The Palm Beach Post from West Palm Beach, Florida • Page 39

i THE PALM BEACH POST SUNDAY, MARCH 21, 1993 Baseball Jose's brotherly advice: Take it easy, Ozzie pins J. Canseco 0. Canseco seems unlikely for Ozzie, whose recent rise appears to have secured him a spot as an extra outfielder. "I'm having fun now," he said. "Just like Jose told me." RETURN TO ANGUISH: Baseball's romantic way of continually revisiting itself turned cruel Friday in Fort Myers, of all places.

Texas pitcher Charlie Leibrandt, in an otherwise indifferent exhibition, was forced to encounter two postseason ghosts in Minnesota's Kirby Puckett and Dave Winfield. Puckett's llth-inning homer off Leibrandt in Game Six of the 1991 World Series was one of the lasting impressions in recent baseball lore. Another was Winfield's llth-inning two-run double off Leibrandt in Game Six of the 1992 World Series. 0 BRUSHED BY GREATNESS: Nolan Ryan's fastball, when placed (misplaced?) just right, clearly is capable of murder. COCOA Leave it to Jose Canseco, whose image is even bigger than his swelling biceps, to find a way to have an impact on the National League while playing for Texas, which, at least at press time, was still a proud member of the American League.

i Baseball JEFF MILLER It seems Jose had a little talk Wednesday with twin brother Oz-'zie before the Rangers' game against St. Louis, for whom Ozzie is trying to earn a job. The result was a monstrous home run. Two later, Ozzie hit another homer. "He told me to just relax," said Ozzie, who admitted to a previous 1 tendency of swinging with over emphasis.

"If I don't make this club, it's not the end of the world. Jose just told me to have fun." Not making the Cardinals designated as his last. Charging Mr. Express during his farewell tour obviously would be politically unacceptable. LOCAL FISH: The Florida Marlins' area debut is set for 1:05 p.m.

today in Vero Beach and will be followed by consecutive games Monday (vs. Atlanta) and Tuesday (vs. Montreal) at West Palm Beach Municipal Stadium. Tickets remain for all three games. The Marlins will play the Expos in West Palm Beach two more times this spring, Saturday and March 30.

Florida had a March 13 game against the New York Met3 in Port St. Lucie canceled because of excessive winds. BOSS IN WAITING: The Rangers' lovely consolation gift to Toby Harrah was a manager's job at Class AAA Oklahoma City. Harrah, who took one for the team after the Bobby Valentine dismissal last season, guided the wobbling Texas band to a 32-44 finish. He lost out to Kevin Kennedy in the search for Valentine's permanent successor but had his loyalty rewarded with the 89ers top job.

"It'll be like a break," Harrah said, "but it will be fun. I want to get back to the majors, and I'd like to manage again. But I know I'm going to bust my butt to help these young men." NOTEWORTHY: Pittsburgh figures to have at least seven rookies on its opening day roster. When the Pirates began spring training, 28 of the 54 players present qualified as rookies. "We'll be a good club," manager Jim Leyland insisted.

"Sure there are a lot of ifs, but show me the perfect team." Sorry, but Seattle's new logo looks like something representing the local pipe fitters union Oakland Vice President Sandy Alderson on spring training life with Rickey Henderson: "There's the voluntary reporting date, the mandatory reporting date and the Rickey contract dispute date." The next game for Toronto right-hander Jack Morris will the 500th of his career. appears Bo Jackson's return from hip replacement surgery will succeed. The White Sox are expected to pick up the option year of his contract by Thursday's deadline Twins right-hander Scott Erickson dropped about 10 pounds during the offseason. The reason? "I just wanted to look better at the beach," he said Darrell Evans? He's now the minor league hitting instructor for Colorado. And finally, American League President Bobby Brown's directive for speeding up play is being posted in clubhouses throughout spring training.

The most interesting line concerns managers and coaches visiting the mound. Writes the prez: "Don't walk like you are in great pain." So what kind of person does it take to physically challenge the smoke-toting legend? Apparently being large, perturbed and of ample image are all required. Only Winfield and Willie McCovey, a pair of meaty hitters, have charged mounds occupied by Ryan. Of their 1980 encounter, Win-field remembered stiff-arming the catcher, dropping the umpire, then storming the king of the hill, at which point "it was UPI photograph time." Expect no such images this season, which Ryan already has Marlins Report 1 Johnstone foresaw teal of fortune Most of the Marlin players par ticipated. So who will handle dis tribution of the winnings if the Now, Marlins pitcher intense in his desire to avoid Edmonton Marlins win? "It will have to be someone in the front office," Jackson said.

"It will have to be nc BRET BARBERIE had three hits, including two doubles, as Florida (10-7) beat Montreal 8-3 in front of 6,696 Saturday at Cocoa Expo Stadium. Junior Felix added two hits and scored twice. I a neutral party." By JEFF MILLER Palm Beach Post Staff Writer COCOA The cap, as usual, was the first thing he bought. Got to have a cap. i Then a T-shirt and another cap and another T-shirt.

Then he bought a jacket. PITCHING coach Marcel Lachemann said he expects Pat Rapp to make his spring debut in a minor league exhibition Jack Armstrong PITCHER BORN: March 7, 1965. HOMETOWN: Englewood, N.J. CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: After a poor start, was 3-0 with 'They just give us the ball and tell us to get people out. I have no idea what my role will be this JOHN JOHNSTONE, MARLINS PITCHER game this week, likely on Thurs-" RIGHT-HANDER John Johnstone, the latest rookie to be given a shot at starting, pitched four scoreless innings.

He allowed two hits, struck out one and walked one. day. Rapp is rehabilitating from arthroscopic surgery on his right- knee Saturday sellout crowd to 6,696 pushed the Mar Florida Marlins souvenirs. John Johnstone had a nice little wardrobe started, teal and black all over the place. "I liked the colors," he said.

"New lins home average to 6,317 through 10 games. That Is fourth among teams in the PLISHMENT: His family; wife, Kris, and two children, Jack 3, and Erik, 1 1 months. LAST BOOK: Zen And The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. FAVORITE MOVIETV SHOW: The Natural, Nova. HOBBIES: Fishing, listening to music, family outings.

IDOL: His mother, Hilde. IT'S THE TRUTH: Armstrong once struck out 22 batters in a nine-inning game in high school. PERSONAL: Armstrong and his family spend the offseason in Palm Beach Gardens. QUOTE: "This spring has been a learning experience in a lot of different ways. I've been very open to new ideas and philosophies of pitching, which has been a personal triumph for me." Grapefruit League The Mar a 1.16 ERA in 12 relief last season for was starting lins purchased the contract of opening day starter Charlie PITCHER Dave Weathers, whose prospects of making the Marlins' opening day roster have been sinking, allowed two runs and three hits in the ninth, his only inning of work.

Johnstone Hough from their Class AAA Ed- monton team. Hough takes the roster spot vacated by Jeff Ta- baka, who was outrighted to Ed- monton last week Hough tries to piece together a rotation from the kids, castoffs and remaining healthy body parts that make up his staff. He was the fourth rookie to be given a start this spring, joining Jose Martinez, Mike Myers and Dave Weathers in a tryout with some high stakes. Those who know how Johnstone's performance against the Expos will affect his status aren't talking in specifics, at least not to will pitch in a minor league game pitcher for the National League in the 1990 All-Star game; finished 12-9 with a 3.42 ERA for Cincinnati in 1990. PROUDEST ACCOM- at the Carl Barger Complex team.

New colors. I liked the way 'the stuff looked." Strange? Only when you con-j sider that Johnstone was doing all this shopping while still an em-iployee of the New York Mets. was before months before the expansion draft during 'which he became an authentic, jather than just a dress-up, Marlin. RYAN BOWEN, who is trying to secure a rotation spot, walked four in the fifth but managed to escape with only one run scoring. He pitched four innings total, giving up one hit and striking out three.

"Four walks is not an impressive performance," manager Rene Lache i Marlins 8, Expos (ss) 3 MONTREAL (SS) FLORIDA the players or the public. Lachemann wouldn't even say if Johnstone will receive another start this spring, a sign that could be bl ft bl Lansing 3 0 0 0 Carr cf 4 0 0 0 1993 Maruns Spring Training Schedule Horn am In bold mann said. "But the way he Alou rf 2 0 0 0 Pose If 3 110 1 'Marlins Line 3321; nminii Santangelo rf 2 0 11 Wilson If 2 1 1 0 Grissom cf 2 0 0 1 Felix rf 3 2 2 1 came back showed me something." Lachemann said Bowen Floyd cf 2 0 0 0 Berroa rf 1 0 0 Updated after game Bollck 3b 4 0 2 0 Conine lb 3 0 10 worked himself into trouble by losing his aggressiveness. Stevens id 4 0 10 Farlss lb 111 1 Walton 0 0 0 0 Scott 3b 3 111' Stairs If 3 0 0 0 Renterla lb 1111 Heredla 0 0 0 0 Barberle 2b 4 13 1 Kremmers lb 1 0 0 0 Natal 3 0 0 0' Haney2b 3 110 Decker 1 0 0 0. Lakerc 3 0 0 0 Welssss 30 11 Siddall 1110 Arias ss 10 0 0 White 0 0 0 0 Johnstone 0 0 0 0 CHUCK CARR said it was the Jones 0 10 0 Bowen 2 0 0 0 vaioei oooo Polldor ph 1010- adrenaline rush of his life.

Jeff Conine said at 150 mph, the (SSHpllt quad game MARCH Gama time 1:05 p.m. unto noted 21 22 23 24 7:05 p.m 25 26 27 Los Angeles Atlanta Montreal Houston NwYork Cleveland Montreal at at at at at at Vero Beach W.P.B, W.P.B. Kissimmee mmm Winter Haven W.P.B. 28 29 7:35 p.m 30 31 ftowYwk Yankees Montreal V.L at at momnal laLauderdalel W.P.B. APRIL iaaa am em fflTW 1 3,.

(M) 3 ''-'J Kansas City Clavsland Kansas City at Jacksonville' Jacksonville Fulton If 2 0 0 1 Weathers 0 0 0 0 -1 Totals 32 3 4 3 TotaH 34 I 13 -3 wind was no problem. How many players traveled to their Montreal (ss) Florida 010 002 104 JDx E-Stevens, Laker, Lansing 2. Berroa. DP- Montreal I. LOB-Montreal 0, Florida 4.

2B--, I exhibition games Saturday in a helicopter? At least five Marlins oaroene helix, weiss, Wilson, Haney, San. tangeio. wnne, jonnstone. IP RER BB SO" did. Carr, Conine, Chuck Jackson, Scott Pose and Junior Felix all made the 1 1 -mile journey from Melbourne to Cocoa in 1 2 i Montreal White Jones Valdez L.0-2 Heredia Walton Florida Johnstone Bowen 1-1 Weathers 3 2 i I 1 4 4 I 'Game at Jacksonville starts at 7:35 p.m.

interpreted as negative. "I really don't know what they're thinking," said Johnstone, whose latest effort was by far his best of three spring appearances. "They don't say much to us as far as those things go. They just give us the ball and tell us to get people out. I have no idea what my role will be this season." He does, however, have a definite goal no Edmonton.

Avoiding Florida's remote Class AAA outpost is something in which Johnstone has invested considerable thought. He even taped up a map and pictures of the city in his parents' basement in upstate New York to serve as motivation during winter workouts. "I don't want to end up there," Johnstone said. "If I do, I hope I put up some big numbers fast so I can get out." A month ago, Johnstone admitted, when spring training and everything else about the Marlins was still so new, he never realistically considered himself a candidate to start the season in the majors. Before the draft, he figured he would begin 1993 in Tidewater, the Mets' Class AAA owner Wayne Huizenga's chopper.

Huizenga rode the team bus. Before liftoff, Carr joked "I guess I knew what was Coming," he said, his dark eyes then blinking. "Yeah, right, I really saw into the future." What a view that would be I today. The future. Of the Florida Marlins.

Of John Johnstone. A glimpse might have come 'Saturday when the right-hander "pitched four shutout innings against Montreal in an 8-3 Florida victory at Cocoa Expo Stadium. For someone who has never tread above Class AA, who had never before survived the first cut of spring training, Johnstone looked convincingly calm. I His only rough spot came in fourth inning, when he allowed consecutive two-out singles. A harmless ground-out, however, was his escape hatch.

"They made some hard outs, 'but he was effective," Marlins pitching coach Marcel Lachemann said. "He made them hit the ball then relied on the defense. He definitely didn't hurt himself to-day." Johnstone, 24, was the Marlins' starter du jour as Lachemann that this is how the Marlins had decided to make their next cut. Conine, meanwhile, was upset about the in-flight service. "There was a snack," he said, "but no movie." But something Johnstone did Saturday was an indication of maturing talent.

His curveball, generally a focal point of his arsenal, was tardy, breaking too late to be taken seriously. His slider, however, was solid. So he adjusted to the conditions, something that is rarely as easy as it sounds, especially for a young pitcher. "He showed the ability to adapt, and that was impressive," Lachemann said. "There is no substitute for strikes, and Johnstone will throw the ball over the plate.

He makes them swing the bat." Just where they're swinging at the start of this season in Miami or Edmonton will be determined in the next two weeks. The former would mean a completion of Johnstone's teal collection. A Marlins' game uniform would go well with everything else in the closet. "I didn't have to buy much when I came down here," he said. "I was pretty much ready to go.

But a real uniform is something you can't buy. You earn those." CATCHER Bob Natal said it VS. DODGERS, 1:05 p.m., Holman Stadium. Jose Martinez, Joe Klink and Bryan Harvey will pitch for Florida. Orel Hershiser will pitch for Los Angeles.

DIRECTIONS: From 1-95 take exit 68, go east miles on 60 to 43rd Avenue, then north to 26th Street and east past golf course. INFORMATION: (407) 569- Z. 4900. JEFF MILLER took him an hour to receive his lottery tickets. Of course, when you're buying $680 worth, you expect a wait.

Natal organized a teamwide effort in pursuit of Saturday night's jackpot, which was approaching 100 million. Cubs hopefuls tend to fluctuate between weird, wired vvi) Lyons Wendell Myers the way Wendell pitches. iThe Associated Press MESA, Ariz. Turk Wendell doesn't wear socks with his uniform but brushes his teeth between each he pitches. Randy Myers wears a floppy camouflage cap and talks about 118 being the Magic in spring training.

Then there is Steve Lyons, who accidentally sat on a bunch of fire ants after a game. Meet the Chicago Cubs' oddballs. They're the who keep fans talking and teammates loose. Take Wendell. He's a superstitious rookie pitcher leaps over the foul line going from dugout to mound and back, eats licorice during games and nods 'at his center fielder before each pitch all to keep ievil spirits away.

He also keeps a large, ornate 'crucifix in his locker. Wendell's superstitious days go to high school. "I'd have Fruit Loops for breakfast each morning 'as a kid before every football he said. "It was good luck because we never lost." He is willing to try something new. "I'm kind of a Rice Krispies guy right now," he isaid.

Wendell has had a good spring and could make the 25-man roster that goes north. "Every squirrel finds a nut," he said. "Joking aside, Cubs manager Jim Lefebvre likes In Cincinnati, Myers was one of the Nasty Boys along with Reds teammates Norm Charlton and Ron Dibble. Last week he pretended he won the Arizona lottery. But it's no nonsense for the blunt Myers on the mound.

"Closing a game to him is like going to war," Lefebvre said. "lie comes to spring training and tells me, 'Skip, the Magic Number is And, I say '118? What are you talking "He says, 'That's the World Series check $118,000 a "lie's thinking in the right direction." Broadcaster Joe Garagiola, a joke-cracking bench jockey himself in his major league days, played with his share of oddballs. "The thing is, it's funny if you're winning. Hello is funny if you're 23 games in front," said Garagiola. "But they've got to contribute, too.

It's not amusing if they're not helping the team on the field. But then again, I'd rather hear something funny than a guy renegotiating his contract every day." GIANTS TRADE LEONARD: The San Francisco Giants traded outfielder Mark Leonard to the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday in exchange for in-fielder Steve Scarsone. Leonard, 28, split last season between the Giants and their Triple-A affiliate at Phoenix. In 55 games with San Francisco, he batted .234 with four home runs and 16 RBI. At Phoenix, he hit .338 with five homers and 25 RBI in 39 Scarsone, 26, played in the Philadelphia and Baltimore organizations last season.

He hit .274 with 11' homers and 48 RBI in 89 games with the Phillies Triple-A team at Scranton-Wilkes Barre and .256 with one homer and 12 RBI in 23 games with the; Orioles' farm club at Rochester. PENA AIMS FOR '94: Although he won't pitch this season, reliever Alejandro Pena will return to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1994. Pena, 33, underwent surgery Friday to rebuild a ligament in his pitching elbow. The Pirates said Saturday they have restructured Pena's contract. Terms, including his 1993 payj-were not immediately available, but the Pittsburgh' Post-Gazette reported that the new deal is for two! years and adds the major league minimum 'Of.

$109,000 to the $1.35 million deal Pena signed. He; signed a one-year, $1.35 million contract on Dec. 10 after leaving the Atlanta Braves as a free agent. He has not pitched since late last season. The new agreement restructures Pena's contract into a two-year deal for 1993 and 1994 with a reduced guaran' teed salary and increased incentives.

"He's not just a circus act who pitches," Lefebvre said. "Behind all his antics is a good pitcher." Lyons isn't as nutty as Wendell but frequently finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. During a game in 1990, Lyons unhitched his pants to tuck in his shirt while standing on first base in front of 30,000 fans. Then in Mesa this spring, he got ants in his pants. "I was sitting down on a curb and just got eaten by some ants," said Lyons, who can play every position, including pitcher.

"I was minding my own business and the next thing you know, they were all over me, down inside my pants and up my back. So I got some pretty good bites.".