Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 40

I 6E DETROIT FREE PRESSMONDAY, APRIL 9, 1990 7 Vincent to attempt to negotiate the '90s with fans in mind believes revenue sharing will become reality before too long and bring with it greater economic harmony. "Revenue sharing is in the picture for all major sports," Vincent said. "It's the best way I know of avoiding these confrontations, because it puts players and management in a situation where building the business is jointly profitable." Most of the profits in baseball come from television, which will air more games this season than ever before. Some people predict that the glut will be bad for the sport, but Vincent doesn't think so. "I'm very sensitive to the fact that there are a lot of baseball fans who are unable to get to the ballpark," Vincent said.

"I think they should be able to follow their teams, too, and television allows them to do that." Vincent, 51, became the eighth commissioner of baseball last September when he replaced his old friend Bart Giamatti, who died of a heart attack. One of his first duties was to deal with the earthquake that struck during last October's World Series in San Francisco. Virtually unknown to most people at the time, Vincent impressed all with his intelligence and compassion in the tragedy's aftermath. And when the owners and players paid only hollow lip service to the fans' stake in the lockout, Vincent seemed to be the only one who really understood what baseball meant to its millions of followers. It's understandable why Vincent views the fans as baseball's lifeblood he has been a fan himself since he started following the Yankees as a teenager.

Vincent's legs were temporarily paralyzed when he fell four stories as a freshman at Williams By Gene Guidi Free Press Sports Writer Winter Haven, Fia. Before fielding questions from the media that had encircled him, commissioner Fay Vincent had his own question: "How do the Red Sox look?" Vincent wore a playful grin. The fatigue he felt during the labor negotiations had been replaced by the natural curiosity of a baseball fan ready to see a spring training game. There's no question that Vincent is, first and above all, a baseball fan. He quietly roots for the Red Sox as much as a commissioner can root for one team, anyway.

Because Vincent seems to under-, stand what the owners and players 1 often lose sight of that the fans are central to the game he looks like the right man to lead the sport through the 1990s. "I got so many letters from fans during the negotiations thoughtful, intelligent letters suggesting ways to end the lockout," Vincent said. "It struck me how much people really care about baseball." One of Vincent's goals is to try to prevent messy management-labor hassles. He sees no reason why an industry that generates billions of dollars in revenue and creates millionaire employees should ever endure a 32-day spring training delay such as this year's. I think the fans had every reason to be upset with the way (labor) negotiations were handled," Vincent said.

"In fact, I don't think you could do it worse. Baseball is as bad in that regard as any business I've ever seen. We ought to be able to improve that, and I'm going to try." Even though the players quickly rejected the idea this time, Vincent MARY SCHROEDERDetrolt Free Press (labor) negotiations were handled." Shortly after signing the agreement to end the lockout, the owners and players were arguing over the wording that would have allowed 27-man rosters for the season's first three weeks. Vincent said it would help baseball's general atmosphere if the clubs and players started working together to promote the game. "The clubs are going to have to do things with the Players Association that are jointly productive and not confrontational," Vincent said.

"Things like working on the way players are counseled and helped once I7 Bart Giamatti Peter Ueberroth DflSECm CZttS Fay Vincent Is baseball's eighth commissioner. He was selected acting commfesiorter Sept Zt 1989, one day after Bart Giamatti died. The commissioners: KENESAW MOUNTAIN LANDIS: Jan. 12, 1921 to Nov. 25.

1944 (died in office). A.B. (HAPPY) CHANDLER: April 24, 1945 to July 15, 1951 (resigned). to Dec. 14.

1965 (retired). WILLIAM ECKERT: Dec. 15. 1965 to Feb. 4, 1969 (resigned).

BOWIE KUHN: Feb. 4, 1969 to Sept. 30. 1984 (contract 6xpirsd) PETER UEBERROTH: Oct 1, 1964 to April 1, 1989 (declined new contract). A.

BARTLETT GIAMATTI: April 1, 1969 to Sept. 1, 1989 (died in office). FAY VINCENT: Sept. 13, 1989 to present. they leave baseball.

"Other areas we'll work on together are international baseball developing baseball outside of the U.S. and also what we call 'rookie' baseball, which introduces baseball to six-year-old kids." While it's been a tough first seven months for Vincent, he said he's willing to trade tranquillity for a job that reflects his love of baseball. "As the commissioner, I can't just sit on a mountaintop and watch baseball get damaged," Vincent said. "I feel an obligation to see that doesn't happen." I' 8 mm MARY SCHrWtDERDelroil tree Press Like the rest of the Tigers' farmhands, infielder Dean Decillis waits his turn. in his first pro season last year, signed as a free agent from Central STEVE PEGUES: Outfielder started iast season at Fayetteville and was promoted to Lakeland after batting .309 in 70 games.

Batted .254 In Lakeland; Totaled 28 stolen bases between the two teams. DAVE RICHARDS: Left-hander was 7-3 with a 1 .80 ERA at Lakeland iast year, held opposing hitters to a ,167 average, has struck out 216 batters in 213 career Innings. DON VESLING: Left-handed pitcher started last season at London and was promoted to Toledo at mid-season, were he had two shutouts and three complete games. Former kicker for Eastern Michigan football team. Hyji Cybulski, sptriul vcrittr Seeds planted, but the farm needs more time to grow By Gene guidi Free Press Sports Writer 1 With the exception of the New York Yankees, no team won more games 1 during the 1980s than the Tigers.

And you had to look no further than the farm system to find the big reason for the Tigers' success. When the Tigers opened the 1981 season April 9 at Tiger Stadium, Alan Trammel! was the shortstop, Lou "'Whitaker was at second base, Kirk Gibson was the rightfielder, Lance Parrish was the catcher and Jack Morris the starting pitcher. Trammell, Whitaker and Morris are still here, reminders of a once bountiful farm system, as the Tigers enter the 1990s. But since the drafts j'that produced such championship-cali-? ber players, the farm system has not provided solid regulars for the major league club. For a while, general manager Bill Lajoie kept the Tigers in contention 84 ttioe lust 1 lhp KHE rva XGOHs in; AtOUN AUOoaf if ia xtu(tii fv ittl MARY SCrlROEOERDetroll Free Press Scott Aldred, a left-handed pitcher from Montrose High School, has struck out 290 batters in 364 Vs innings.

every reason to be upset with the way baseball should take. "One of the things we're working hard on what Bart used to call 'ambience' is to try to do a better job of serving our customers," Vincent said. "It's ridiculous to work so hard about the way fans are treated when they're at the ballpark and then treat them so shabbily during labor confrontations every four years. "We will do a better job in the future how well depends on how the two sides get along during the next four years." It's hard to imagine them getting along any worse. MARY SCHROEDERDetrolt Free Press Tigers' hopes for the future.

hopeful young men. They'd pick out the best and move on to the next camp. "But times have changed, and clubs scout every part of the country very competitively. You have to have people everywhere." McDonald added a third Class A team, Niagara Falls, in 1989. "By adding another team, we can ask our scouts to take a chance on a kid they might not be sure of," he said.

"If one of those blossoms into a major leaguer, it was worth it." McDonald also hired full-time pitching coaches not only for Triple-A Toledo, but for Doulbe-A London and Niagara Falls. "We were asking the manager to do everything in the minors and that wasn't right he's got enough to worry about," McDonald said. "Your minor leagues have to send players to the majors who know by heart what they are supposed to do and where they are supposed to be on every play. "That means you have to have a good manager and good coaches and instructors down below the majors." The addition of another minor league team, more scouts and more coaches hasn't come cheaply. A club source said it has boosted minor league costs some $400,000 a year.

But if it can help the Tigers build a solid foundation for the 1990s, that seems a small price to pay. 4 I i Fay Vincent: "I think the fans had College in 1956. As a result, Vincent has a painful arthritic condition in both legs and walks with a cane. In the year of recuperation, Vincent said he saw nearly every Yankees game on television. "Baseball helped me get through a very difficult time," Vincent said.

He has been hooked on the game ever since even while he was working as an attorney in Washington, D.C., and as president of Columbia Pictures before joining Giamatti in the specially created role of deputy commissioner. Vincent said he often talked with Giamatti about the direction that right, because they brought up players who helped them win a couple of division championships and a World Series," he said. But McDonald didn't like what he saw, and has started rebuilding it. "The process starts with the scouts," McDonald said. "They are the ones who have to look at an 18-year-old lad and say, 'He's going to play in the major A good scout is harder to find than a minor league manager." The Tigers have added seven scouts since McDonald arrived, a number of them in their 20s.

"I'd rather train a young scout than pick up someone who was released from another team," McDonald said. "It's like picking up a released ballplayer you don't often come up with a gem that way." The Tigers have also added scouting experience in former major league general managers Joe Klein and Hal Keller. With more scouts, McDonald believes the Tigers can better cover some areas of the country where they used to be thin. "When Branch Rickey started all of this, he used three scouts to fill 56 minor league teams," McDonald said. "It was incredible.

They would divide the country into thirds and hold these tryout camps. The scouts would bring 250 numbers with safety pins and spend 10 hours looking all these The stars of tomorrow? In his Lakeland office, Joe McDonald tracks the with trades. But without any help from the minor league teams, and with virtually no help from the free-agent market that the organization chose to shun, the Tigers' talent diminished until the club sank to a 59-103 record in 1989. Without players to trade, and with most big-name free agents unwilling to come to Detroit, there's even more pressure on the farm system to yield the talent that will get the Tigers back THE TIGERS? An alphabetical took at the Tigers top prospects down on trie farm: SCOTT ALDRED: Left-handed pitcher. Has struck out 290 batters in 364V3 career inrfrtgs, went 10-6 last season after recovering from a hand Injury, graduated from Montrose High School.

RICO BROGNA: First baseman, Tigers' first pick in the 1988 June draft, named Florida State league's top-fielding first baseman by BasebaB America, led Lakeland with 20 doubles and was second with 1 PHtt. CLARK: A catcher and the Tigers' first selection In the 1986 June draft, finished sixth In the Eastern League with a .290 batting DAVE COOPER: Right-handed pitcher totaled eight saves last season between London and Toledo, held opposing batters to a .196 average at Toledo, graduated from Sterling Heights Stevenson. MILT CUYLER: Outfielder got off to a slow start in Toledo last season and was demoted to London, where he batted .262 with seven triples and 32 stolen bases. DEAN 0ECILUS: Infietder ptayed shortstop for Lakeland in '88, moved to second base for London in "89. Hit .245 last year with 46 RBls in 98 in contention.

ViC Some minor leaguers should be wearing Tigers uniforms before long shortstop Travis Fryman, pitcher Scott Aldred and outfielder Milt Cuyler, for example, ju "It's a real good feeling to finally be 1 able to look at somebody like Fryman 'and know if something goes wrong, we've got a guy we can call up who can 2 play at the major league level," manag-sj er Sparky Anderson said, "i Last year, when so many Tigers were injured, Anderson found no help h' on the farm. young players. You have to have patience when dealing with young players patience to let them mature into major leaguers." When McDonald came to the Tigers, the farm system had become the organization's poor relation. The Tigers saved money anywhere they could in the minors, even to the point of being the only big-league organization that didn't have a full-time pitching coach for its Triple-A team. Sources in the organization said the Tigers adopted that frugal approach when John Fetzer was selling the team, to make it more attractive to potential buyers.

The Tigers won a World Series for new owner Tom Monaghan in 1984, so there didn't seem to be much need to worry about the farm system. After all, it had produced great players before. In time, the organization thought, it would again. But the Tigers' consistently high finishes in the 1980s put even more pressure on the minors. By picking near the bottom in the draft, the Tigers couldn't rejuvenate with blue-chip choices.

By the late 1980s, things got so bad that Baseball America the publication that monitors the minor leagues rated the Tigers' farm system the worst. McDonald refused to bad-mouth the way the Tigers handled the farm system before he arrived. "They must have don something Joe McDonald, whom the Tigers brought in to lead the minor league operation midway through the 1986 season, knows that the farm system is important to the team's hopes for a '90s renaissance. But he said he won't force-feed young players to the major leagues just so he can say the Tigers have homegrown talent. He also said BRIAN DuBOIS: Left-handed pitcher acquired from Baltimore last season for Keith Moretartd pitched strongly in his major league debut at the end of last season despite an 0-4 record TRAVIS FRYMAN: The Eastern League's All-Star shortstop with London last season, Fryman has an excellent glove and led the league with 30 doubles.

SHAWN HARE: Outfielder led Lakeland with a .324 batting average "A the Tigers have not pressured him to do so. "You have to understand that no one man is a miracle worker," McDon- aid said. "I don't have a secret formula that wiall of a suddenive us good, 5.