Jerry Hairston, the White Sox`s all-time career pinch-hit leader, was waived Friday.
Also waived for the purposes of giving them their unconditional release were left-handed reliever Ray Searage and right-handed reliever Jim Winn, reducing the number of players in camp to 35, all but four of whom are 30 years old or younger.
The 36-year-old Hairston, one of baseball`s premier switch-hitting pinch- hitters, hit .230 with five home runs and 20 RBIs last year, his ninth major league season.
”We did that because we feel we have some good outfielders and young outfielders and we feel the time has come that they be part of our club,”
said White Sox General Manager Larry Himes, adding that Hairston would be offered a job in the Sox organization if another team does not pick him up.
The 32-year-old Searage spent two seasons with the Sox after being acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers in July 1986 for two minor leaguers. Last season Searage was 2-3, with two saves and a 4.20 earned run average.
Winn, 28, came to the White Sox almost one year ago in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for outfielder John Cangelosi. Winn was 4-6 with six saves and a 4.79 ERA.
The two led the White Sox last year in appearances: Searage with 58 and Winn with 56.
– One second baseman has something to prove in 1988. The other wants to prove more.
Donnie Hill is looking to redeem himself after a 1987 season he barely saw but definitely remembers. Fred Manrique showed he could play on the major- league level last year. Now he wants to step up to the next level.
They`ll both get their chance. For openers, White Sox manager Jim Fregosi plans to platoon them at second base, using the switch-hitting Hill against right-handed pitching and Manrique against lefties.
”I think that`s our best combination for now,” Fregosi said. ”We`ll see how it works out.”
See is something Hill wasn`t able to do last year. Acquired from Oakland, Hill turned out to be one of the major disappointments, hitting only .239.
”The game was meant to be played for fun,” Hill said. ”I didn`t have a lot of fun last year.”
Basically, Hill couldn`t hit what he couldn`t see. In May, he developed an infection in his eye because of his contacts. It plagued him for almost two months.
”It was just a pain in the tail,” Hill said. ”I don`t know how I got the problem. Whatever I did only seemed to make it worse.”
Hill brought many of the problems on himself. After hitting .285 and .283 in successive seasons with the A`s, Hill forgot his role with the Sox. He tried to be a pull hitter instead of a punch hitter.
He hit nine homers, five more than his career high. But his average fell to new lows.
”I was trying to do more than I could do,” Hill said. ”Last year, the majority of balls I hit, at least 80-20, I pulled. The previous two years, it was 80-20 the other way. I`ve been working on getting back to that in spring training.”
Hill`s troubles actually proved to be a plus for Manrique. He got the opportunity to play, and he made the most of it. Manrique hit .258 with 4 homers and 29 RBIs.
”Last year, I showed them that I can play,” Manrique said. ”This year, I`ve got to show them that I can get better and better.”
That attitude, though, has gotten Manrique in trouble in the past. He`s an intensely driven individual. He has had the ability to think himself into a slump.
