European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 15, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Wednesday july 15,1987 the stars and stripes Page 23 commentary. Some uninvited All stars Are angry Start with the premise dial life is not fair because it s Noi. Add to that he problem of filling an abundance of Quality players onto the 2b-Man All Star rosters and you have inc ingredients of a Small revolution. Pitcher Rick Rhoden is angry slugger Kent Hrbcek is angry. Unbeaten Terry Leach ought to be angry. And Galarraga ought to be Seething. None of hero Wai invited to tuesday night s As Sembly of All stars despite considerable credentials they were not overlooked. They were simply squeezed out in a numbers game. There Are inequities on Bolh teams As the Ameri can and National league stars assembled for the game Al the Oakland coliseum. There Are always inequities. They arc the seeds of debate the kind of sired Corner dialogue that is the Lifeblood of base Ball. When people top talking Aboul the issues of the game then he game will be in rouble. Dave Smith and his microscopic earned run average ought to be on the National league Joyner and his big Bat ought to be with the american league. Would t you like to sue Reggie Jackson Lake a curtain Call All Star swing in his Home Park you could go on and on offering persuasive argumenti for a fistful of absentees. Egos have been dented Tome unfairly. Worse than that though Tome wallets have been bruised because of All Star election incentive clauses. There is for example the fascinating Case of Yyoung award Winner Roger Clemens of the Boston red sox. Clemens was a Spring training holdout signing on the eve of the season with a not so Subtle nudge from commissioner Peter Ueberroth. Remembering his 14-2 record at the All Star break a year ago Clement cleverly built a j300.000 All Star selection Bonus into his contract. Because ail Star pitchers arc picked by he team manager ind because the Al manager John Mcnamara happens also to be Clemens manager in Boston this created one swell conflict of interest Mcnamara called in Al president Bobby Brown and asked him to select the pitching staff to avoid any conflicts. Clemens unintentionally made the task much Sim Pler by going a mediocre 8-6 for the first half and blowing 9.0 and 7-0 leads in two recent starts against new York and California. That does t change the fact however that Clem ens contract and others like it just ask for trouble. They offer too much of a Chance for Wise Guys to Wink and suggest that selection for the All Star team could be based on something other than current production. Then there is the Case of Terry Leach a career minor leaguer a fringe player Al Best who gets by with guile. In the summer of inc new York wets discontent he has been the Cam s life Saver. Sur rounded by the debris of a once proud pitching staff. Leaf h has Kepi the met afloat setting a club record with an 8 0 Start. No mels Pitcher not Tom Seaver not Dwight Goodwn has Ever done better from the beginning of inc season. Understand that Leach is not the kind of Arm you build franchise around. When he met staff gets healthy he Al most certainly will return to oblivion. Would t it have Leich been Nice then for him to have an ale Star ring to take along a Ofhie wonderful summer of 87? and unlike Clemens it would t have Cost an extra cent to bring h i m. No manager Davey Johnson whose team Leach has bailed out decided that would be inappropriate and left him Home because he has not pitched enough innings. Johnson of course is the Guy who decides How Many innings Leach pitches. In the army they Call thai catch-22, civilians just shrug and say life s not jew Ocuto unit cardinals thriving despite adversity St. Louis a for More than obvious reasons. General manager dal Mai vital Sayi he likes where the St. Loud cardinals Are u baseball s hottest learn at the All Star break. This Ball dub they be pretty much convinced everybody that they Don t pay too much at Tention to anything negative maxvill said. Thai s credit to manager Whiley Herzog anubis St. Louis while battling a siege of injuries that to limes has appeared to never end has maxvill compiled a 56-30 record and opened a nine game Lead in the National league East i wish it was Over today Herzog said of the 76-game grind Hal still lies Between tote cardinals and their third division Ulle in is years. The firs order of business is to hold St. Louis has thrived despite Adverse y the cards problems started Early when Catcher Tony Pena sustained a Bro Ken left thumb april id. Nine Days later Ace left hander John Tudor s right leg was broken during a dugout collision with new York mets Catcher Barry Lyons. Last wee pitched be fore his Appeal of the lest was resolved Howe pitched briefly last month for Tabasco in the class aaa mexican league allowing four hits and no runs in 23 innings before returning to Californi when his wife was expecting the couple s second could Pilch anywhere right now Howe said. I m throwing the Ball As Well As 1 was in i98j."the rangers want to Groom i Lowe a a Starling Pitcher something he never has done in the majors. Texas needs hip in its pitching rotation especially left banded help
