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Colorado Rockies manager Clint Hurdle agreed to a two-year extension Thursday morning. But, before the deal could be announced, he suddenly had other business to attend to.

Thirty minutes before a scheduled 2:30 p.m. news conference, Hurdle’s wife, Karla, went into labor. Hurdle rushed to the hospital, and just as batting practice was starting, Karla gave birth to a girl, Madison Reilly.

“What an amazing day for him,” Rockies vice-chairman Charlie Monfort said. “We are happy for him. Clint has done a really good job for us. With his nine years experience in this organization and seeing all the games here, who better to lead us as we move forward?”

Since Hurdle took over for the fired Buddy Bell on April 26, the Rockies are 47-45 (heading into Friday). Hurdle impressed management by reviving Colorado after its franchise-worst 6-16 start and by handling with authority the awkward situations with high-priced pitchers Mike Hampton and Denny Neagle.

The Rockies responded to Hurdle’s promotion from hitting instructor with a 20-8 run and were just 4¹/₂ games out of first place in the National League West as late as June 2.

A good deal of the Rockies’ resurgence has to do with Hurdle’s approach to his job. Third baseman Todd Zeile said his enthusiasm was rare for a big-league manager, and it’s not uncommon for Hurdle to walk through the clubhouse before or after games, barking out encouragement laced with wisecracks.

“He’s consistent, and he’s honest,” reliever Todd Jones said. “That’s what players want. He doesn’t brown nose star players, and he always makes sure that the lines of communication are open.”

Hurdle’s style reflects that of Whitey Herzog, who managed him while he was with the Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals. Hurdle chooses to manage by his gut, not by the book.

“I have never read it. I don’t even know who wrote it,” Hurdle said a few months back.

Hurdles’ extension includes club options for 2005 and 2006. Including TV and radio deals, Hurdle will make close to $400,000 per season.

THE NEW HOME RUN KING?

Because of his age (38) and the number of walks he receives, San Francisco slugger Barry Bonds thinks Hank Aaron’s record of 755 home runs is out of reach for him.

So, who does he think can break Aaron’s record? Try Texas shortstop Alex Rodriquez.

“It will be a lot easier for Alex to do it because of the fact that, in the latter part of his career, he can DH,” Bonds said. “In the National League, you have to play, and as you get older, it wears on you a little bit. You have to keep your mind sharp, your body in good shape and get what you can. But any kinds of flaw can deteriorate those records.”

For his part, A-Rod is off to a good start.

Earlier this season, he set the record for most home runs before the age of 27 with 273 — seven more than the previous leader, Jimmie Foxx. He turned 27 on July 27 and now has 37 homers on the season and 278 for his career heading into the weekend.

But, if he does wind up chasing a home-run record, Rodriquez thinks it could be Bonds.

“Barry can go as far as he wants,” he said. “The one thing about this generation now, 40 is an age you can play through. Nolan Ryan and Rickey Henderson have been great inspirations. They have proven you can do it into your 40s.”

DEJA VU, ALMOST

The Seattle Mariners — who had a 14-2 lead in a game against Cleveland last season only to lose 15-14 — almost pulled off similar comeback Tuesday night in Toronto.

The Mariners were down 13-2 after seven innings, before scoring six runs in the eighth and four in the ninth. Trailing 14-12 in the top of the ninth, they had two runners on base with two outs and Ruben Sierra at the plate.

Second baseman Bret Boone and right fielder Ichiro Suzuki were sitting next to each other on a couch in the clubhouse watching the rally. They had been given the rest of the night off after the earlier lopsided score.

“Ichi wanted to go out to the bench and watch,” Boone said. “But I told him, ‘We just scored a ton of runs on this couch, you can’t leave.’ ”

But it didn’t matter. Sierra struck out to end the game.

“You don’t come back in games like this, not even in high school,” Boone said. “But we’ve had a lot of comebacks lately, and I think it says something about the offense coming around. There’s character here. We’ll be fine.”

THE BIG SKIRT

Frank Thomas is in trouble again.

Presented with the chance to slide in the Chicago White Sox’s game at Tampa Bay last Saturday, a lumbering Big Hurt came in standing, further solidifying his reputation as a soft player. Although replays showed he was safe, Thomas was called out.

White Sox manager Jerry Manuel didn’t even bother to leave the dugout to argue.

“No doubt he should have slid,” Manuel said after his team’s 6-2 loss. “He was standing up and was tagged out. Mark (Johnson) was telling him (to slide). This guy has been playing for 35 years. He can’t slide? He knows he has to slide.”

After the game, teammate Carlos Lee approached Thomas in the trainer’s room and told the veteran he should have slid. Thomas went ballistic, screaming loud enough for all of his teammates to hear.

The next day, a lumbering Thomas was waved home from second base on a single and displayed the most horrible slide — and was tagged out.

DEALING WITH ANGER ISSUES

Cardinals reliever and West Virginia graduate Steve Kline went ballistic in the dugout Wednesday, after he allowed the first career hit by Montreal reliever Joey Eischen, who later scored a key run in the Expos’ 4-1 win.

Kline wasn’t ejected, but his actions did bring home-plate umpire Bruce Froemming to the dugout and might have indirectly caused the ejection of Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, who was later tossed for arguing a strike call to second baseman Fernando Vina.

“He was tearing the dugout apart,” Froemming said. “I’ve got to have control of the field. I didn’t throw him out. I went over and said, ‘Knock it off.’ ”

Kline thought that Froemming should have minded his own business.

“The umpire panicked,” he said. “I don’t even know why he came over there. He said, ‘Don’t be doing that stuff. I’m going to throw you out of here.’ I told him to (expletive) worry about himself.”

WELCOME HOME

The family of Florida Marlins rookie pitcher Josh Beckett bought 100 tickets for his anticipated hometown debut Wednesday against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Beckett, who was picked second overall by the Marlins in the June 1999 draft, is from Spring, Texas, about 30 miles north of Houston.

But there was just one catch. Beckett pitched Tuesday instead.

The problem was quickly solved when the Astros allowed the family to switch the tickets, which were bought at $30 apiece. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as smoothly for Beckett. He pitched well, allowing two runs and three hits in five innings, but came away with the loss in a 2-0 Houston win.

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