"What's the over-under on number of homers and RBIs you'll have this year?" I asked.

"I can do '01 again, but those were special times," Boone said of that 37-homer and 144-RBI season. " '03 is more indicative of what I'm capable of doing."

Two years ago, Boone had 35 homers and 117 RBIs, which means I'll hope for the "over" but bet on the "under."

He'll turn 36 in April, he's coming off a 24-homer and 83-RBI season, and he calls me the Go 2 Clown, all reasons to heavily support the "under."

Reason to support the "over?" He's Bret Boone, who has done it before and burned me before. While covering the World Series of Poker two years ago, I bet on the Tigers against the Mariners at Binion's sports book.

What happens? I look up just in time to watch Boone circle the bases after a two-run shot in the Mariners' easy win.

"Never bet against 'The Boone,' " he said later.

Boone is known for being cocky, but he's a good sport, too. Remember last year's commercial when the no-name second baseman let a grounder go through his legs?

Boone told him, "Don't worry about it; it happens all the time."

"Even to guys like you?" the no-namer asked.

"Me? Never," Boone said. "Guys like you, it happens all the time."

Or something like that. But the karma caught up to him when Boone had one go through his wickets in a game late last year against the Angels. It happened one pitch after his throw home hit a bat on the ground for an error.

"I looked around and thought, 'This year is really happening,' " Boone said. "That was my worst inning ever. I can laugh at stuff like that."

Hargrove subscribes to the theory of "happy wife, happy life," and talked about his key to 34 years of wedded bliss, saying: "I learned real early in my marriage to say, 'Yes dear.' " If you say, 'Yes, dear,' it gets you a free pass for a while."

Family's important to him, evidenced by colored-in pages from a coloring book that hang from his office wall, the work of grandkid artists, no doubt.

He also has potential as a comedian. When asked if Bobby Madritsch's 20 tattoos were a measure of toughness, Hargrove said: "Or a degree of insanity, one of the two."

Plus, the guy's got beer in his fridge ...

"I'm just happy to be 70," Niehaus said yesterday while watching infield practice. "I'll be happier to be 71."

Predictably, Niehaus is excited for another season, saying: "The magic of baseball ... every day tells a different story with one individual play, one individual performance, something, anything."

My favorite Niehaus story comes from the game that wouldn't end in 2000 until Mike Cameron hit a homer in the 19th inning. It was well after midnight. All of us writers wanted to go home.

Spotted in the clubhouse, Niehaus was disappointed, admitting yesterday: "I wanted it to go at least 24 or 25."

Niehaus believes the Mariners "could go from 99 losses to the thick of things" this year and calls Adrian Beltre "the steal of the offseason."

In his last year of a five-year contract, Niehaus has no plans to retire and says he will renegotiate "whenever they (the Mariners) want to, but I never worry about that."

PEORIA THREE DOTS: In a major league first for dogs, the Go 2 Pup received a media credential yesterday. He immediately abused his privilege, chewing through a rope near the Mariners dugout before redeeming himself by adeptly fielding grounders and shagging flies in the media room. ... Rick Rizzs was signing autographs, posing for pictures and being his usual upbeat self yesterday. The longtime Mariners announcer made an offseason acquisition, buying a Pug pup named Bailey ... Assessing the inevitability of the future, Jamie Moyer said: "Sooner or later, somebody is gonna say you can't play. Sooner or later, somebody is gonna say you can't write." Hey, Jamie, as for me, many somebodies already have.

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