Saturday`s trade that sent Ray Knight to Detroit has left the Orioles looking for a regular third baseman. That spot is the objective of 22-year-old rookie Craig Worthington, rated the organization`s No. 1 prospect by Baseball America. He`s the leading third-base candidate, but he is quick to point out that he still has his work cut out for him. ”I still have to win a job, even if Ray Knight is gone. I have to show them I can hit and that I can do the job.” Worthington hit .258 with 7 home runs and 50 RBIs at Triple-A Rochester last year but missed the final six weeks with a torn hamstring. The year before, at Class A Hagerstown, he hit .300 with 15 homers and 105 RBIs.
BOSTON RED SOX
DATELINE: WINTER HAVEN, FLA.
Boston`s new bullpen stopper, former Cub Lee Smith, is well aware what fellow reliever Jeff Reardon did when he switched leagues, moving from Montreal to Minnesota. ”Jeff had a good season,” Smith said. ”I`d like to see that happen to me. A guy comes over to a new league and wins a world championship ring in his first year. That`s pretty good.”
CALIFORNIA ANGELS
DATELINE: MESA, ARIZ.
Says Gene Mauch of his club`s bullpen situation: ”It`s always a manager`s dream to catch lightning in a bottle. In 1985 it was Stu Cliburn. Last year it was DeWayne Buice.” His `88 hope is Bryan Harvey, 24, the organization`s hardest thrower. He has fanned 257 in 192 minor-league innings and, in his big-league debut last September, struck out Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray and Fred Lynn in the same inning.
CLEVELAND INDIANS DATELINE: TUCSON
Catcher Todd Pratt is so inexperienced that it`s unlikely he`ll even get into a big-league game this year, although he must remain on the Indians`
roster the entire season. Pratt, who turned 21 on Feb. 9, has never played a game above the Class A level. He hit .258 with 12 homers and 65 RBIs in the Florida State League last year. But scouts have compared him, at least physically, to Philadelphia catcher Lance Parrish. Thus, many people, Pratt included, were surprised that the Red Sox did not protect him by putting him on their roster this winter. They didn`t, and the Indians drafted him. Now they must keep him on their roster all year or offer him back to Boston for half of the $50,000 they paid to draft him. They don`t plan to send him back. So Pratt is approaching his season of inactivity with the Indians philosophically: ”I just hope to get some experience this year and learn from the older guys what it will take to stay here.”
DETROIT TIGERS
DATELINE: LAKELAND, FLA.
Veteran third baseman Ray Knight said he welcomed the trade that brought him from Baltimore Saturday for left-handed pitcher Mark Thurmond. ”I respect the Tigers` talent, and after going through last year, it`s a nice change,”
he said, referring to Baltimore`s last-place finish, 31 games behind the AL East champion Tigers. ”I liked the city of Baltimore and the club, but I hate to lose. I`m a terrible loser.”
KANSAS CITY ROYALS
DATELINE: HAINES CITY, FLA.
Right-fielder Danny Tartabull`s holdout reached the fifth day Sunday as he remained in a contract dispute with the Royals. ”When he comes, we`ll be glad to get him ready as quickly as we can,” manager John Wathan said.
”There`s nothing I can do.” There`s plenty that Tartabull can do: He hit .309 with 34 homers, 101 RBIs and a .390 on-base percentage last year, his second in the big leagues.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS
DATELINE: CHANDLER, ARIZ.
Veteran outfielder Ruppert Jones arrived in camp Sunday as a nonroster player who may have a chance to fill the team`s need for a left-handed pinch- hitter. Jones, who has spent 11 years in the major leagues, batted .240 with 8 home runs and 35 RBIs in a limited role last season with the Angels, who did not attempt to re-sign him. Jones said he realizes his job would be mostly as a pinch-hitter, which means he wouldn`t be seeing a bundle of action. ”I don`t think a pinch-hitter on this club is going to make much of a living,” he said. ”Who are you going to hit for?”
MINNESOTA TWINS
DATELINE: ORLANDO
”There`s no rule that says you have to have a left-hander in the bullpen,” said Twins Vice President Bob Gebhard. ”But it sure would be nice to have one out there.” To that end, former Baltimore lefty Tippy Martinez, 37, is in camp, trying to prove to the Twins that he`s as good as new. Since shoulder surgery in 1986, Martinez has spent six hours a day in rehabilitation in preparation for one last try. It`s a try he says he deserves. ”I was one of the best left-handed relievers in the game, and it wasn`t a very graceful way to go out,” he said. ”I know there are other things to life, and I can accept that. I just felt I could pitch again.” He has been limited to 16 innings in two years.
NEW YORK YANKEES
DATELINE: FT. LAUDERDALE, FLA.
Although lefty Ron Guidry is ahead of his prescribed rehabilitation schedule, manager Billy Martin doesn`t anticipate using him during spring training. Guidry, 37, underwent surgery Dec. 8 to repair a partial tear in the muscle that overlays the rotator cuff of the left shoulder. He has been throwing three sets of 25 pitches every other day. ”They say I`m ahead of schedule,” Guidry said, ”but I`m remaining on the same routine. It`s better not to take any chances at this point.” The club expects him to return to the rotation around May 1. Anything before that will be considered a surprise.
OAKLAND A`S
DATELINE: SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ.
AL Rookie of the Year Mark McGwire, who hit 49 home runs last year, says he might have weakened and lost weight down the stretch in 1987. So he has a plan to stop that from happening this season: He has become ”addicted” to weightlifting. ”I don`t measure myself, but I know I`m bigger. I hit the gym from Day 1 at the end of the season last year. It`s what keeps me going.”
SEATTLE MARINERS
DATELINE: TEMPE, ARIZ.
Manager Dick Williams thinks his team is ready to win: ”I like our chances. I think our division is pretty even. Minnesota didn`t do anything to improve itself, and Oakland added a lot of punch. But our pitching is much better, and so is our defense.” The pitching is improved, he thinks, because of the addition of young Mike Jackson and Steve Trout, and the defense is better because of the presence of strong-armed Glenn Wilson in right field. Both Wilson and Jackson came from the Phillies for Phil Bradley.
TEXAS RANGERS
DATELINE: PORT CHARLOTTE, FLA.
Outfielder Ruben Sierra, a no-show for the Rangers` first five full-squad workouts because of a contract problem, flew into camp from Puerto Rico Sunday, still unsigned but ready to work out. He said no progress has been made in contract talks. He is seeking a $250,000 base salary, and the Rangers have offered $215,000. Sierra earned $97,500 last year, when he became the sixth player in major-league history under the age of 22 to have at least 30 home runs and 100 RBIs in a season. Sierra hit 30 home runs and led Texas with 109 RBIs in his first full big-league season. ”I just decided I wanted to be with the team,” he said. ”I was feeling bored.”
TORONTO BLUE JAYS
DATELINE: DUNEDIN, FLA.
The Blue Jays want to make MVP and left-fielder George Bell the designated hitter this year and move Lloyd Moseby from center to left, opening a spot for 21-year-old Dominican Silvestre Campusano or 22-year-old Rob Ducey. Bell has already voiced his displeasure, and now Moseby adds this about his proposed switch: ”That`s like asking (shortstop) Tony Fernandez to play first base. You can move me to Egypt or Japan, but not left field.” GM Pat Gillick is not amused.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
ATLANTA BRAVES
DATELINE: WEST PALM BEACH, FLA.
Let the comeback attempt begin: Bruce Sutter pitched about 10 minutes of batting practice Sunday as the club went through a three-hour workout. The former Cub and Cardinal relief ace, who hasn`t pitched in a big-league game since 1985, is attempting to come back from a shoulder injury. Sutter, 35, pitched without any difficulty, but club officials said it would be Monday before they would know what effect Sunday`s throwing might have.
CINCINNATI REDS
DATELINE: PLANT CITY, FLA.
The Reds will have a new leadoff man this year. Kal Daniels, the nominal leadoff batter last season-when he wasn`t injured-will bat in the No. 3 hole so the club can benefit more from his power (26 homers in 108 games). Enter Barry Larkin, the second-year shortstop who hit .244 as a rookie last year but stole 21 bases. Manager Pete Rose wants Larkin to work on being patient in the No. 1 spot, taking a walk when it`s available (he walked only 36 times in
`87). ”Last year, in the games I did lead off, I had some success,”
Larkin said. ”This year, batting there, I`ll take the walks when they come and I`ll be stealing a lot of bases.” His hitting should improve, too: Larkin hit .329 at Triple-A Denver in 1986.
HOUSTON ASTROS
DATELINE: KISSIMMEE, FLA.
Eight years later: The Astros have four pitchers in camp who played for their 1980 division championship team: Nolan Ryan, Dave Smith, Joaquin Andujar and Joe Sambito. Ryan and Smith are still staff mainstays. Andujar and Sambito are trying to hang on after spending `87 elsewhere-Andujar with Oakland and Sambito with Boston.
LOS ANGELES DODGERS
DATELINE: VERO BEACH, FLA.
Welcome to the camp where there are too many outfielders and first basemen and not enough spots for all of them to play. The Dodgers have talked to the Pirates about taking Pedro Guerrero off their hands, but Pittsburgh, so far, refuses to part with 22-year-old lefty John Smiley. . . . L.A. is now considering newcomer Mike Davis in center field with John Shelby roving. Original plans had called for Davis in right and Shelby in center, with newest Dodger Kirk Gibson in left. But that was before the Mike Marshall-to-third-base brainstorm was called off. … Reliever Ron Davis is in camp, trying to hang on.
MONTREAL EXPOS
DATELINE: WEST PALM BEACH, FLA.
It`s obviously still early, but the biggest first-week boost for any team might belong to Montreal. It came when pitcher Floyd Youmans reported to camp weighing 198 pounds-20 pounds less than last year-and declared himself over his alcohol problems. If Youmans is indeed back in shape, the Expos have regained a pitcher who in 1986 developed into one of the league`s best right- handers. He would give Montreal huge insurance, should Dennis Martinez and Pascual Perez-last year`s unlikely aces-falter this season.
NEW YORK METS
DATELINE: PORT ST. LUCIE, FLA.
One of manager Davey Johnson`s stated intentions this season is to get infielder Dave Magadan more at-bats. The problem is how? Magadan, 25, who hit .318 in 192 at-bats last year, has to play behind Keith Hernandez at first base and Howard Johnson at third. And they`re both coming off splendid years. ”I`ve surprised myself by how patient I`ve been with my situation,”
Magadan said. ”Ask my wife. If I`m sitting at a red light for 30 seconds, I`m going crazy. Instead of moping or trying to win a job in the papers, I can help the team by not being a disruptive force.” Meanwhile, Magadan, who hit .336, .350, .309 and .311 in four minor-league seasons, is working out in the outfield, where he hasn`t played since his Little League days.
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
DATELINE: CLEARWATER, FLA.
Nonroster pitcher Dave Rozema, the former Tiger, can`t feel too good about his chances to stick: He showed up in camp to find his named misspelled (Rosema) on the back of his jersey. … Manager Lee Elia is looking at Milt Thompson, Bob Dernier, Phil Bradley and Juan Samuel as potential leadoff men. . . . Club President Bill Giles turned purple when catcher Lance Parrish talked about the prospects of instant free agency, but there`s probably no need to worry. The arbitrator is not likely to rule until mid-May, and it`ll probably be several months later before any damages, if any, are assessed.
PITTSBURGH PIRATES
DATELINE: BRADENTON, FLA.
The worst thing happened to Andy Van Slyke last April 1, just when he was ready to have his best season: He was traded by pennant contender St. Louis to the perennially weak Pirates in the Tony Pena deal. The thought of leaving the Cardinals, a team that drew 3 million in 1987, to join one that sometimes attracts minor-league-sized crowds, was more chilling than an October night game in Candlestick Park. Van Slyke couldn`t have imagined a crueler April Fool`s Day joke: ”I went from the penthouse to the cellar in one day-from the penthouse to the boiler room. I wasn`t happy.” Those were his thoughts in April, anyway. ”I finally realized I had an opportunity to get out of the platoon system I`d be in with St. Louis and go on to bigger things,” he said. ”Once I started relaxing and playing to my ability, things got easier at the ballpark.” He ended up hitting .293 with 21 home runs and 82 RBIs and played superbly in center field. ”Once I got back home to St. Louis after the season ended, I realized I`d had more fun playing in Pittsburgh than I ever had in my career,” he said. ”The main reason was that I got to play every day.”
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
DATELINE: ST. PETERSBURG, FLA.
Nobody is giving up in St. Louis. The Cardinals drew 3 million fans last year and haven`t seen any drop in interest since Jack Clark took his bat to the George Steinbrenner Athletic Club. ”We`ve got Bob Horner,” said manager Whitey Herzog. ”And let`s put it this way: We didn`t have Jack the last 25 games last year, and we still won the (NL East). I`d love to have him, sure, but we`re still gonna have a good club. There might be some things we do better this year. We`re gonna have (lefty reliever) Ken Dayley all year. We`ve got a chance to have a very good pitching staff. We were 12th (of 12) in home runs last year, and we`re gonna finish there again. But we were second in runs. The key to our team is Ozzie Smith and Vince Coleman and Tommy Herr at the top of the lineup. If we just have No. 4 and 5 hitters who make contact, they`re gonna have good numbers.” Herzog said he`s happy with the progress of left-hander John Tudor, who had arthroscopic knee surgery in December. Meanwhile, Tony Pena is hitting better since he got glasses, and Herzog thinks Des Plaines` Jim Lindeman can help Horner plug the power gap.
SAN DIEGO PADRES
DATELINE: YUMA, ARIZ.
With former Astro Dickie Thon newly arrived in camp, and with Mike Brumley, a good gloveman, having been acquired from the Cubs in the Keith Moreland-Rich Gossage deal, the Padres could have set the stage for a trade involving shortstop Garry Templeton. The reasoning is that Thon and Brumley could carry things for a year at shortstop until blue-chip prospect Roberto Alomar is ready for the majors. Alomar, 20, the son of Padres coach Sandy Alomar, hit .346 at Class A Reno last year. His brother, Sandy Jr., 21, is a Padres catching prospect who hit .307 at Double-A Wichita last summer.
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
DATELINE: SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ.
Club president Al Rosen, born on Feb. 29, 1924, joined the Giants in their 100-loss season of 1985. He had them over .500 by 1986. Last season, he took them within one victory of the NL pennant. This year, he thinks the Giants can ”leap” to a World Series title. ”It was a tremendous
disappointment not winning the pennant,” he said. ”It gave us resolve to win it all. That`s the sense I get. They look like they`re ready.” Last year, Rosen`s trades for Rick Reuschel, Kevin Mitchell, Dave Dravecky, Don Robinson, et. al., helped boost the Giants to the NL West title. This winter, Rosen added free-agent center-fielder Brett Butler. So how does he feel about the new season: ”Better than when we lost 100 games and didn`t know whether we had any players on the club.”
