Dog days came early this season for four of baseball’s multimillionaires. Bobby Bonilla, Kenny Rogers, Chan Ho Park and our old friend Albert Belle remind us why sports psychiatry is a growth industry.
Like the old Carl Douglas song says, everybody was kung-fu fighting . . . or whining, breaking things or just generally acting like 4-year-olds. It’s too bad umpires can’t give players timeouts, forcing them to go sit on a ballboy’s stool down the right-field line. Suspensions, benchings or pink slips aren’t sufficient punishment for the kind of behavior to which kids recently have been exposed on “Baseball Tonight.”
Bonilla, who is hitting a whopping .167 with six extra-base hits, revealed himself as a sorry excuse for a professional when Mets manager Bobby Valentine took him out of the lineup. Along with center-fielder Brian McRae, Bonilla was placed through waivers, allowing other clubs to claim him if they wanted him. Nobody did, of course.
“Ask me if I give a (bleep),” said Bonilla, who is in the first year of a two-year contract worth a guaranteed $11.8 million. “I couldn’t care less, because I have two years coming. They can ship me to Alaska for all I care. Or maybe I’ll just go home to Connecticut and get the major-league package on my satellite dish. Maybe I’ll get season tickets and kick a little of the money back at them.”
Bonilla refused to take batting practice with the other bench players Tuesday and Wednesday. He and Valentine almost came to blows in the dugout before Wednesday night’s game–a day that began with a screaming match between Valentine and longtime Newsday beat writer Marty Noble and ended with Valentine returning to the dugout wearing a fake mustache and dark glasses after being ejected in the 12th inning of a 14-inning victory against Toronto.
That earned Valentine a two-game suspension. There’s no truth to the rumor that Mets management will appeal the decision in hopes of a longer suspension.
Rogers, the Oakland Athletics’ ace, will be sending some of his money to the San Francisco Giants. He destroyed a bank of telephones in the 3Com Park clubhouse after poor defensive play cost him a 6-2 lead in last Sunday’s games. A month ago Rogers punched teammate Jason McDonald after they got into a dispute over a card game.
“At least I was smart enough to use my right hand this time,” said Rogers, a left-hander. “You learn from experience, I guess.”
The Giants sent the A’s a bill for $2,000 to repair the phones. It brought back memories of an old Rogers’ assault on an exercise bike in the visiting clubhouse at the Oakland Coliseum. That time Rogers filed a grievance, saying he wouldn’t pay full price to repair the bike because it was an old one.
Some close to Park cited Korean culture and his martial arts background as the reason he instinctively kicked Angels pitcher Tim Belcher during their strange confrontation last weekend at Dodger Stadium. That line of reasoning didn’t play with busy National League President Leonard Coleman, who hit him with a seven-game suspension. It’s not likely to save him from hoots when the Dodgers visit Anaheim next month.
“That’s a poor excuse,” Belcher said. “He knows tae kwon do, so what? I like to hunt. I didn’t take a shotgun.”
Park evenutally did apologize, saying he lost it because Belcher pushed him after tagging him out. The guess here is that Park was feeling residual frustration from the grand slam he gave up to Matt Walbeck. It was the fourth slam off Park this year, which ties the major-league record.
Belle’s temper tantrum Wednesday night at Pro Player Stadium was triggered by manager Ray Miller treating him like he was any other player. Belle could not believe Miller would lift him, whether it was part of a routine double-shift, as Miller said, or because Belle had just dogged it on a ground out.
Animosity between Miller and Belle has been building since spring training. Belle’s relative lack of production (.244-10-35 in 58 games) has made it tough for Miller to swallow Belle’s demand for star treatment. The former White Sox slugger has not bonded with Cal Ripken Jr. and his new teammates.
After Belle cursed reporters seeking his side of the story, reliever Mike Timlin mischieviously suggested they could check Belle’s Web site. Other teammates seemed to get a bang out of the dispute, which broke the tedium of a painful season.
“Albert likes to fish,” catcher Lenny Webster said. “He was just inviting Ray to go fishing with him. That’s all it was.”
Belle is being booed at Camden Yards, where he has taken to making obscene gestures to fans. The Orioles are looking at his signing as a $65 million mistake and it soon could cost General Manager Frank Wren his job.
Orioles owner Peter Angelos has been critical of Wren for other moves. Belle’s anti-management behavior could be the last straw in their short-lived relationship. It’s too bad there’s not a better way to make non-performing players accountable.
The moral to this tale: If we all had guaranteed contracts, we would be an endangered species.
Split feelings: Pirates GM Cam Bonifay normally keeps a close eye on negotiations with his team’s draft picks. But he’s recusing himself from one round of talks this year–the ones with North Carolina-Wilmington outfielder-infielder Josh Bonifay, whom Pittsburgh drafted in the 24th round.
Bonifay actually represented his son in talks with Pirates scout George Swain.
“It’s kind of a unique situation to sit there and have a scout talk about your son and his abilities,” Bonifay said. “I’m proud of him. I think he has some ability to progress through the minor leagues and to play in the big leagues.”
Bonifay can only hope that his son does as well as the progeny of Los Angeles Times baseball writer Ross Newhan. Second baseman David Newhan joined the San Diego Padres last week, going 3 for 4 in his major-league debut. He was available for interviews afterward too.
In the wings: After almost 20 years with the White Sox, assistant general manager Dan Evans soon may face a very difficult decision–remain in Chicago as a possible successor to Ron Schueler or become the top baseball man for control freak Angelos in Baltimore.
Angelos is moving quickly toward a parting with Wren, who last winter became the Orioles’ third general manager in Angelos’ six-year tenure. Evans, who declined to comment on speculation about his future, was a finalist in the search that ended with Wren’s hiring.
In a remarkable interview with The Washington Post, Angelos called 1999 “a very disappointing season” and expressed pessimism about 2000.
“Based on what we’ve seen so far, next year does not look promising,” Angelos told the Post.
Angelos says an incorrect perception exists about his having made most of the personnel decisions behind Baltimore’s abysmal start.
“Since we’ve owned the Orioles the players have come as a recommendation of the baseball professionals,” he said.
All fingers point to Wren, a former Florida Marlins executive. He is believed to have recommended Belle after consulting with White Sox manager Jerry Manuel. Would Evans be making a mistake by taking Wren’s place? Tough call.
Kiddie camp: It’s official–the Twins would be more at home in Class AAA than the American League Central. When they promoted outfielder Jacque Jones last Wednesday, they tipped the balance of clubhouse power from veterans to rookies.
With Jones becoming the 13th rookie on the 25-man roster, will the neophytes stage a rebellion? Will they start to haze the veterans?
“Let ’em try,” disabled catcher Terry Steinbach said. “Let ’em try. I know they ain’t got more money than the veteran guys. We’ll buy our way out of whatever it is.”
Jones is actually the 15th rookie to play for the Twins this year.
“It’s just like (Class AA) New Britain,” center-fielder Torii Hunter said. Maybe that could be the team’s new marketing slogan.
Trouble up top: Eyebrows were raised around the Yankees’ clubhouse Tuesday when Joe Torre dropped Chuck Knoblauch from the leadoff spot to eighth. Newcomer Tony Tarasco, the latest in a long line of recent left-fielders, is getting a look as the leadoff man.
Knoblauch was considered a key brushstroke in the Yankees’ 1998 masterpiece. But he was mired in a 19-for-114 slump (.167) when Torre pulled the cord. He also has become a defensive basket case, lobbing throws to first base after a string of throwing errors.
“He was maybe putting too much pressure on himself at the top,” Torre said. “I wanted to take him out of the spotlight.”
Knoblauch is in the last year of a four-year deal he signed with Minnesota. Rumors have persisted for months that the Yankees have agreed to a huge extension and are awaiting the right time to announce it.
“Chuck has proven himself over a number of years, and all you can really go by is a player’s track record,” GM Brian Cashman said. “We believe he’s going to be fine over the long haul.”
On second thought: Dan Smith, who shut down Boston in his Expos debut last Tuesday night, is the guy the Rangers dropped from their 40-man roster when owner Tom Hicks ordered them to acquire Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams in the Rule 5 draft. Hicks, an influential booster at the University of Texas, pictured himself hanging around Williams during spring training.
Williams, a career .204 hitter in the low minors, reneged on his promise to play. The Expos get to keep both Smith (whom they claimed on waivers) and the $100,000 they received from the Rangers for drafting Williams. Oops.
Touching the bases: Wil Cordero was close to signing a two-year contract extension with the Indians before breaking his left wrist. Some reports said he had been offered $5 million but was holding out for more. Agent Jeff Moorad denies turning down a deal, saying the sides will resume talks after the All-Star break–and after Cordero’s broken wrist heals. . . . Ozzie Guillen is getting regular playing time with Walt Weiss injured. The former Sox shortstop came up big for the Braves when Weiss was out last year, batting .277 while making only six errors in 259 chances. “Without Ozzie last year, I’m not so sure we could have beaten the Mets,” manager Bobby Cox said. “I don’t care if he hits too much as long as he makes the plays and takes charge of the infield.” If Guillen struggles, Cox says he would consider moving Chipper Jones to short, which was his original position. . . . In the words of Texas singer-songerwriter Jimmy LaFave, desperate men do desperate things. That’s the case of the Colorado Rockies, who won four games in a row after their players started wearing their pants hiked up just under their knees, exposing their black socks. “I’m very happy to admit that I look absolutely terrible,” Rockies right-fielder Larry Walker said. “I’m surprised my wife comes to watch me play. I look like Porky Pig running around out there.”
Alex Fernandez has about had it with both the Marlins’ bullpen and the 90-pitch limit team doctor James Andrews is keeping him on. He threw a weighted bat ring through a TV after the bullpen blew a 3-0 lead in the eighth inning Tuesday. “It’s a joke,” said Fernandez, who is 1-3 with a 2.57 ERA after nine starts. “We can’t hold a lead, and I can’t extend myself.” The Marlins are thinking long term with Fernandez, who has two years left on his $35 million contract. . . . The Yankees had catcher Jorge Posada visit the team eye doctor after he was charged with his eighth passed ball. He had only seven last year. The Yankees have thrown out only 20.3 percent of runners attempting to steal, but the problems lie more with the pitchers than Posada and Joe Girardi.
