European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 4, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Saturday june 4, 1988 the stars and stripes Page 23 commentary cubs Palmeiro a Bull with the hot As the Chicago cubs manager at the time Jim Frey was sitting in on i hair june i985 draft of College and High school players. When ii was inc cubs Lurn. I hair scouting director Gordy Goldsberry chose Rafael i Lameiro a cuban bom Ift grew up in Miami before playing College base Ball at Mississippi state where inc year before he had been inc Southeastern conference s firs triple Crown Hitler. Three years later recalled Frey now the cubs general manager. I can Mill hear Gordy telling everybody in the room we re going to get a Guy who can hit " hit indeed. As the cubs tangle with the new York mets in a weekend series at Shea stadium Rafael Palmeiro is the National league s leading Hitler with a .345 average. He s also leading the league with 19doubles. Quietly he s one of baseball s new names to remember. Some of the others arc Greg Swindell the Cleveland left hander Wilh a 10-1 record and Bobby Bonilla. The Pittsburgh third baseman who is leading the National league in homers and runs baited in. Those names appear to be up on the marquee to slay. Palmeiro for example is Only 23 years old bul As a natural hitter he has already been compared to Don Mallin Gly Tony Gwynn and Rod Carew. Rafael is a natural hitter inc same Way that Don Mallin Gly and Tony Gwynn arc natural hitlers Charlie Fox. The cubs Advance soul was saying inc other night at Shea stadium. Rafael uses the whole Field. He does t Over swing. He s rarely fooled. He swings at the bail he decides to hit. Once in awhile he turns on inc Ball and hits it a ton. In time he to do that More often just like Mattingly has Learned to do for All of Palmeiro s hits his most stunning Statis tic is the infrequency of his strikeouts. In his 209 plate appearances through wednesday s 6-3 Victory Over Cincinnati he had struck out Only seven limes. And from april 3d, when Mike Lacoss Dave Anderson of san Francisco struck him out until May 29 when Nolan Ryan of Houston fanned him. A Span of 112 appearances he struck out Only once on May in against Jose Deleon of is. Louis. Because he very Seldom swings and said Don Zimmer the cubs manager he has that much More Chance to gel a hit on a Blooper or a bad throughout Spring training and the Early weeks of the season Zimmer knew thai Palmeiro reminded him of a Good hitter of the past but inc cubs Man Ager could t quite pin it Down. And then suddenly Zimmer knew. Not his stats not his stance but his approach to inc Ball Wilh his Bat Zimmer said. He flips the bal at the Ball with his hands the same Way Rod Carew Carew earned seven Silver bats for winning seven american league Balling championships. Bul if Palmeiro succeeds san Diego s Gwynn As the National league Balling Champion this season Zimmer would t be surprised. Even in batting practice he does t try to put on a show and go for the fences the cubs manager said. He just hits the Ball where it s before moving to the cubs in 1984 As their Man Ager and now their general manager after a season in the radio Booth Frey was inc mels Balling coach who supervised inc Rookie development of Dairy Strawberry. Now he s watching Palmeiro develop. Rafael s smart and he can adjust Fry said. He studies pitchers. He knows situations. He knows inc count. Hell be very consistent. Hell hit for a High average and hell hit for but unlike some Contact hitters who try to limit i hair strike oils Palmeiro swings hard. "1 Don t want to be the Type of Hilter who Jusi loops hits in he said recently. I Don t care if my average goes Down to .280. I want to be the Lype of Hitler who drives in some runs and hits some Home runs to help this team he had five homers through thursday. Bul while batting .276 last season after having joined the cubs in june from their Iowa farm team he hit 14 homers in Only 221 Al Bals a ratio thai would produce about 32 homers Over Soo times Al bal Wilh the cubs struggling to slay above Soo. Palmeiro has been hitting second lately. Not Long ago he was batting cleanup behind Andre Dawson. Bul i told Zimmer said thai just because he a Hilling fourth i did e want him to change his style and go for Home even As a teen acer Palmeiro s style prompted the mels in 1982 to draft him out of Jack son High school in Miami in the eighth round. We liked him very much recalled Joe mall Vaine the mets executive vice president for baseball pc rations. He s a natural Hitler. He s got a great fluid swing. And hell always have that. At the time we offered him a Bonus of $25,000 or $30,000, i forget which bul his parents wanted him to go to College. And the Mississippi stale coach Ron Polk is the Best Salesman of All the College in College Palmeiro was a Lea male of will Clark the giants first baseman and Bobby Thig pen the right hander for the Chicago White sox. Clark was inc visible vocal Star of those cams. And Clark had More Frey said. Bul Palmeiro was always a Good twins facing athletics in test of Best in West the mets Howard Johnson slides under the cubs so won Dutton thursday night. By the associated press scoreboard Oakland at Minnesota today. The second place twins stood nine games behind the athletics in the american league West through thursday. If the world series champs Hope to repeat they must maintain their recent hot Pace this weekend Bert Blyly Ven 3-5, was 2-0 against the athletics last season and is 18-17 lifetime. Bob Welch 8-2, pitches against Oakland for the firs time stats Bruce Hurst is 5-1 at Fen Way Park this season. His career total of 48 victories at Fenway ties him for fourth place with Bill Lee on Boston s All time list for left handers. Mel Parnell is first with 71, followed by lefty Grove Wilh 55 and babe Ruth with 49. Stats extra the new York mels have scored in six of nine extra innings they be played this season cover ing four extra i nning games All wins. Streaks Tom Brunansky of St. Louis went 2 for 5 thursday night against Philadelphia to extend his hitting Streak to in games inc longest in inc National league this season swings Jeff Pico s Complete game tuesday against Cincinnati was the Chicago cubs 10th this season. Chicag Ohad 1 Fin 1987. Slumps Danny Tartabull of the royals is hit less in his last 17 at bats with runners in scoring position since May in. Sayonara George Rick Bay executive vice president and chief operating officer of the new York Yankees said thursday he is leaving the team to join a new to production company Star Bright group inc., in Westport baseball on an radio Baxi Bull Montreal at Pittsburgh . Sunday Conn. Saves Frank Dipino of the cubs has stranded All 14 runners that he has inherited. Steals Tim Raines of Montreal recently caught stealing on consecutive attempts has never been thrown out three limes in a Row. Status shortstop Jose Uribe whose wife died wednesday was place Don the 15-Day disabled list by san fran Cisco because of emotional distress. The giants recalled infielder matl Williams and Catcher Kin manworing from Phoe Nix of inc Pacific Coan league and optioned Catcher Bob Mclvin to Phoenix. The Angels optioned shortstop Gus Polidor to Edmonton of the 1 cd an purchased the contract of third baseman Joe Redfield from the trap pers. Houston activated Catcher Mark Bailey and optioned Joaquin Andujar to Tucson of the pc scouting buddy Biancalana homered and drove in three rum a Omaha royals beat Pawtucket red sox. 8-4 thursday night and swept a double header. Speaking i was four for four on that play before tonight. I m four for five now. This is the first Lime it did t manager Don Zimmer of the cubs on Why he put on a hit and run play Wilh the bases loaded and one out in the 12th inning of thursday night s game against the mets who won 2-1
