April 24, 1995

Representatives Rob Andrews and Frank Pallone were the New Jersey Democrats most likely to vote with Republicans on the Contract With America. Of 15 votes so far on the Contract, Mr. Pallone joined the Republicans 9 times while Mr. Andrews sided with them 9 times and did not vote twice. The other three Democrats in the state's 13-member House delegation disagreed more often. Robert Torricelli and Robert Menendez sided with the Republicans five times apiece. Donald Payne never voted with the Republicans.

Lavada Dale is on her way to Washington. The 8-year-old Jersey City girl won the Reading Is Fundamental national poster contest. At the awards ceremony Wednesday, she'll get to meet Juwan Howard, the Washington Bullets basketball star. SUSAN JO KELLER

HISTORY now has the option on Howard Cosell, who died yesterday. If it casts him properly he will be remembered not only as the most important sports journalist of the century, but as the only one who was more of a show-business celebrity than his subjects. That combination alone assured him the resentment of most of his colleagues, easy access to most everyone in sports and an influential voice that cut through SportsWorld like a serrated knife through blue cheese.

The Republican majority in Congress breezed through its first 100 days with a string of votes promising a broad mix of tax cuts and budget reductions. But when the lawmakers went home for their recess they found that the voters were at best confused and at worst indifferent about exactly what the Republicans had done.

After an eight-month absence, major league baseball returns this week, hoping all is forgiven. But just in case it isn't, the 28 teams are offering mea culpas, cut-rate tickets, free yearbooks, snappy slogans, car giveaways and European vacations. All this largesse -- a virtual crazy-quilt of promotion -- is intended to win back disgruntled fans and revive ticket sales that have been hammered by the 234-day players' strike, the longest in sports labor history.