The Associated Press

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. - Pat Burrell hit a solo homer in the bottom of the seventh inning to snap a tie and lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 7-5 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 57th Hall of Fame game.

This marked the first time the Hall of Fame game wasn't played on induction weekend, which this year falls on the last weekend in July. Thousands of fans lined Main Street for a parade before the game, making the day a surprising success attendance-wise. It was still apparent that something seemed to be missing.

Despite the presence of five Hall of Famers - Carlton Fisk, Gaylord Perry, Ferguson Jenkins, Robin Roberts and Johnny Bench - hundreds in the sellout crowd of 9,800 at Doubleday Field began streaming for the exits halfway through the only exhibition game on the major league schedule.

The Hall of Fame Game has been scrapped seven times: four were rained out; the 1989 game wasn't played because the Cincinnati Reds' plane malfunctioned.

UMPS BACK IN GAME: Former big league umpires Bob Davidson and Tom Hallion will return to work this week in the low minors, more than 3 1/2 years after losing their jobs in the majors. Davidson and Hallion were among the 22 umps who took part in a failed mass resignation plan in September 1999. Court battles ensued, and several of those umpires were rehired by the majors, some retired and others were caught in limbo.

Davidson will resume his career Wednesday in the Class A Northwest League, calling his first game when Vancouver visits Everett. Hallion will be in the Class A New York-Penn, which opens its season Tuesday.

METS: Catcher Mike Piazza is making progress in his rehabilitation for a severely strained groin but gave no timetable Monday for his return to the Mets. Piazza was with the Mets for their four-game series at Florida and said he's undergoing an "arduous process" of rehab.

A'S: Athletics shortstop Miguel Tejada will play in his 500th consecutive game tonight, the longest active streak in the majors. He will become the 34th player in major league history to reach the mark.

.• Baseball officials will meet separately Friday with groups in Washington and Northern Virginia interested in luring the Montreal Expos.