Joe Cowley was the talk of the Sox clubhouse Wednesday. The players were buzzing over the news that their ex-teammate, now with Philadelphia, was told to call it a season because of severe control problems. Cowley was hardly a favorite with Sox players, and he even publicly ripped manager Jim Fregosi and Richard Dotson this year. Still, the players, for the most part, were sympathetic with Cowley`s plight.
”You wouldn`t want to wish that on anybody,” Dotson said.
Fregosi said Bill Long isn`t out of the starting rotation even though he was used in long relief Tuesday. Long pitched 4 1/3 innings in picking up the loss in Baltimore`s 11-6 victory over the Sox. With a day off Thursday, Fregosi has the luxury of using a four-man rotation this week. Long was available Tuesday, and when Dotson faltered in the third, Fregosi needed him. ”I had used
(Scott) Nielsen Sunday and (Bobby) Thigpen Monday,” Fregosi said. ”The day off gave me the opportunity to have Long down there.”
Ivan Calderon is the winner of the dirty-uniform award in batting practice. Calderon was covered with dirt after taking grounders at third base. The Sox, though, aren`t making Calderon a third baseman–not just yet, anyway. ”I`m just doing it to work up a sweat,” he said.
The Orioles are expected to bring up veteran pitcher Scott McGregor Thursday. They sent him down to their Triple-A team in Rochester at the beginning of the month. In three starts, he gave up six runs in 17 2/3 innings.
Broadcaster Don Drysdale, who turns 51 Thursday, missed Wednesday`s game. His wife, Anne, went into labor with the couple`s first child Wednesday afternoon. Fregosi made Thursday`s off-day even better for the players by not scheduling a workout.
The Sox`s game with the Yankees Saturday will be an NBC-TV national game. Game time is 12:20 p.m.
