Nearly everyone agrees there is far too much talk in baseball about money. Contracts and salaries. Incentive clauses and bonuses. Agent demands and player gripes.
But occasionally, the money comes relatively hard-earned and well-deserved.
One of those occasions occurred last week when White Sox outfielder Ellis Burks cashed in on the first of a long series of incentive clauses in his 1993 contract.
Burks, 28, suffered a series of injuries that convinced the Boston Red Sox to give up on him last winter.
Most other teams passed on Burks, too. But White Sox General Manager Ron Schueler took a calculated gamble. He offered Burks a one-year deal with relatively little guaranteed money, but a bushel of cash if Burks could return to his pre-injury form.
After Saturday’s game, Burks was batting .322 (29 for 90). He led the team and was tied for second in the league with three triples. His seven extra-base hits were second to Frank Thomas’ 10 on the club.
The deal Burks signed last winter guaranteed him $500,000, a relative pittance in baseball terms. But Burks can earn as much as $2.05 million if he stays healthy-and he already has done enough to cash in on some of his incentives.
Burks picked up a $125,000 bonus last week for being on the active roster 30 consecutive days. He would get another $125,000 if he makes 60 consecutive days and $250,000 more if he stays on the active roster 90 consecutive days.
Burks also is about to earn $100,000 for appearing in 28 games or starting 25 games, whichever comes first. He had appeared in 26 games and started 23 through Friday night.
Reminded last week he was beginning to cash in on his incentives, Burks seemed surprised.
“I don’t even think about it,” he said. “I just want to work hard and play well. That’s all I’m thinking about.”
Sweat for sweets: Skeptics will scoff at a player getting money simply to stay healthy. But consider three things in Burks’ case: the amount of daily work he has to put in to keep his back in shape, the results of that work and, even if he makes all his incentives, he still will be paid less than the $2.3 million he made for spending most of last season on the bench in Boston.
The bottom line for the Sox in this case isn’t money. It’s the fact that with Burks in the lineup, playing the way he has, they are a better team than they were a year ago.
Last year, Sox right-fielders were worst in the majors with just four home runs and 47 runs batted in. Through just 27 games this year (17 percent of the season) they already have two homers and 13 RBIs.
Hurting: Two former Chicago stars-Harold Baines of the Orioles and Andre Dawson of the Red Sox-went on the disabled list last week.
Baines was batting .344 and had just finished a stretch where he reached base 13 consecutive times (eight hits and five walks) when he strained a muscle in his rib cage while trying to check a swing against the Minnesota Twins last Tuesday night. The former White Sox right-fielder is expected to be out two weeks.
Dawson’s injury was more serious and more familiar. He underwent his eighth arthroscopic knee surgery-the fifth on his right knee-last Thursday and is expected to be out four to six weeks. Dawson went to the Red Sox last winter after the Cubs refused to offer him a two-year contract because of his chronic knee problems.
Healing: The big health news of the week, though, was the surprise comeback of 46-year-old Nolan Ryan in Texas. Ryan underwent arthroscopic knee surgery and missed just a little more than three weeks before returning to start against the Royals in Kansas City Friday night. Ryan gave up eight runs (four earned) and seven hits over four innings. He struck out only one. Ryan has been on the DL 14 times in his 26-year career, but keeps bouncing back.
Over the hill: White Sox shortstop Ozzie Guillen missed six consecutive games last week with a sore ankle and was in a testy mood in the dugout.
“I wish I was 40. You know why?” said Guillen, who is 29. “Because then I’d be through with this game and I could spend more time with my kids.”
Manager Gene Lamont knows Guillen’s moods well enough never to take a statement like that seriously.
“You know, Oz. I wish I was 40, too,” said the 46-year-old skipper.
Close call: The scariest moment of the week came in Milwaukee last Wednesday when Sox catcher Ron Karkovice was hit in the head by a fastball thrown by Brewers pitcher Jaime Navarro. The ball made a sickening sound when it hit, but, luckily, it caught the corner of the batting helmet and all Karkovice suffered was a minor cut that didn’t require stitches. The incident, though, was all the more frightening because of the memories it brought for one of the players on the field at the time-Milwaukee shortstop Dickie Thon. On April 8, 1984, Thon, then with the Houston Astros, was hit in the face by a fastball from New York Mets pitcher Mike Torrez. It was four years before Thon could play again regularly.
Around the league: Coming into this weekend, Rick Aguilera had the best record among American League relief pitchers. He was 8 for 8 in save opportunities. Toronto’s Duane Ward was leading the league with nine saves, but he had one blown save. Ward saved nine of the first 15 Blue Jay victories. Aguilera saved eight of Minnesota’s first 11. . . . Speaking of closers, new White Sox stopper Roberto Hernandez came into the weekend with four saves-tied with Oakland legend Dennis Eckersley. . . . The A’s Mark McGwire was 1 for 28 lifetime against Boston ace Roger Clemens. But the law of averages finally caught up Thursday. McGwire homered off Clemens, then homered again off reliever Greg Harris in a 6-3 Oakland victory at Fenway. . . . Kirk Gibson gets this week’s “How Can We Miss You If You Won’t Go Away” award. He was washed up a year ago, wasn’t he? Now he is back with the Detroit Tigers and batting .394. . . . Finally, just a thought. How good would the White Sox be right now if they had been able to work out that much-talked-about trade for Seattle pitcher Randy Johnson? The towering lefty leads the AL in strikeouts with 54 and has a 4-2 record.
