Fort Lauderdale, Fla. ? The widow of Steve Bechler plans to sue the manufacturer of a dietary supplement the Baltimore pitcher was believed to be taking before his death.

Bechler, 23, died Feb. 17 from heatstroke after collapsing during a workout. In his preliminary autopsy report, Broward County chief medical examiner Dr. Joshua Perper linked Bechler’s death to a diet supplement that contains ephedra.

A bottle of Xenadrine RFA-1, an over-the-counter weight-loss product containing ephedra, was found in Bechler’s locker after he collapsed.

“The way we see it, Steve Bechler is dead, and ephedra is the primary cause of death,” David Meiselman, the lawyer for Kiley Bechler, said Tuesday.

Perper plans to release the final toxicology report in about two weeks.

Cytodyne Technologies of Manasquan, N.J., the supplement’s manufacturer, said it was “reckless and irresponsible for an attorney to prematurely place blame.”

“It is clear that this attorney is making these statements without the benefit of any toxicology results,” the company said in a statement. “It’s unfortunate that this attorney has chosen to ignore the fact that Mr. Bechler had a number of serious medical conditions including liver disease, hypertension, an enlarged heart, and history of heat-related illnesses.”

Bottles of Xenadrine RFA-1 contain a warning label saying the consumer should consult a doctor before using it “if you are at risk … for heart disease, high blood pressure, recurrent headaches, liver, thyroid or psychiatric disease.”

¢

Schmidt pulling for Rose: Mike Schmidt believes Pete Rose could gain reinstatement to baseball soon. Schmidt acknowledged Tuesday, his first day as a special hitting instructor for Philadelphia, that he attended a meeting last November between commissioner Bud Selig and Rose.

“I’m optimistic that things will happen fast enough that you might see Pete at Reds’ opening day this year,” said Schmidt, a Hall of Famer and a teammate of Rose on the Phillies’ 1980 World Series championship team.

Rose agreed to a lifetime ban in August 1989 after an investigation of his gambling.

¢

Expos sign Offerman: Infielder Jose Offerman agreed Tuesday to a minor league contract with Montreal and was invited to spring training. Offerman, 34, is a .274 career hitter with in 13 seasons with Los Angeles, Kansas City, Boston and Seattle.

¢

Green Monster seats on sale: Seats on top of the Green Monster will be on sale for the first time Saturday. The section atop Fenway Park’s left-field wall is scheduled to open April 29 against Kansas City.

¢

Sanders signs: Outfielder Reggie Sanders and Pittsburgh finalized their one-year contract Tuesday, a deal worth about $1 million.