Manager Jim Fregosi thinks catcher Ron Hassey, 34, has to pay closer attention to his conditioning if he`s going to be of any help to the Sox or any other team. Hassey has been out with knee and arm problems this year. Fregosi acknowledged that Hassey isn`t heavy, but ”he`s not firm.”
”With his knee and arm problems, he couldn`t do a lot of running, and he got himself out of shape,” Fregosi said. ”He`s got to get his priorities straightened out if he wants to play anymore. It`s going to take a whole winter of work.”
Hassey caught Friday`s game and Game 2 of Saturday`s double-header. He had three hits in that one.
Harold Baines` right knee continues to give him problems. Fregosi sat him out of Sunday`s game after he`d played both games Saturday. The television cameras caught Baines in obvious pain after a couple swings Saturday. He did pinch-hit in the seventh inning Sunday and hit a weak tap in front of the plate.
Fregosi believes that when Ray Burris finally stops pitching, he could eventually become a major-league general manager. Fregosi got to know Burris when he pitched for him last year at Louisville, St. Louis` Triple-A affiliate.
When the Sox acquired Carlos Martinez from the Yankees last year, then-GM Ken Harrelson said he was one of the top five prospects in baseball. Martinez does have a lot of talent, but he also has an attitude problem. The Sox hope his recent demotion from Triple-A Hawaii to Double-A Birmingham will shake him up a bit. ”Sometimes that`s what it takes,” Fregosi said. Martinez was fined for not hustling and for immature displays of temper.
The Sox have been plagued by the home run this year, giving up 145 in 109 games. They`ve been especially hurt by giving up 34 homers after getting into two-outs-and-nobody-on situations.
No. 1 draft pick Jack McDowell suffered his first professional loss Saturday. Pitching for Sarasota in the Gulf Coast Rookie League, he gave up three runs and three hits in four innings in the Sox`s 5-0 loss to the Yankees.
