Oh, it`s going to be weird, all right.
”It`s going to be weird facing LaMarr (Hoyt) after calling all those games for him over the years,” said White Sox catcher Carlton Fisk, an American League starter in Tuesday night`s 56th annual All-Star Game at the Metrodome.
”I hope I don`t try to outguess or outthink him,” Fisk said. ”In fact, it would be better if I went up there and didn`t try to guess with him at all.”
”It`s going to be weird pitching against the American League again,”
said Hoyt (12-4), the National League starter from the San Diego Padres. ”It could be a bit of an advantage for me.”
Cubs` second baseman Ryne Sandberg and White Sox outfielder Harold Baines will be Chicago`s other two All-Star representatives.
”This park is kind of weird,” said Sandberg, who should replace starting second baseman Tommy Herr somewhere in the middle of the game. ”The noise level and the ceiling here . . . it`s definitely not like Wrigley Field.”
It`s going to be weird, all right.
Tuesday night`s All-Star exhibition will offer America a refreshing diversion from the talk of a possible strike on Aug. 6.
Commissioner Peter Ueberroth hopes Monday`s issuance of a strike date by the players` association does not serve to upstage the All-Star Game.
”If they strike, the players get hurt, the owners get hurt, and most importantly, the fans get hurt,” Ueberroth said during Monday`s workout.
”They (players` association) set a failure date, but let`s hope there isn`t a failure. Both sides will be in there doing their job.
”Certain things have been done. Both sides said they wanted to see the books, so we opened the books. I`ll do everything I can. I`ll be active in trying to avoid a strike, because this is a great season. Look at it behind us here. There are over 40,000 (46,024) people at a workout and all donating that money to a local charity. That`s baseball.”
Graig Nettles of the Padres, who will be the NL starter at third, is looking forward to the All-Star Game, but he has his mind on a possible strike.
”I don`t think it would damage the game,” Nettles said. ”The owners claim they`re losing money, but fans are coming out to the park like they never have before. There are some tricky numbers going around.”
NL manager Dick Williams will seek to improve the NL`s record of 35-19-1 over the AL, managed this year by Detroit`s Sparky Anderson. The NL won 3-1 last season in San Francisco.
Jack Morris (10-6) of Detroit will start against Hoyt and go the first three innings.
”It definitely won`t be like any other game, going against the best hitters in the National League,” Morris said. ”Supposedly, there are no easy outs. I know Sparky has given me a lot of inspirational talks over the years. I think this is definitely a hitters` ballpark. But then again, I pitch in Tiger Stadium. It gives up hits as much as anyplace.”
Morris also had an opinion on St. Louis Cardinals` ace Joaquin Andujar, who declined an All-Star invitation when Williams debated naming him or Hoyt as the starter.
”I just think it`s unfortunate that the guy has an opportunity to play in a game of this caliber and passes it up,” Morris said.
”This is definitely going to be one of the highlights of my career,”
Hoyt said. ”I always wished I was going to have the opportunity to pitch in an All-Star Game. It was enough to just make the team, and now I`m going to be starting. That`s even better.”
Hoyt said his approach to pitching has changed somewhat with the change of pitching coaches.
”There is a slight difference,” he said. ”Galen Cisco (Padres`
pitching coach) was a pitcher at one time in the big leagues, and (White Sox pitching coach) Dave Duncan wasn`t. But Dave is great in his own way.”
”I never saw Hoyt in person. I saw him on TV. But as soon as I saw him, I said, `That`s Catfish Hunter reborn, only a little heavier,` ” Williams said. ”He also reminds me of Robin Roberts. He`s the same type pitcher. He throws strikes. He hasn`t walked a guy in 47 some odd innings now. He`s walked 13 in 139 innings. He`s been the bellwether of our staff.”
”The only thing left in my career to surpass playing in an All-Star Game would be playing in a World Series,” said Atlanta Braves` center-fielder Dale Murphy, the top All-Star vote-getter with 1,425,952. ”I hear guys like Bruce Sutter on our team talking about being in a World Series, and he says there`s nothing like it.”
The Padres will have five players in the starting lineup: Hoyt, catcher Terry Kennedy, first baseman Steve Garvey, third baseman Nettles and right-fielder Tony Gwynn.
”After a championship season, usually the following season`s All-Star team is well-represented by that winning team. And justly so, because we are,” said Garvey, without a hint of modesty.
