The Kokomo Tribune from Kokomo, Indiana • Page 13

KOKOMO TRIBUNE fr INSIDE TODAY MafW.ro CB Entetainment Kokomo, Ind. SPORTS 2 Sports editor, 454-8574 or (800) 382-0696 Monday-Friday between 4p.m. and 10 p.m. Sunday June 7. 1998 Real debate on interleague to come Cardinal slugger has an idea about what rookies should earn.

By The Associated Press The real debate on interleague play will probably begin in August, long after Albert Belle has taken his whacks at Wrigley Field and Mike Piazza has played at Fenway Park. That's when the players' union and owners are expected to begin talks on extending the two-year experiment beyond this season. "Interleague play is here to stay," interim commissioner Bud Selig says. Then again, it's not his call. Players must give their approval in order for interleague play to continue, and that will not come without a price.

The union is trying to reduce the increased number of two-game series in the schedule and wants the NL to adopt the designated hitter. Owners, who like interleague play and the crowds those games bring, have indicated they would like to eliminate the DH. "Among the players, I don't think they cared for it because the scheduling stinks," St. Louis star Mark McGwire said this week. "As far as I know, I've talked to a lot of players and nobody likes it, so I don't see it being passed.

"It draws some interest, but it's not going to draw any rivalries. The rivalries are already set in each league, and that's what they should be concerned about," he said. No doubt, tough negotiations are ahead. And as recent history has shown, the players' union does not lose very often. Either way, owners intend to meet the July 1 deadline for giving a draft of the 1999 schedule to the union.

"We're getting closer and closer," major league baseball president Paul Beeston said. Mac's mark When it comes to big numbers, here's one that Mark McGwire wants to set: $250,000. McGwire believes there should be a salary cap for first-round draft picks, and that's the amount he says it should be. The St. Louis star offered his opinion after the Cardinals selected J.D.

Drew with the No. 5 choice overall this week. Drew was taken in the first round last June by Philadelphia, but he and agent Scott Boras could not reach an agreement with the Phillies and went unsigned. "I really hope he means what he says when he says he wants to play the game of baseball," McGwire said. "If someone wants to play and is fiddling over $11 million, that shows he doesn't want to play very much.

I'm from the old school that you've got to prove yourself in the big leagues and that's where you make your money." "Make your money in the big leagues, boys. It's absolutely ridicu- lous what some of these young kids are getting. They don't even know what it takes to be a big-league ballplayer," he said. McGwire would like to see Drew in the Cardinals' outfield, and does not want to see a conflict between desire and dollars. "I hope things work out between us and J.D.

Drew," he said. "I guess we'll have to see how badly he wants to play. He's burned some bridges, let's face it, for a whole year." Easy, Edgar For most hitters, a batting average near .300 would be reason to be happy. But for Edgar Martinez, it's enough to get him talking about retirement. The two-time AL batting champion has been struggling for him, at least at the plate this season.

And at 35, that's made him think this might be his final year. "I have thought about it, yes, but I guess I should take one year at a time," the Seattle DH said. "When you aren't producing and the team is losing, you feel bad. I haven't done that much this season and we haven't won." Most likely, Martinez won't enjoy most of June, either. With interleague play in effect for half of the month, Martinez will probably find himself on the bench when the struggling Mariners play at NL parks, where there is no DH.

The Mariners hold an option on Martinez for 1999. "This year has been so frustrating," he said. "We have a good team, we're just not winning games we should win. That's not fun for anybody." Catch this After pitching a perfect eighth McGwire Harris inning in the Reds' 16-3 loss at San Francisco, there's only one position utilityman Lenny Harris has not played during his career. And Harris said he'd be more than willing to catch to complete his cycle.

"Hopefully, it'll never come, but if it does, I'll be ready," he said. Harris, one of baseball's best pinch-hitters this year, had not pitched since high school when Reds manager Jack McKeon gave him the call Monday night against the Giants. "He looked down at me, and I looked at him, and he said, 'Are you Harris said. Harris retired all three batters, striking out Brent Mayne looking with a slider. McKeon says "he'd be up for letting Harris go behind the plate.

"If we have another game like that, sure, I'll let him catch for a couple innings," McKeon said. Remember when A lot of teams now have Turn Back the Clock games, in which players wear old-style uniforms. The Double-A Birmingham Barons take the nostalgia angle one step farther for the last three years, they've held a Turn Back the Ballpark date. On Thursday, the Barons played their Southern League game against the Greenville Braves at Rickwood Field, which opened in 1910 and is the oldest active professional park in America. Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb and Jackie Robinson played at Rickwood in barnstorming exhibitions.

Willie Mays and Satchel Paige played there for the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro Leagues. Reggie Jackson, Rollie Fingers and Joe Rudi played for the 1967 Birmingham A's, who won the Southern League and Dixie League championships. "There are a lot of very fond memories here," said former major league Related Item: Major League Baseball statistics. Page C3 manager John McNamara, who guided the 1967 club and came back for the festivities. "This is a unique place.

It's nice that they've kept it up." Rickwood was the setting for those grainy, black-and-white ESPN spots promoting baseball that were taped before this season. The recent movie "Cobb" starring Tommy Lee Jones was shot partly at the park. The old- time billboards put on the outfield walls for that film, for products such as Burma-Shave and Edison Records, still remain. The Barons, now a farm team for the Chicago White Sox, left Rickwood after the 1987 season for the new Hoover Met, where Michael Jordan later played. Rickwood, meanwhile, is used daily for high school and adult leagues.

A crowd of 6,873 saw the Barons, averaging 4,001 at the Met, saw Greenville win 12-8. And, along with the throwback uniforms, there were some authentic touches that were not planned. As the national anthem was playing, a freight train chugged along behind the right-field wall there are stories in Birmingham about the day the Babe once hit a home run into a boxcar. And when he wound up for the game's first pitch, Julien Tucker of the Barons went into an old-timey, wind-milling motion, cranking his arm several times before laughing and stepping off. Around the loop The Orioles will retire Eddie Murray's No.

33 before Sunday's game at Camden Yards against Atlanta. One of only three players with 3,000 hits and 500 homers Hank Aaron and Willie Mays are the others Murray returned to Baltimore this season as a coach. The Reds planned to retire Joe Morgan's No. 8 on Saturday night when Cleveland New York Yankees outfielder-DH Tim Raines needs one more steal to join Rickey Henderson, Lou Brock and Ty Cobb as the only players with 800 stolen bases. Raines' son, outfielder Tim was picked by Baltimore in the sixth round of the draft.

Fred McGriff ended the longest home run drought of his career at 111 at-bats when he connected off Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night. "I know I've been stinking it up," said the Tampa Bay first baseman, who has 346 lifetime homers. Umpire Don Denkinger tries to control the brawl that saw nine players suspended. (AP photo) 'Black Jack' takes exception Players feel that the AL president went a little overboard. NEW YORK (AP) Jack McDowell is livid over punishments handed out by AL president Gene Budig to the Anaheim Angels for their pan in the beanball brawls with the Kansas Royals earlier this week.

"It seems like every time Mr. Budig has a decision that has to do with the game of baseball and not some marketing point, he makes the wrong decision every single time," McDowell said Friday after learning of his four-game suspension for his part in the bench-clearing brawls at last Tuesday's game. "It's amazing to me." Budig found it just as amazing that the managers of both teams didn't have more control of the situation. In the cases of Anaheim's Terry Collins and Tony Muser of Kansas City, he handed out the stiffest penalties both eight-game suspensions. "There was a clear breakdown in leadership and the managers must assume much of the responsibility," Budig said in a statement.

"The American League has a right to expect much from its field managers. They are the ones who determine in large measure player attitudes and actions." Budig suspended nine players for a total of 22 games and fined them $7,500. Under baseball's rules, the players will be paid during any suspensions. The managers and players will begin their suspensions on June 12, pending the appeal process. However, only one player per team will sit out at a time.

Players have until Monday to appeal the discipline, the players association said. "We support the league office, but I know there will be some appeals, and we'll wait until we get a chance to speak to Dr. Budig," Collins said. Anaheim won 7-5 in a game that included two brawls and 12 ejections following a series of hit batters. The problems started in the top of the seventh when Anaheim's Phil Nevin was hit in the back by Kansas City pitcher Jim Pittsley.

Nevin, who McDowell was also hit in his previous at-bat by Chris Haney, charged the mound and tried to tackle Pittsley, but the pitcher wrestled Nevin down and appeared to throw some punches. Both benches emptied, but apparently no other players threw punches. Then in the bottom of the eighth, Anaheim's Rich DeLucia hit Kansas City's Dean Palmer with the first pitch. Kansas City pitcher Scott Service hit Darin Erstad with a pitch in the top of the ninth, and in the bottom of the inning, another brawl began after the Angels' Mike Holtz hit Jose Offerman with a pitch. McDowell played a prominent part in the brawl despite being on the disabled list.

He said the brawl turned ugly because Kansas City's Felix Martinez punched Anaheim's Frank Bolick from behind. Martinez, sent to the minors after the brawl, got a five-game suspension. Martinez and Bolick, who also was sent down, will serve their suspensions after they are recalled, and McDowell will serve his when he comes off the DL. Nevin was suspended for three games; DeLucia, Holtz, Pittsley and Service for two; and Anaheim's Bolick and Damon Mashore for one game each. Big Cat iiever to run with young pups in Galarraga is enjoying his prime time as the Braves' first baseman.

ATLANTA should be the twilight of Andres Galarraga's career. After all, the Big Cat will be celebrating his 37th birthday this month. Instead, it has turned out to be prime time. Galarraga, a solid if somewhat unspectacular player in his 20s, blossomed into'a full-fledged superstar in his 30s. The hair may be speckled with gray, but the bulging arms, rock-hard stomach and mammoth home runs indicate a player at the peak of his game.

Retirement? Not anytime soon. "I feel great," said the Atlanta Braves first baseman, who got his nickname in the minors for his catlike reflexes and range. "I feel much better now than when I was young, no question. I have more experience now. I'm better conditioned.

I have more power." From 1986, Galarraga's first full season in the majors, until 1992, when he appeared to be nearing the end after a series of injuries, he batted .269 with an average of 16 homers and 67 RBIs. The turning point came in 1993. Galarraga, having signed as a free agent with the expansion Colorado Rockies, benefited from the thin air of Mile High Stadium to lead the NL with a .370 average. But he needed surgery on his right knee after the season. "I began a heavy workout program, but I said to myself, 'Why not do the whole body, not just the he recalled.

Galarraga begins his regimen with personal trainer Anthony Cerea two weeks after the final game of the season. "Believe me, it's not easy," Galarraga said. "You have to get up early. You have to work hard. You have to be patient.

Sometimes you feel lazy, but he pushes me really hard." Since joining forces with Cerea and giving up winter ball in his native Venezuela four years ago, Galarraga has averaged .305 with 38 homers and 120 RBIs per season. The last two years, he hit more than 40 homers and led the NL in RBIs. It was Galarraga's commitment to his 6-foot-3, 235-pound body that persuaded the Braves to pursue him as a free agent after last season, even Tale of two Cats The career of Atlanta Braves first baseman Andres Galarraga can be divided into Galarraga two distinct periods. Here's a look at both: 198642 Solid player for Montreal while in his 20s, with three 20-homer seasons, four years with at least 85 RBIs, two .300 seasons. But constantly plagued by injuries, culminating with two straight miserable seasons: .219 with nine homers and 33 RBIs for Expos in 1991 and .243 with 10 homers and 39 RBIs for a Louis Cardinals in '92.

Signed with the expansion Colorado Rockies as free agent in November 1992. 199346 Became the first expansion team player and first native Venezuelan to win batting title, leading the NU with .370 average in '93. Power numbers then showed dramatic improvement: 31 homers in both strike-shortened seasons, followed by 47 homers in "96 and-41 last season. Back-tc-baok ML RBI titles with 150 two seasons ago and 140 last season. Signed with Braves as free agent after'97 season and is on pace for first 50-homer season of career.

Wo question, I want to stay in this game as long as I can' Andres Galarraga, Atlanta Braves when it meant a three-year contract that would carry him to the brink of age 40. "His offensive productivity was easy for everybody to evaluate," Atlanta general manager John Schuerholz said. "But what a lot of people didn't know was how hard he works during the offseason to keep himself so physically fit and so strong to play this game." This season, Galarraga is bitting above .300 and setting a pace that could give him another 150 RBIs and perhaps his first 50-homer season. He has thoroughly demonstrated that his years in Colorado weren't something he pulled out of thin air. "You want to say it's amazing what he's done.

But then you look at him and the way he keeps himself in such unbelievable shape," teammate Denny Neagle said. "It's amazing how physically fit he really is." Galarraga's workout routine has influenced other Braves to give more attention to their bodies. In addition, he is an upbeat, smiling presence in the clubhouse, always ready to help out a younger player. Catcher Javy Lopez was having a dismal spring training until he got a bit of advice from Galarraga. Now, Lopez is on pace for the best season of his career.

"When he sees somebody struggling, especially the Spanish speakers here, guys like myself or Andruw Jones, he helps them out the best way he can," Lopez said. Galarraga's presence has been especially important to the Braves' nine-player Latin American contingent. There has never been a shortage of leaders in Atlanta's clubhouse Chipper Jones and Tom Glavine have played key roles but the Big Cat has given the Spanish-speaking players someone who understands their language. "We have never had a Spanish leader on the team," Lopez said. "That makes things He's been playing for a while, so he knows what goes around.

He knows how to motivate players." Galarraga wants everyone to follow his dual philosophy: Baseball is a game, so let's have some fun; it's also a business, so don't take it lightly- "You have to enjoy the game, you have to have to fun," he said. "But you have to work hard, you have to run, you have to lift weights. I think in that way, I've helped this team a lot." When Galarraga looks to the future, the end is not in sight. He feels like a 20-year-old, which wasn't always the case when he was in his 20s. "I know I have this year and two more years.

Then I'll be close to 40," he said. "But I'm already starting to think about signing another contract after that. No question, I want to stay in this game as long as I can. This what I love to do.".