Fort Worth Star-Telegram from Fort Worth, Texas • 50

I Tuesday September 8 1992 I Fon Worth Star-Telegram Section Page BASEBALL EXTRA Canseco sounding upbeat about future with angers BY TR SULLIVAN Eon Wonh Star-Telegram ARLINGTON Canseco is checking the real estate market and talking brightly about the Texas Rangers' future two signs he's ready to establish long-term residence in Arlington Stadium Canseco made his Arlington Stadium debut yesterday and was received warmly by the fans especially after he jumped against the right-field fence and made a nice catch of Scott Cooper's long drive in the first inning The Rangers seem satisfied that Canseco will be here for a while and won't exercise his right to demand a trade in the off-season really the last thing I'm thinking about" Rangers general back which has been a problem for him for several years "Every time I play here it wpuld loosen up the back for me automatically" Canseco said "My wife enjoys it here A couple of years ago she would say stuff like wish we got traded to Texas because it's like Miami weather' Well there you go you have it" Canseco also waxed optimistically when asked how it felt to be traded from a contender to a team that seems to have a long way to go before being a contender "I don't know about that" Canseco said "I don't know about a ways to go I'm not sure that next year Oakland is not even going to field a contender I like the talent I see here Gonzalez Palmer and al- as all ad ter on of tri- in- rYYYYY'rr1-47 pC1 "ItiasLcsfrYN a a r11097 (D) $12) CT Hanis returns with football behind him Rangers calendar Hgmeslmea 0 SEPTEM 6 7 8 Boston 7:35 pm: 9 HSE Boston 7:35 manager Tom Grieve said "I choose to believe he'll like it here he'll like his teammates he'll like the fans he'll like the weather and he'll like the ballpark" Canseco can demand a trade because he was traded in the middle of a multiyear contract Canseco is signed through the I 995 season "I can't give you a solid answer there but everything is looking very positive" Canseco said "I'm getting along great with the players with manager Toby Harrah with management I always enjoyed playing here because of the weather The ballpark is very conducive to the type of power hitter that I am the ball really carries to all fields" Another positive factor is the relief the warm weather brings to his 47 (D) 77" am- ward break with it" Smith gave the Rangers a slight scare in August when he went on the disabled list for two weeks with tendinitis in his left shoulder "I haven't had any problem with it since then and I've made four or five starts" Smith said Smith is the 25th pitcher the Rangers have had on their roster this year tying the American League record set by the Seattle Pilots in 1969 They'll break that record when Hector Fajardo is called up after Oklahoma City's season is complete Rangers freeze prices The Rangers announced ticket prices for 1993 will not change from 1992 The Rangers had raised prices at least at some levels for three consecutive years The Rangers trying to capital Red Sox 3 Rangers 0 Boston AB St Ett B8 SO Ave Hatcher If 5000 0 2 262 Cooper lb 402100255 Boggs 3b 3 0 0 0 1 1 255 MVaughn dh 4 0 0 0 0 1 234 Zupcic rt 4010 00 277 'Bleed 213 4 1 1 0 0 2 253 Winningham of 4 1 2 0 0 0 230 Pomo 301 1 00 248 Valentin ss 3 1 2 1 1 0 297 Totals 34 3 2 2 I Texas AB BI BB SO Avg Downing dh 4 1 0 1 273 Pairnetro lb 3 0 1 3 264 Canseco rt 3 1 1 1 247 JuGonzalez of 0 0 i 0 255 Farissot-2b 2 0 2 242 Reimer If 4 1 276 Palmer 3b 3 0 1 237 Petratli 3 0 1 203 Frye 2b 2 1 230 a-Daugherty ph 0 0 202 Diaz ss 0 0 176 eiewman ss 2 0 225 b-Rodriguez ph 1 0 258 0Harris of 0 0 143 Totals 27 4 1 Boston -----000 000 021-3 9 0 awaked for Frye in the 9th b-grounded into double play for Newman in the tlth 7 Texas 5 (16) Valentin 2 (11) Downing (14) (24) Pena (35) Valentin (13) Frye (2) Petralli Rodriguez Runners left in scoring 5 (Hatcher 3 Boggs Zupcic) Texas 4 (Canseco Reimer 2 Petralli) 3 (1Reed Valentin and Cooper) (Boggs IReed and Cooper) (lReed Valentin and Cooper) Boston ER BB SO ERA Clemens W18-8 8 3 0 0 3 9 218 Fosses 000 0 1 0 313 Ouantrill 1 1 0 0 0 1 203 Hesketh 1 200000 465 Texas ER Ba SO ERA FNan I 5-9 81 62 2 1 6 399 Whiteside 2 3 1 1 1 0 251 Fossas pitched to 1 batter in the 9th Inherited runners-scored-11111MM Hesketh 2-0 by Clemens (luGonzakiz) Ryan 2 PB McClelland First Coble Second Merrill Third Reed I A-29699 got behind two hitters made two bad pitches and they hit both of them That basically cost me the ballgame" Ryan stayed around for the ninth but hobbled off after one batter when he landed wrong and felt a pain in his left hip "I don't know if I pulled it or jammed it" Ryan said "I won't know for a day or two" The Rangers will consider replacing Ryan with Dan Smith for his next start particularly if he's unable to go through his weight-lifting workout today "We'll just have to see" Ryan said The Red Sox two-run eighth ended Ryan's streak of 13 consecutive scoreless innings over his last two starts He's now 0-6 in his past eight starts and 1-2 in head-to-head matchups against Clemens "Nolan did a super job" Harrah said "I'd like to see us score some runs That's two days in a row which is kind of surprising with our lineup It just goes to show you about good pitching versus good hittipg Seems like good pitching always wins out" -0) 1 tt) Palmeiro and the pitching staff we have I think we could tidy up some loose ends here and there and think we have a chance to contend next year to tell you the truth" Canseco doesn't mind taking those jabs at the team that traded him Asked if he was surprised the Athletics dealt him to a team in the same division Canseco replied "No Oakland's not going to put a contender on the field next year It really didn't matter where they traded me they knew I would come back to haunt them" Canseco will get a chance to hurl more than just verbal shots at the Athletics The Rangers play three games in Oakland during the final week of the season Those three ER 10 Toronto 7:35 pm 11 HSE Toronto 7:35 pin 12 Toronto 7:35 pm major leagues in 15 months Chiamparino who missed a year after ligament reconstruction surgery on his right elbow allowed one run on five hitgin seven innings 89ors make playoffs The Oklahoma City 89ers are in the playoffs for the first time since 1985 The 89ers clinched the American Association Western Division title Sunday when they defeated Omaha 8-1 Rangers averages Hitting AB 2B38 HA MSS Avg Cans 14 0 4 2 0 0 2 0 286 Reimer 445 54 123 31 2 16 56 1 276 Downing 290 50 79 14 0 10 36 1 273 Palmeiro 535 74 141 24 4 17 72 2 264 Rodriguez 360 36 93 13 1 8 35 0 258 Huson 318 48 83 14 3 4 24 17 261 Gonzalez 505 70 130 20 2 39 98 0 257 Farts 128 11 31 5 1 2 19 0 242 Thon 272 30 67 15 3 4 37 12 246 Palmer 460 64 109 23 0 23 659 237 Frye 139 14 32 8 1 1 5 1 230 Franco 107 19 25 7 0 2 8 1 234 Hulse 26 5 6000 11231 Newman 218 26 49 4 0 0 10 9 225 Petralli 172 11 35 12 0 1 15 0 203 Daugherty 94 7 19 90 0 8 1 202 Harris 21 2 3000 10143 Diaz 15 1 3000 10176 Russell 10 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 100 Stephens 1 0 0000 0 0 000 Others 650 82 167 36 6 15 81 18 257 Teem 4710 08119772723143 577 73 -251 Opp 4790 657126124723 99 5971 265 Pisding ER 00 SO ERA Chmorino Whiteside Rogers Brown Guzman Arm Bums Nunez Leon Bannister Mathews Jeffcoat Others 7 5 1 1 2 3 0 1 14 15 5 4 8 4 0 1 654 74 29 24 19 56 2 5 224 215 91 81 63 142 18 8 185 197 89 78 56 145 12 11 144 124 73 64 65 148 5 9 90 82 51 41 27 45 3 5 40 43 19 19 22 2832 3834 42 23 22 14 32 0 2 18 18 14 12 10 15 1 1 37 39 27 26 21 30 1 1 38 50 33 27 23 27 1 1 39 47 29 28 30 26 2 4 17 25 14 13 5 60 1 312 312179 160 166 181 20 21 129 251 326 325 339 399 410 428 512 589 632 634 641 662 461 Teem 1255121268W 554 934 104 57 73 418 Opp 12115 1197806 555 481 ON 73 Iff ASS Jose Canseco's and Edwin Nunez's statistics with the Rangers Canseco was traded from Oakland and Nunez was traded from Milwaukee during the season Erronk Texas 130 (Palmer 19 Thon 15 Rodriguez 14 Reimer 10 Gonzalez 9 Huson 9 Pairneiro 6 Newman 7 Brown 5 Frye 5 Petralli 4 Cangelosi 3 Franco 3 Daugherty 2 Burns 1 Harris 1 Nunez 1 Hulse 1 others 15) Opponents90 Double play Texas 135 Opponents 116 Anew Texas 37 (Rogers 6 Nunez 3 others 28) Opponents 35 Sbutoutc Texas 3 (Brown Guzman-RusselL Brown-Rogers-Russell) Opponents 10 Complete gamer Texas 17 (Brown 10 Guzman 4 Ryan 2 Pavlik 1) Opponents 14 Home attendance: 2000066 (70 dates 28572 avg) Last year's attendance: 2115588 (70 dates 30223 avg) Attendance comparisock Minus 115522 overall minus 1650 daily Dino" Harrah said "Not in the fourth inning it's a little early Dino hit the ball hard off him the first time I thought he could do it again" The Rangers did not get another runner against Clemens until the eighth when pinch-hitter Jack Daugherty led off for a walk But pinch-hitter Ivan Rodriguez batting for Al Newman bounced into a double play "Roger pitched real well" Ryan said "He got into trouble a couple of times but got out of it with the double plays He was in a good groove kept the ball down and didn't really make any mistakes" Especially against Canseco who walked grounded out and struck out against Clemens He created some excitement in the ninth with a single after Rafael Palmeim led off with a walk and moved to second on a passed ball That put runners on first and third with no outs but reliever Paul Quantrill struck out Monty Fariss (who hr11 replaced Gonzalez) and Joe Hesketh taking over got Kevin Reimer to hit into a game-ending double play: games could be critical if the Minnesota Twins can cut into the Athletics' 412 game lead in the American League West "Maybe Oakland's lead will be down to one and we'll play the role of spoiler" Canseco said "That would be a great story wouldn't it? My allegiance is with the Texas Rangers When we play against the Oakland Athletics give 100 percent and try to do some damage" Canseco's first appearance at Arlington Stadium was relatively uneventful outside his defensive play in the first inning Batting against Boston ace Roger Clemens Canseco walked in his first at-bat then grounded out to second base in the third and struck Fans want BY SIMON GONZALEZ Fon Womb Star-Telegram ARLINGTON It didn't quite have the same impact as the plaintive "Say it ain't so Joe" but the youngster's question was just as heartfelt "Is he going to stay in Texas?" The "he" in question of course is Jose Canseco The questioner was a boy about 10 years old standing outside the Arlington Stadium gates three hours before game time yesterday Canseco traded to the Texas Rangers in the middle of a multiyear contract has the right to demand a trade after the season If the Rangers can't trade him he can become a free agent The pleading look on the young face clearly indicated the boy didn't want that to happen That's the effect that Jose Canseco can have on faithful followers of the game No "Will he stay?" inquiries were made about last year's late season acquisition Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd was also eligible for free agency after the season but no one really cared And although "Will he stay?" was a bona fide inquiry about Ruben Sierra one of the players sent to the Oakland Athletics for Canseco his relationship with the fans had soured to the point that surely less than half the Arlington Stadium regulars hoped the answer was yes Canseco though is different Fans regard him as a genuine superstar a larger-than-life figure who demands love-him-or-hate-him reactions While "hate him" might have been in vogue when Canseco wore an A's uniform it was a lovefest last night The fans gave him an ovation equal to the one given Nolan Ryan Reeves From Page 1 the Hall-of-Famer-to-be clearly does not consider Jose a challenge as this team's most popular player It's not something he even considers at all The title is Ryan's as long as he chooses to have it No Ryan merely wishes Canseco the best A healthy productive Jose Canseco can only help the Rangers win That's what matters to Ryan "He's in an ideal situation" Ryan said of the second-biggest name in franchise history "If he wants to be here he can win these fans over in a big way" The Texas faithful are dying for an everyday hero to idolize Ruben Sierra was never a good fit Youthful slugger Juan Gonzalez is still searching for his personality Ah but Canseco is charisma personified These fans are his for the picking Already Canseco's clubhouse mailbox is overflowing with fan letters and cards more even than Ryan's yesterday When he trotted out to right field the fans there stood to cheer When he came to the plate in the first inning the welcome was Texas-warm if not overwhelming Jose worries that fans will expect too much as they came to do in Oakland "The shoes people want me to fill keep getting larger and larger" Canseco said "If I hit 50 home runs someone will say I should have hit 60 If people are going to accept me fine If not I really can't go out of my way to please them" Ryan said Canseco has already shown an ability to relate to the fans "He takes it as part of the territory" Ryan said "He doesn't fight out and in to in the sixth In the ninth he singled off reliever Paul Quantrill It's obvious he's not 100 percent healthy still bothered by the back' the right shoulder which he: hurt earlier this year overswinging- batting practice The Rangers: want Canseco to have a magnetic resonance imaging exam on the shoulder later this week "The only thing I can say is that can go out there and give the best that I have for right now" said "Not try to press too much try drive in some runs somehow not really expecting myself to hit two or- three home runs a game I think in 1993 when Jose Canseco comes in extremely healthy then the expectations could probably fit" new guyii during pregame introductions and cheered loudly when he jumped to catch a drive against the fence in the first inning They didn't even boo when he apparently called off second baseman Jeff Frye and then let a drop in the third Most of Canseco's appeal is the baseball talent the prodigious home runs the 100-runs batted in seasons But an undeniable part of the attraction is Canseco's personal- ity He like most professional athletes can be aloof But for the most part he has an easy rapport with the fans Luis Mayoral the Rangers' as- sistant public relations director- says Sierra was like a son to him But even he admits that Canseco is bet- ter at the public relations part of the game "He is a good person" said MayL oral who has known Canseco since 1986 "I've never seen him refuse an interview request" That's why about three times the normal number of fans were waiting outside the players' parking lot yesterday waiting for Canseco to ar7 rive That's why about three times the usual number of fans were waiting for the gates to open three hours before the game That's why about three times the usual number of fans pressed around the home dugout during batting practice hoping for an autograph Canseco didn't oblige yesterday He acknowledged the fans' cheers after he emerged from the dugout with a wave but didn't sign After batting practice he headed up tht tunnel to the clubhouse again without signing The fans didn't seem to mind though They still cheered his every move it He handles it and that's part of the charisma he has" 111 Vital 1011114 114 luta Canseco said he spent much of his first full day in Arlington looking for a new home But he also danced around questions about whether he would ask to renegotiate his contract or exercise his right to demand a trade before next March 15 "My wife Esther enjoys it here" Canseco reassured everyone "A couple of years ago she was saying'! wish we could get traded to Texas because they have Miami weather? Bingo there you have it" When Jose was asked about Ryan he was properly respectful "When I first saw him in the locker room I was surprised" Canseco' said "I didn't realize what a physical specimen he was Hopefully he'll come back next year and many years to come" And will a giant-sized photo of Canseco someday hang alongside Ryan's outside Arlington "I don't know if it would be that big" Canseco said smiling Perfect answer Near-perfect start Roger Clemens and the Red Sox would win the duel of flame-throwers 3-0 and Ryan would leave in the ninth inning with a strained muscle in his left hip The keynote play however had come in the first inning Boston's Scott Cooper the game's second batter caught a Ryan delivery and sent it soaring deep to right Canseco measured it drifted onto the warning track and leaped against the wall to make the catch The play brought the fans to their feet Ryan stared out at Canseco perhaps trying to remember the last time his right fielder had made such a play then lifted his right arm and pointed a gesture of appreciation one player to another It was delivered with the regal elegance oft a king recognizing ad an ointing his rightful heir a it 13 7 11 10 11 18 13 )5 11 9- 15 r5 59 )8 57 II 55 )0 )3 )0 )0 53 70 25 1 ws rot 6) 3) 6) 6) 3) 11 dc i9 Id 4A 34 62 85 A 75 61 67 13 65 Irk Rd as 51 37 14 35 )0 51 58 51 19 r7 $3 )o 22 17 )0 Fl 14 )2 Fi 16 56 23 53 DO 54 )0 De 91 0 he TI 6) go ler ly IA 07 63 67 52 78 00 34 00 1 OS By TR SULLIVAN Foil Wonh Star-Telegram ARLINGTON Donald Harris returned to the Texas Rangers yesterday fully committed to baseball after having put football in his past Harris and pitcher Dan Smith were called up from the Tulsa Drillers for September but neither will see much action Harris will be used as a pinch-runner and defensive outfielder and Smith will be used in long relief Harris' promotion was uncertain after he left the organization for three weeks to try out with the Dallas Cowboys He earned his chance with his play for Tulsa the final three weeks although he hit only 235 with two homers and six runs batted in The Rangers are pleased with his commitment to baseball and that he has signed to play winter ball in Venezuela after the season Missing winter ball was the biggest concern the Rangers had when he signed with the Cowboys "I found out what I really liked was game day" Harris said "But I think I needed to find out about football it was something that was always in the back of my mind if I could play in the National Football League" Despite being released by the Cowboys Harris still thinks he Could play professional football "If! practice the whole year and hit the weights there's no doubt I could have played" Harris said "But I enjoy playing baseball I talked to Tom Grieve and told 'him I'm ready to put my full weight into it" Smith the Rangers' No 1 draft pick in 1990 also raised his stock with the Rangers after his season in Tulsa The Rangers were concerned about him after he went 4- 17 with a 552 earned-run average in 1991 But he bounced back this season and went 11-7 with a 252 ERA and three shutouts at Tulsa winning pitcher-of-the-year honors in the Texas League "The difference this year was the way I threw my slider" Smith said "The slider I had last year was fiat but this year I worked with pitching coaches Jackson Todd and Oscar Acosta and changed the grip a little which gave me a down Rangers From Page 1 worth" Boston pitching coach Rich Gale said Clemens snapping a three-game losing streak at Arlington held the Rangers to three hits over eight innings He struck out nine including at one point seven in a row one short of an American League record he shares with who else Ryan Ryan took a three-hit shutout into the eighth but Herm Winningham on a 2-0 pitch slapped a single to left was bunted to second and moved to third on a wild pitch Ryan also got behind 2-0 on John Valentin then came in with a fast-ball that was belted off the center-field wall for a run-scoring double Ryan got Billy Hatcher to pop out but Scott Cooper bounced a grounder off the first base bag which rolled into short right field and allowed Valentin to score "This was one of those games wheire you don't have the luxury of making a mistake" Ryan said "I ize on the publicity of the Jose Canseco trade also announced that 1993 season tickets will go on sale today Chiamparino stays Rangers manager Toby Harrah said Scott Chiamparino will stay in the rotation and pitch Friday against the Toronto Blue Jays Chiamparino reported no unusual problems with his right elbow after Sunday's start his first in the How they scored Red Sox nightie Winningham singled to right Pena sacriliced first baseman Palmeiro to second baseman Frye Winningham to second Winningham to third on Ryan's wild pitch Valentin doubled to center Winningham scored Hatcher popped out to first baseman Paimeiro Cooper singled to right Valentin scored Boggs struck out Red Sox 2 Rangers 0 Red Sox ninth: Fonts to second base batting 401 Diaz to shortstop batting 6th Harris to center field batting 9th Vaughn flied out to right fielder Canseco Whiteside relieved Ryan Zupcic grounded out to third baseman Palmer Reed singled to center Winningham singled to left-center Reed to third Pena singled to center Reed scored Winningham to third Valentin walked Pena to second Hatcher flied out to center fielder Harris Red Sox 3 Red Sox averages Batters Aug AS 26 38 HR R8i S8 Miaow 297 111 14 33119 0 2 13 0 ZITOC 277 )37 37 86 17 0 334 2 ennensky 272 379 39 103 25 3 14 63 2 Hatcher 262214 30 56 12 2 120 4 Boggs 255 455 50 1620 4 147 1 Cooper 255 239 21 61 16 0 1 24 0 Burks 255 235 35 608 3 8 30 5 Reed 253 499 60 126 27 1 3 38 6 Pere 248 351 34 8118 0 135 5 VaJclin 234 290 37 68 11 1 11 45 1 GrEgreN611 233 180 16 42 2 0 2 18 2 Wmrspern 230 196 25 45 8 1 1 10 3 Wedge 219 326 7 0 0 -2 4 0 Rwra 218 275 16 60 11 1 029 4 cl 210 257 32 11 0 5 33 1 Neelvng 194 139 10 27 3 0 2 8 0 Warms 095422 421010 Totals 245 4588 511 1124221 17 69 483 37 Pitchers ERA IP ER B8 SO Cluarni 2 3 203 310 30 11 7 12 18 Corners 18 8 218 2271 177 63 55 55 192 HaTs 3 8 260 931 71 32 27 48 66 FOSSIS 1 2 313 230 25 9 8 11 16 Yob 11 11 332 2061 186 83 76 76 102 Dopson 7 7 354 1270 136 62 50 32 45 NMI 8 6 384 1241 118 57 53 38 100 Hesketh 6 9 465 1292 151 79 67 48 93 Totals 64 73 349 121821M 545 473 425 801 Errors 114 raven 14 Boggs 14 Vaugter 13 Reed 10 Vdenon 6 Zupdc 6 Cooper 6 Pena 5 Bossosicy 4 listclw 4 Wormgham 3 Nemo 3N-taking 2 Burks 2 Omit 1) Saves-35 Hans 3 Derain 3 Fosses 1 Hesketh 1 Others 27) A nagging injury kept Clemens from throwing a complete-game shutout He was bothered by a strained groin muscle from the third inning on but it didn't prevent him from striking out Brian Downing to end the fifth then striking out the side in order in the sixth and seventh "It probably helped my breaking ball because I was not able to drive off the rubber" Clemens said "Tonight the breaking ball was working so we went with it" "He had hitters off stride all night" Canseco said The Rangers had few chances to score against Clemens and their best chance also cost them their hottest hitter Juan Gonzalez started the fourth by getting hit by a pitch on his left forearm and had to leave the game The injury is not considered serious but Gonzalez was in some pain Kevin Reimer then blooped a single to left putting runners on first and second with no outs But Clemens got out of the inning by getting Palmer to pop up and Pctralli a lifetime 368 hitter against Clemens to hit into a double play "I didn't want to bunt with I.