European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 6, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 22 the stars and stripes thursday october 6.1988 mets traded for steal of Century of i to new York times i hear the mels arc calling in the steal of Ilic Century " said John sch Urchol the general manager of the Kansas City royals who made inc Deal. Well considering to it s turned out so far \ suppose that s a fair assess Here s How it turned out the royals desperate for a Catcher a year ago last Spring. Irad cil a Rookie Pitcher to the mils for de 11 earn the Reserve Catcher on the mets 1986 championship team. Ene it Tor a few games Hearn has t caught Lor us at All Schuerholz said. He s been Hurt since we Gol the Rookie Pitcher who a Cal to inc mils in Exchange was David Cone. Vie has won 20 Grimes and lost 3 this season. He leads the National league with a win Ning percentage of .870, he is second with an earned Nin average of 2.22, and he ranks second to Nolan Ryan with 213 strikeouts. Lie has pitched a on Hilter a two hit Ter and five shutouts he has won eight successive games and has not lost since aug. 17. He throws four pitches with com Mand a fastball that s almost As fast As Dwig lil Gooden s. A curve Ball a Slider and a split fingered fastball. He fires All four Ith a mix of motions including the which comes from Down Al the age of 25, just seven years out of Rockhurst High in Kansas City he is one of he skyrockets of the season. Darcy Johnson says he s been my Best Pitcher All Cone who has just completed his first full season in the big leagues is scheduled to pitch the second game of he playoff for the National league Pennant on wednesday night against the loan Geles dodgers. He also is widely ranked As one of the three leading candidates in the league for the. By Young award along with Orel harsh scr of the dodgers and Danny Jackson of the Cincinnati reds. Danny Jackson did t he come up through the royals farm system with Cone he did. But he was traded to the reds this year and he also might be called a steal of sorts. He has won 23 games and lost 8 and pitched six shutouts and 15 Complete games. The royals traded him to get a Short Slop Kurt Stillwell and a Relief Pitcher Ted Power who was later traded to the Detroit tigers what s going on Well Stillwell is a Guy who made the All Star team at shortstop Schuerholz said. I d make that Trade again Tomor Row i said when we made it that Danny would win 20 with the so. Now the royals have inc distinction of having traded Cone and Jackson who have won 43 games and lost 11 be tween them and who Are rivals for the by Young award. Ill Tell you How we traded David Cone Schuerholz said. We liked him a Tot. But we had a wealth of pitching Tal ent and a dearth of catching Talent to was our judgment based on an evaluation of scouts notably Tom Furrick that de Hearn had filled in for Gary Carter very Well when Carter was disabled late in the 19s6 season. So we made inc Deal for me to Tell you hat we knew he d perform this Well this Early would t be True. He blossomed we knew Kansas City needed it Catcher said Frank Cashen the general manager of the mets and we had Eddie Fitsam. I d like to Tell you that we were that Brilliant but we looked into their system for a Pitcher. You know my philosophy if you Don l know what you want take when he was traded to the mils on March 27 last year. Cone was shocked they had the deepest pitching staff in baseball and no Job vacancies. But the same week he arrived Roger Mcdowell underwent surgery for a her Nia and Gooden entered dog therapy so Cone made the staff. One month later. Dob Ojida underwent Elbow sur Gery and Cone made the starting Rota lion. Three weeks later he was trying to bunt a Ball in san Francisco and inc Ball crashed against his right Little Finger. Three pins were inserted into the Finger and he did t pitch for 2vi months. But when he Gol Back to work he pitched like a Whiz. He was still the no. 6 Man in a five Man rotation. But after Rick Aguilera came Down with a sore Elbow last april the no. 6 Man became no. 5. And now 35 slam later he s no. 1. I m still learning Cone said. I never did want to set caught up in the hoopla of winning 20 games or winning the by Young award. I m Happy with whatever happens. This is my first full year in the big leagues. I be got to prove that i m no Flash in the pan. This is the Best i be Ever pitched in pro Ball. I d have to say inc reason is that 1 developed the split fingered fastball and it let me change speeds much More he s no Flash in the pan said Gary Carter his Catcher. He s genuine. The reason he gels so Many strikeouts is that great Slider. And he comes from so Many Levels like the Laredo. But even if two of his four pitches Aren t working he still has two More. And he s throwing inc fastball in he 90s All the my from Page 17 ing on the next pitch. Kirk Gibson playing with an inflamed hamstring moved sax to third with n grounder and Marshall followed with a single that fell in front of Strawberry in right Field Al first it appeared that Strawberry might have a play on Marshall s slicing Lirar. But he pulled up sever Al feet before the Ball landed a few Yards from Ine foul line. Marshall had four hits in Sci n Al bats against Gooden this season and was 7-for-26 lifetime. The dodgers added a run in the seventh when Mike Scioscia led off with a double moved to third on a grounder and scored on Alfredo Griffin s single. Griffin a .190 Hitler suffered a broken wrist earlier this season when he was hit by a Gooden fastball on May 21. The mils had a Chance to get an Early Lead in the game. With one Oul in the ton of the first Jeff cries hit a hard single into right Field Lizul on a Hil Atid gunplay Hernandez hit a hard liner right Al sax and Jeff cries was easily doubled off first. The mils threatened again in inc third when Carter led off with an infield single and moved la second on Wally Backman s sacrifice. After Gooden struck out Mooko Wilson 10-for 28 lifetime against harsh scr singled hard to right Field. Carter slopped at third As Marshall rifled the Ball Home. Hershiser Ihnn ended the threat retiring Jeff cries for inc Only time in the game by getting him to hit a weak grounder Back to the Mound. Harsh scr retired nine straight waiters until Jefferiss and Hernandez singled with iwo outs in the sixth. But Hershiser got Strawberry to ground out to first to end the inning. During inc regular season the mets won 19 games in their final Al bal and 26 times scored the winning run from the seventh inning on. Thai s inc kind of year we have had i was just waiting for us to come Back mels manager Davey Johnson said. Lasorda has hinted Hershiser May Pilch two More games in Llic series if it goes to seven games. Hershiser s last defeat was a 2-1 setback by the mets at dodger stadium aug. 24. He allowed seven Hils in thai game and led 1-0 until the mets scored twice in the eighth. Game 2 of the bust of seven series was scheduled for wednesday night Al dodger stadium. The mels were to Send David Cone 20-3, against Rookie Tim Belcher 12-6. Mets Darryl Strawberry Kevin Mcreynolds right. Celebrate after scoring in 9lh Howell satisfied with losing pitch los Angeles a Ace reliever Jay Howell thought he made inc Pilch thai would Complete tues Day night s opener of the National league championship series. He was right. I made the Pilch i thought would win in for us and i came up empty Howell said after the mils trailing 2-1, beat inc dodgers 3-2 on Gary Carter s two run Bloop double Wilh to wools in inc top of the ninth inning. I be got to give these Guys credit ii was a Pilch Down and away 1 did what i wanted to do Wilh Carter s broken Bat hit came on an 0-2 Pilch and scored Darryl Strawberry from second base and Kevin Mcreynolds from first Randy Myers retired the dodgers in order in he Bottom of the ninth to Complete the comeback. Dodgers Center fielder John Shelby made a dive for the game winning hit but failed to come up Wilh it and the Ball dribbled a Short Way away. I Felt in hit my Gloyce and 1 missed in Shelby said. "1 knew he did t hit in hard. If 1 think 1 can catch the Ball i m going to dive for it. When he hit in i thought 1 had a Good Chance so 1 by the Lime Shelby recovered and threw Home. To Reynolds was just strides from the palc. He banged into Mike Scioscia a second before the Ball arrived. I made the Best play that could 1 tried to catch it. I can live Wilh in Shelby added. Scioscia called the decisive Pilch to Carter a breaking Ball Down and away a Good one and gave inc Veteran new York Catcher credit Gary did a Good Job gelling his bal on in Doscia said. It s a break for them no doubt. He Howell struck out Howard Johnson Wilh breaking balls and came Back with breaking balls to Shelby s throw Home kind of died a Little bit Scioscia said. "1 thought it had More on it at first. It was a Lille off line. I had already co milled myself when Mcreynolds hit me Losi in the wild finish was inc outstanding game pitched by dodgers starter Orel harsh scr who had completed the regular season Wilh a record 59 consecutive scoreless innings. Harsh scr continued his Mastery tuesday blanking the mels through 8w innings. But he left the game after Strawberry s one out double scored Gap Jefferiss 10 break the shutout Streak and pull the mets within a run. You could t Pilch a much belter ballgame than Orel pitched tonight Scioscia said. I think he got a Little tired Al the harsh scr did t second guess dodgers manager Tom Lasorda for Laking him out it was the right move for sure. You go to the Bull pen Hershiser said. I was t the right Guy for the
