads the Reds with 54 RBI.

Sabo seems a cinch to erase the record for home runs by a Cincinnati third baseman. Tony Perez, later a first baseman, hit 25 home runs as the Reds’ third baseman in 1971.

The Reds entered play Saturday 11-14 since the All-Star break, losing 3 1/2 games off their lead. A recent 2-10 slump has given new life to the Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Davis has been the most notable culprit, going hitless in five of six games. Most of the other regulars have been hitting, however, making the Reds’ lack of run production even more mysterious.

NO-HITTER INEQUITIES -- When Scott Garrelts of the Giants and Doug Drabek of the Pittsburgh Pirates lost no-hitters with one out to go in the ninth inning Friday, it brought the major-league season totals to seven no-hitters and eight one-hitters.

It also brought to mind that no-hitters shouldn’t be awarded unless a pitcher goes at least nine innings, or eight if accomplished by a losing team on the road, as was the case with Andy Hawkins of the New York Yankees last month.

It seems unfair that pitchers receive credit for a no-hitter when a game is shortened by rain, as the Chicago White Sox’s Melido Perez did this season. Many no-hitters are lost in the eighth and ninth innings. Why should those pitchers be penalized while others profit from inclement weather?

AROUND THE HORN--Kevin Mitchell has a new hobby. He enjoys watching his new 3 1/2-inch pet boa devour mice. “I dropped a mouse into the fish tank the other night, and a second later, it was gone,� Mitchell said. “Man, those boas are strong.� ... With the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves out of their division races, the impact of the Dale Murphy trade Friday night was diminished. “Why block a deal between the Braves and the Phillies?� Giants general manager Al Rosen asked. One would think Murphy might have gone to a contender for the stretch drive. It’s a strange deal to figure, and with Von Hayes probably shifting back to first base, Ricky Jordan’s future in Philadelphia appears shaky. ... The Padres are 17-29 since Jeff Brantley broke Benito Santiago’s forearm with a pitch June 14. ... Santiago began his rehabilitation at Triple-A Las Vegas last week and is expected back next week.

Calvin Schiraldi wants to be a starter for San Diego, and he is proving it by enabling the last 16 runners he has inherited to score.