Carfagno still pitching for Allen to get into Hall of Fame

MARK "FROG" Carfagno won't take no for an answer.

The former Phillies groundskeeper continues to champion the effort to get Dick Allen, who turned 73 yesterday, elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

In December Carfagno and Allen supporters were dealt a blow when the ex-Phillies slugger came up one vote shy on the HOF's Golden Era Committee ballot.

Carfagno has started a website petition - just Google "Dickallenbelongs" - in the hopes of getting his longtime friend in the Hall on the next go-round.

"Just because the Golden Era Committee doesn't meet again for a couple of years doesn't mean we will ease the pressure on the injustice that happened in December," Carfagno writes on the site. "Remember we worked our tails off to fall one vote short and we used every resource to put together an excellent case. This petition was not part of our case. However, the next time around we really want it to be included."

As of last night there were only a couple hundred "signatures." But, as Carfagno learned from Allen, you can't hit a home run if you don't swing the bat.

Last month, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said the NBA is considering eliminating back-to-back games in the playoffs, thus extending the season well into the summer.

"Everybody is for it," Cuban said.

Well, not everyone.

Last week, Spurs coach Gregg Popovitch made his position perfectly clear.

"I think the season's long enough," he said. "I will not come to work in July. If there's a game in July, count me out."

That's fine with Cuban, whose Mavericks were eliminated by the Spurs in the first round of last year's playoffs.

"Best news I've heard in a while," Cuban said in a playful email to the Daily News. "I can recommend some places he can get great wines to enjoy in late June and July, and hopefully April and May as well!"