St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 28

I I i 1 .111994 4F SPORTS ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH SUNDAY. JECEMBER 11, 1994 1 Third Base Is Next In Cards' Strategy Priority For '95 1. fcJ Bob McArthur of Johhny Mac's Stores' Sportswear Mired In Slump 1 5 1 AP new style of Blues jackets. major sports.

But the symptoms are nationwide. "There has been an effect because of the work stoppages, there's no question," Powell said. "I think what is happening in St. Louis pretty much reflects what is happening around the country." The situation could get worse before it gets better. The NHL is talking of canceling the season.

And stalled baseball negotiations are putting spring training in jeopardy. Retailers have to order merchandise months in advance. Not only are they not selling what they have, they have more on the way. What's more, they must decide what to order for summer and fall. "That's a thing a lot of people don't realize," Fischer said.

"We've normally bought things for spring and you don't know if the strike will be over. If the problems are still going on, there will be no reason for us to have it. And if it's settled, you don't know what the reaction will be." As tenuous as the situation is for the buyers, the atmosphere is catastrophic for vendors. If the work stoppages continue, orders will be canceled at alarming rates. New orders will be non-existent.

"They're really in bad shape," Noblitt said. "I'd hate to be sitting in their situation. I haven't ordered any hockey or baseball for next fall until I know what's going on." Stores such as Johnny Mac's and Fischer's, which are not situated in shopping malls, do considerable business as team suppliers for area schools. The sale of sports equipment is relatively constant. "We're fortunate in the way we have survived," McArthur said.

"We have things to sustain us." But the effects could be more dramatic in the next two weeks, normally the best time of the year for sporting goods and sportswear sales. "It's really too early to tell how big the effect will be for us," Fischer said. "Business is very strong the last two weeks before Christmas. Being a free-standing store and being a sporting goods store, instead of a fashion or apparel store, it's hard to say. "Are the same people going to spend the money on a Blues jacket in a sporting goods store, or just buy a jacket in a mall? "If it's for a son or daughter who is just a casual fan, they might just not bother with the Blues jacket.

Right now, the awareness isn't there." Sporting Goods with one of the Dop What's Hot Jerseys and Jackets Jerome Bettis Rams jersey, $65. Vancouver Canucks jersey, $55 to $70. Adidas and Lotto jackets, $50 to $80. Blues jersey-coat, $135 Sloppy Mock Crew, $45, T-Shirts and Caps "No Fear" T-shirt, $16; caps, $19. "Gotcha" T-shirt, $16; caps $19.

"Mossimo" (volleyball) T-shirt, $14 to $16. Pro and college logo caps, $17 to $22. Footwear In-line skates, $40 to $300. Sandals, $19 to $70. Hiking boots, $45 to $130.

Puma "Clydes," $55. Chuck Taylor All-Stars, $23. Deja "Serengero," $70. Nike "Air Jordan III," $100. "You do get people in the store who are irritated now and then.

I think people have gotten their hopes up a few times and then they fall back down. "We're still busy, but if the season was going on, we'd be a lot busier." Bob Noblitt, 27, is vice president of Superstar's, which operates stores in St. Louis, Detroit and Chicago. "Our hockey business, when I looked at it from two weeks ago, was off 60 percent on jerseys and jackets," Noblitt said. "We're holding our own, companywise, because we've picked up in college apparel and others.

"But, with the new jersey, we were looking for our biggest year ever on Blues items. Normally at this time of year you can't stay in stock. This year it's just another item. "It's horrible. There's no doubt." Of course, the flip side of the coin is: "We've got the best selection on jackets we've ever had," Noblitt added.

Matt Powell is vice president of marketing for No Contest stores. The stores are owned and operated by Chicago-based Sport Mart, which operates a national chain of Powell said the malady is especially noticeable in St. Louis, where hockey and baseball are the only two have never seen him pitch but signed him on a tip from a Japanese friend of minor-league field coordinator Don Blasingame. Lefthanded pitcher Denis Boucher of the Montreal Expos' organization is the first big-leaguer to say he would cross player picket lines as a replacement player. "I have a wife and a little girl, and I'd be making a lot more money, if I was playing in the majors as much as $150,000, instead of $30,000.

I have no choice," Boucher said. "Threats really don't bother me. But I do wonder how the players association will react once the strike is settled. I'm sure a lot of guys are anxious to play." The California Angels are moving closer to signing Lee Smith to a two-year, $4.5 million contract but will have to trade either center fielder Chad Curtis or lefthander Chuck Fin-ley to stay within their $24.5 million budget constraints. The Angels have about $23 million of their budget committed to only 12 players for coming season.

It would leave general manager Bill Bavasi only $1.5 million to pay the remaining 13 players. Finley has a partial no-trade clause in his contract that bars him from being traded to 14 teams, including the two New York teams. Several teams expressed interest in trading for Finley during the general manager meetings, particularly the Cardinals. But the freight in players to be given up probably would be too high for the Cardinals. Former Cardinal Rex Hudler, who was unemployed just nine months ago and wondering if he'd ever return to the major leagues, signed a two-year, $600,000 contract with the Angels.

Hudler, the Angels' top utilityman last season, will be paid a base salary of $300,000 in 1995 and 1996. He also is" eligible to earn an additional $100,000 in incentives each season for reaching 300 plate appearances. "I can't believe h'iw great everything has turned uut for me," said Hudler, 34, who was an unrestricted free agent. "The only reason I even wanted to leave the Angels was so I could have a chance to go to the big dance, but the two-year contract made me turn my head." Hudler, who batted .298 with eight homers and 20 runs batted in in 124 at-bats last season, also received one-year contract offers from the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox and Phillies. Hudler said that he had no intention of crossing the picket line if replacement players were used in spring training.

"They could have given me $15 million, and I still wouldn't cross," Hudler said. Pedro Guerrero, one of Hudler's teammates with the Cardinals, might be one of the Angels' replacement players. Guerrero, 38, was signed to a Triple-A contract by the Angels after spending the last two seasons in the Class A Northern League. "I wouldn't want to speculate on that," said Ken Forsch, Angels farm director. "I don't know if he can still play, to tell you the truth.

But I know he can hit, and I know he loves the game. "He was such an impact player in his time that I think it'd be great for our minor-league players to be around him." But while the Angels may be planning for Guerrero to be a strike-replacement player, Guerrero's agent, Tony Attanasio, said Pete has no plans to cross the picket line. Guerrero, who earned $15.6 million during the last nine years of his major-league career, made about $20,000 a year the last two seasons with Sioux City. He batted .329 last season in 75 games, with eight homers and 47 RBI. The San Diego Padres are talking to the Astros about a deal that would send outfielder Derek Bell and righthander Scott Sanders to the Astros for center fielder Finley and shortstop Andujar Cedeno.

Texas slugger Jose Canseco, traded Friday to Boston, said he understands why and isn't upset. "My value is up again, and they need to get pitching," Canseco said. "We had a great offense last year, and you saw what happens because we don't have any pitching." The Rangers had the league's second-highest ERA: a club-record 5.45. Canseco said he will enjoy playing for manager Kevin Kennedy again. Curt Flood, who was the first to challenge baseball's reserve clause, got a standing ovation from the 90 players who were at a union meeting in Atlanta on Tuesday.

"It caught me a little short, and I felt a lump in my throat," Flood said. "When you see Frank Thomas and Orel Hershiser and Ozzie Smith standing there and applauding you, it's extraordinary." Kansas City reliever Jeff Montgomery said, "I don't remember him as a player, but I remember reading what he's done for the players association. He was a pioneer. "I got goosebumps." Flood sacrificed his distinguished major-league career to start the players' march toward free agency. The Cardinals' center fielder quit rather than accept a trade to Philadelphia.

The Toronto Blue Jays have targeted Bret Saberhagen as their No. 1 objective over the winter and have offered first baseman John Olerud. ell? The answer, according to Cincinnati Reds general manager Jim Bow-den, is whichever one will, in effect, take the worst deal. Mitchell is a free agent. Morris would be a restricted free-agent under the owners' proposed system.

Bowden has offered both contracts but said he would not sign both. "Basically the first player who comes to us willing to make a deal will be a Red," Bowden said. This was somewhat distressing news to Morris. "I want to stay here," he said. "That's my objective." Bowden admits this is a strange way of doing business.

But, he said, "Being a general manager is a lot different from the way it was 10 years ago. Your first concern is the financial and contractual status of a player. Your second concern is talent and ability. Ten years ago, you were looking for a player first." Philadelphia is interested in Mitchell but not at what so far has been a high asking price in the range of five years, $25 million. The Reds were rejected in a brief courtship of Bo Jackson.

They are now turning their attention to Phillies outfielder Billy Hatcher. Reds owner Marge Schott is considering suing the city of Cincinnati in her continuing push for a new baseball-only stadium. Schott is upset that the city gave concessions to the National Football League's Bengals last year despite a lease provision that says all tenants be treated equally. She feels that could be the way to break a lease that extends until 2010. "If the city wants the Reds to be in Cincinnati, they need to come forward and work it out," Bowden said.

"Litigation is a step that has to be taken at some point if the city doesn't come forward." Bowden said Schott "is not one who believes in litigation and ruffling feathers. She wants us to have a peaceful solution. I have urged her that we possibly will have to litigate so the city understands that we have an option to get out of the lease earlier." National League President Leonard Coleman has visited Cincinnati twice in the last month to consult with Schott. Coleman has told Schott she does not need league approval to move within her territory. She is being courted by developers in Northern Kentucky and might also consider overtures from Indiana cities.

The Astros, who plan to cut considerable payroll this offseason, went through a major cost-cutting1 after the 1990 season and flushed high-priced free agents. The feeling was they would use 'the 1991 to rebuild, and with compensation picks for the loss of free agents Danny Darwin, Dave Smith, Franklin Stubbs and Juan Agosto, the Astros had eight picks in the first three rounds. It hasn't done them much good. Four of the eight picks aren't Astros anymore. The Astros had the sixth pick in the draft and selected University of Florida pitcher John Burke, whom they were unable to sign.

In the Rule draft last week, they lost three others from that group. Houston lost pitcher James Lewis, a second-round pick, to Cleveland in the major-league portion for $50,000. In the AAA portion for $12,000, they lost shortstop Shane Livsey, the 28th player drafted that year, to the Chicago Cubs. In the AA portion for $4,000 they lost outfielder Chris Durkin, their third-round selection. With the trade by Florida of second baseman Bret Barberie, the Marlins have just one player left fielder Jeff Conine from their 1993 opening-day lineup.

"Pat Gillick gave me one word of wisdom: Turn your roster over a lot," said general manager Dave Dombrowski, referring to the man who built the Toronto Blue Jays powerhouses. "He said you have to be careful not to fall in love with your players from that first season," Dombrowski said. "That kind of stuck in my mind." Andre Dawson, who hopes to join the Marlins at age 40, will have another knee operation this week. "That will be either operation No. 10 or No.

11," Red Sox publicist Dick Bresciani said. "We've had some debate about that up here." The Philadelphia Phillies have signed three pitchers who didn't throw a ball in the major leagues this season. The first is lefthander Norm Charlton, who didn't throw a ball for anybody after recovering from ligament transplant surgery in his left elbow. Charlton cost the Phillies $850,000 on a contract that could have escalated to $2.5 million with incentives. Next year, he will make $100,000 for showing up, more when he's added to the big-league roster.

The deal maxes out at $2 million. The Phillies also signed righthander Kyle Abbott, who went 1-14 in 1992, hurt his elbow in 1993 and spent all year in the minors. The Phillies thought a year in Japan would be a better test for him than another year in Triple-A. But Abbott pitched only 12 innings (allowing 34 baserun-ners on 25 hits and nine walks) before suffering a pulled groin muscle. The third acquisition is Korean righthander Chang Yang Choi, 21, who will be assigned to Batavia of the New York-Penn League.

The Phillies RICK HUMMEL BASEBALL Now that he has made his first trade, Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty is eager to make more. Although Jocketty, like his contemporaries, awaits which course baseball will take in the coming week, he thinks he is close to a couple of other deals, regardless of the new rules that might be implemented by the owners. Third base is uppermost on Jocketty's mind in these talks. That covers Houston's Ken Caminiti or St. Louisan Scott Cooper, a two-time All-Star with the Boston Red Sox.

To other clubs, outfielder Mark Whiten, signed for $1.6 million for next season, is the most attractive Cardinals commodity. "I don't really see any reason not to do something," said Jocketty, "as long as it fits into the budget. Even if the rules change, it's not going to affect us. I know basically what the salaries are going to be and what the budget is going to be." But if nothing happens this week, rest assured that the Cardinals will have a new third baseman this season. "I really don't know who," manager Joe Torre said.

"But it's going to be somebody different." Todd Zeile, a solid performer offensively, has manned the third-base position in sometimes less than adequate terms in his four seasons there. What happens to him if, say, a Caminiti arrives? "He'll move across the diamond," Torre said. And then what happens to free-agent Gregg Jefferies, still unpur-sued by the Cardinals? "He volunteered to play second, right?" said Torre, jokingly. Zeile and Jefferies, in theory, could exist on the same team, but not if Jocketty spends heavily on pitching. And he plans to.

Torre said, "I don't think anyone's safe which makes for excitement. It also makes for your highlight film to be obsolete." The Astros have approached Caminiti about restructuring his $4.35 contract for this season. They want to cut next year's salary to $2.6 mil-Ion and then extend the deal. Houston, however, offered only a two-year extension worth about $6 million. Caminiti and agent Adam Katz proposed a three-year extension believed to be worth $11 million to $12 million.

If a restructuring can't be worked out, the Astros are expected to trade Caminiti. "Everybody keeps asking me if he is definitely going to be traded," general manager Bob Watson said. "I say it is not definite yet. I would say it is still more than likely, but we have a few options of what we can do." But Watson isn't comfortable with the option of the extension proposed by Katz. "That would put me in the same boat down the road," he said in reference to future salary problems.

"It doesn't look really good that we are going to keep him, but we are going to keep working." Second baseman Luis Alicea, who was sent to Boston in Jocketty's first trade, left winter ball early in Puerto Rico. Alicea, who was oft-plagued with minor ailments in his career here, had a sprained knee. Alicea said rather that he left his San Juan team because the club already had Robbie Alomar, Carlos Baerga and Rey Sanchez as middle infielders and that he would have had to play the outfield. Torre, who was disappointed by Alicea here, said, "This game is very tough to play because you have to play it for seven months. You can't just have a good week.

You can't afford the luxury of feeling sorry for yourself, and you can't afford the luxury of patting yourself on the back." While Nate Minchey, one of the vtwo minor-leaguers acquired from Boston, is reported to be something of a pedestrian pitcher, center fielder Jeff McNeely may be a valuable item. McNeely was considred a strong prospect by the Red Sox until this season when he was shuffled farther back in the outfield picture after Boston acquired Otis Nixon and Lee Tinsley. What ensued was reported to be an attitude problem and a gain in weight, which limited his basesteal-ing to 13 steals in 30 attempts. The year before, the 6-foot-2, 210-pound McNeely, called an Ellis Burks look-alike, had stolen 40 bases to lead the International League. Minchey, 6-7 and 225, didn't figure into the Red Sox plans, although he was 11-5 at Pawtucket.

Despite his size, he is not a hard thrower. Look for the Los Angeles Rams, if they come here, to play no more than three or four of their regular-season football games at Busch Stadium before the domed stadium would be ready. The Cardinals aren't counting on having the Rams after Nov. 1 as they prepare to install their grass field for 1996. Who would you rather have at first base Hal Morris or Kevin Mitch By Dan O'Neill Of the Post-Dispatch Staff Santa Claus, no doubt, is poring through his mail right about now.

And as the jolly old guy fills out his shopping list, and checks it twice, he is finding that the labor problems in the National Hockey League and Ma-or League Baseball are having a dra-Imatic effect. Requests for hockey and baseball team-licensed apparel, overwhelming in years past, are way down. Santa's helpers at area sporting stores are keenly aware of the predicament. Bob McArthur, 37, proprietor at Johnny Mac's Sporting Goods in Crestwood, says the combination of a baseball strike and hockey shutdown has created a difficult environment. "Business has been off for the licensed products," said McArthur, noting particularly that sales of team jerseys have been affected.

"I don't think it has affected the kids playing at the rinks, in terms of wanting to play. "But it has affected the mentality. It's just not there. I just got back from vacation on a cruise, and people, who were from all over, were talking about it. The stigma on pro sports right now is bad." The timing couldn't be worse for stores that anticipated big sales on Blues merchandise this shopping season.

The team has a newly designed jersey, a new arena and a new, high-profile coach in Mike Keenan. Enthusiasm, along with merchandise sales, figured to be high. But that has not been the case at area retailers, including Fischer's Sporting Goods on New Florissant Road. "Licensed products are normally a strong item, particularly if the team is playing well," said Don Fischer, 40. "Those sales are down dramatically.

The sales of other teams are down quite a bit also. "The Cardinals weren't having a stellar season anyhow and unless they go on strike, that may pick up in the spring. But there's no doubt both sports, one after another, have combined to create an environment." The Blue Note Sports Shop stores sell "98 percent" Blues apparel and paraphernalia. Manager Jim Reha-gen, 37, acknowledged business is off. "If I was guessing, I'd say it's down by about a fourth," Rehagen said.

"I think you're really going to see a dramatic effect if they don't start after the first of the year. Other Sports By Dan O'Neill Of the Post-Dispatch Staff Retail sales of licensed baseball and hockey apparel are sagging at stores. But other items are still mak-' ing cash registers sing. Stores such as No Contest, which is operated by Chicago-based Sport have adjusted to compensate for disappointing sales in hockey jer- seys and jackets. I "We've been able to mitigate the drop in hockey and baseball interest stepping up our assortments in those categories," said Matt Powell, vice president of marketing for No Contest.

"We have a very broad as- Sortment of teams, much broader what you would see generally in St. I If National Hockey League jerseys of Major League Baseball products 'are slow, other licensed items are not. "We're holding our own company-wise because we've picked up in college items," said Bob Noblitt, vice president of Superstar's, which has stores in St. Louis, Chicago and Detroit. Powell added: "Our primary customer is the high school and college student.

A more important change than the work stoppages has been a Help Stores Pick Up Slack change in the fashion. "Two years ago, everybody wanted to wear nothing but licensed apparel. But people are moving away from it." Where Mighty Ducks jerseys sold out last Christmas, "Mossimo" volleyball shirts are popular this yule-tide. One way stores offset sagging sales in licensed products is to diversify. "We've brought in a big assortment of concert T-shirts and they are selling like hot cakes," Powell said.

In-line skates continue to sell well. Hiking boots have become big and the market for sneakers never dies. Many updates are on the market. Nike has issued Air Jordan III, the first Michael Jordan-signature shoe, which Jordan actually competed in. Politically correct shoes are in vogue.

"Deja" manufactures a sneaker made from recycled products and natural rain forest materials. The manufacturer asks the purchaser to send the worn-out shoes to the company to be recycled. A new market has emerged for old products. Puma has reissued "Clydes," a basketball sneaker connected with former Knicks star Walt "Clyde" Frazier. Chuck Taylor All-Stars are enjoying a resurgence, as well as the Stan Smith tennis shoe.

Among the hot National Football League items in St. Louis is a Jerome Bettis Rams jersey. "Bettis jerseys have sold out constantly whenever we've got them in," Noblitt said. "But as far as other Rams stuff, we've tried to stay as generic as we can. "There's definitely an interest there.

But their logos have LA on them, and people here don't necessarily want that; You have to find stuff that just has Rams." Bev Otte, assistant manager of Omni in Creve Coeur, said certain sports apparel items have continued to do a brisk business. "We get a lot of requests for San Francisco and Kansas City Chiefs," she said. "And 'No Fear' stuff is really taking off." Then there is "POGS." Children in Hawaii-began playing the game "pog" years ago, originally using cardboard milk and juice bottle caps. A player scores points by flipping over another player's discs with a metal or plastic "slammer." The game caught on in California last year and has reached St. Louis.

The caps, usually made of paper, and the metal or plastic slammers range in price from $1 to about $7..