European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 4, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday december 4, 1988 the stars and stripes Page 23 commentary baseball meetings have gone wimpy by Bud Shaw co Netri sender Atlanta trading is Down Al baseball s win Ter meetings. Hold lobbies Aren t nearly the Rumor Mills of old. Bars Here Are mocking As much Perrier As wild tur key. Once baseball men came to the Winter meetings to get a new player or five. Now the meeting Are an excuse to gel a new briefcase. Baseball has gone wimpy thrust into an Era of salad bars life cycles and cholesterol counts not to mention 50-Page contracts million Dollar salaries and no Trade clauses. I remember once when two general managers made a Teal White standing at the urinal in a hotel restroom said Philadelphia Phillies president Bill cites. I know because i was in the bathroom at the time. They were talking and one said you got a Deal t also remember Iney did t shake hands right  it s not that the Winter meeting have since be come one huge administrative paper shuffle but close. There Aren t As Many deals being made said former american league president Lee Mcphail. There s too much at stake. Too Many complications Loo Many contract problems. And you know there s not As much drinking going  Long before the Ihrck Martini lunch there was the 10-Manini Trade. Sometimes a Deal was closed at 2 . Other limes general managers even stayed up Laic. Said one baseball executive i remember working with a dub in a Public relations capacity when our general manager made a Deal at 4 . Traded a pretty Good player of ours Tor four minor leagues. Made the Deal with Detroit. Problem was he remembered who we traded but not who we got. He called me the next morning and said hey Call the tigers and get the names of those Guys will your " i remember when things got slow we d put the name of our worst player in a hat said Detroit s Jim Campbell. Me Buzzie Bav Asilee Mac Phail. There d be six or seven of us. We d draw a name. 1 put one in the Hai one Lime. I won t say who the player was. Our chief scout looked at the name and said who s that Buzzie said i m not dealing with you. Your own scout docs l even know the guy.1. Hey Bavasi said i sat in a room with John Ouinn the old Philly general manager. It was 1952. He wanted Andy Pafko. We sat for four hours and could t work in out. It got to be 11 10. I went into the bedroom undressed and got in bed John walked in and look off his pants 1 said what Are you doing he said i m getting in bed with you until i get Andy Pafko " baseball executives can almost weave a Romance a decl from those thrilling Days of yesteryear when times were simple and contracts simpler and when the last Day of the meetings meant the end of the inner league trading deadline. If teams let the Midnight Friday deadline pass in years past there was a blackout period that muted until feb. 15 when incr Leagie trading resumed until april 1. Owners and general managers could Deal within their own league until june 15 without need ing waivers on players. When the Friday Midnight deadline was abolished in 1985, learns could Deal from the end of the world series to july 31. Thai has t been the Only change. In some cases free Agency remains a Way to gel a quicker fix without having to give up a major league player in a Trade. Other element no Trade clauses agents lawyers big Money concerns have combined to curb enthusiasm for dealing at the win Ler meetings. "1 think for about the last 10-12 years free Agency has supplanted trading said Toronto general Man Ager Pat Gillies. People just Don t have the depth to replace what they have to give up in a Trade. They try to cure their ills through free Agency. And prior to 1977, most contracts were one year. That made in easier. Hey i remember the 76 Winter meetings when 1 was with the Yankees. We railed Bobby Bonds to California for Mickey Rivers and de Figueroa then sent Doc Medich to Pittsburgh for Willie Randolph Ken Brett and Doc Ellis. Thai Trade put us in business. The Yankees won the next year now everybody comes to the Winter meetings which can Here this week saying they expect Noth ing to happen. But deep Down they always think they can make the Deal that might turn their fortunes the next season. Baseball from Page 21 offer to $700,000 while the Cincinnati reds Are offer ing 11 million the associated press Learned Friday. Both offers contain incentive Bonus clauses that could raise Schmidt s salary considerably. Schmidt limited to 107 games last season because of a torn rotator cuff in Hie left shoulder was paid $2.15 million in i9s8. Philadelphia had been offering the 39-year-old third baseman a contract that contained �300,000 Guaran teed. Phillies president Bill Giles and Arthur Rosenberg Schmidt s agent said Fri Day that no new Phillies offer had yet been made. But a source Wilh knowl Edge of Philadelphia s intentions confirmed the figure. We intend to talk sunday or monday Giles said Friday. We have not made any offer and will not until we meet if Schmidt who Nav been with the Phillies since 1972, were to sign Mike Schmidt with the reds As a free agent he would play for Pete Rose a former teammate Murray Cook the reds general manager refused to confirm Cincinnati s offer. The Only thing that Murray has said on that subject is that they be had continuing talks with Schmidt and his agent reds spokesman Jim Ferguson said. The increased offer by the Phillies will be heir first in More than iwo months. Aim know is thai we Haven t really negotiated since the end of september Giles said. I wish we could have met a lot earlier than this. I would guess they arc waiting As Long As possible to see if they get any other offers. But it s hard to Tell what is going to happen Wilh this because we Aren t really sure what their position is astros deny arbitration for Ryan Houston the Houston astros will not offer free agent Pitcher Nolan Ryan an Opportunity to re main with the team through arbitration general Man Ager Bill Wood said Friday. Ryan who has turned Down contract proposals from the astros and California Angels could not be reached immediately for comment. Under league rules if the astros fail to sign Ryan by wednesday they will be unable to resume negotiations in Tumal we fed it s not in the club s Best interest for the negotiation process to be exposed to arbitration Wood said. If the astros had extended arbitration to Ryan and he accepted Ryan would have been considered signed by the astros. His final contract Hen would have been settled by an arbitrator. The astros have offered Ryan a 1-year contract believed to he for i. 15 million plus incentives. California has offered Ryan a reported is .5 million and the Texas rangers entered the bidding wednesday with a reported s1.2 million offer arbitration is not a process that can easily be programmed or determined ahead of time what s going to happen Wood said. We feel it could have disastrous results. Otherwise we would negotiate a higher figure Wilh  Wood met with the Media Friday afternoon after a scheduled i cling with Ryan failed to materialize. Unfortunately i Haven t told him Wood said. We had a meeting set up this afternoon and the meeting did t came off. Also his agent Dick Moss has t seen available Wood said he had discussed the possibility of deny ing arbitration earlier with Ryan. We talked about this several Days ago but due to personal circumstances we decided to Back off and wait Wood said. Negotiations with Ryan have been slowed because Ryan has been attending to his Mother Martha Ryan who was in an Auto Accident saturday in Alvin Texas. Wood said the astros will gala the Winter meetings in Atlanta looking for More offensive Power regardless of what happens in negotiations with Ryan. Our primary goal will be to add offence to the Ball club Wood  withdraw Hunt offer new York the St. Louis cardinals who thursday offered Bruce Hurst a three year contract for $5,1 million withdrew the offer on Friday Hurst s agent said. V / v the cardinals put a Short fuse on the offer yester Day when they made it said Nick Lampros Hurst s agent ". ,. Boston san Diego California and Toronto remain in the bidding for Hurst 18-6 last season for the red sox Wilh a 3.66 came run average. Boston is offering a three year contract for t5 Mil lion California is offering s4.9 million and Toronto and san Diego s4.7 million each. No new offers were made Friday according to Lam pros. Boston and san Diego Are believed to have the Best Chance of signing Hurst who earned $900,000 last season indians sign Agu to Cleveland Luis Aguayo signed a one year contract Worth 1275,000 with the Cleveland indians Friday Aguayo a 29-year-old Utility infielder played eight years with Philadelphia before being traded to the new York Yankees last season he hit .250 in so games with the Yankees and made $375.000. The indians have an option on Aguayo for 1990 at $325,000, in addition Aguayo can make a 125,000 Bonus each year for playing in 75 games s2 5,000 More for playing 90 games and another $2s,000 for playing lip Gates. The right handed hitter can play shortstop second and third and is expected to be the  candidate for the team s Utility infielder Job. Cleveland is awaiting responses on contract offers made to reliever Jesse Orosco and first baseman do Dave Bergman. Last season the left handed Orosco made $1 million with the los Angeles dodgers going 3-2 with nine saves and a 2.72 earned run average tie hied for free Agency after turning Down a two year contract Al 1800,000 a season. Cleveland is offering about $630,000 for next season with an option for 1990. The left handed Bergman 35, has been Wilh Detroit for five seasons he baited .294 with five Home runs and 39 Bis last season becoming the tigers starting first baseman after the All Star break. He earned $360,000. Bergman would be a backup at first base behind Rookie Luis Medina. I d like to stay in Detroit Bergman said  indians have made me a better Oiler than the tigers 1 have no objection to leaving giants will let you Blind go san Francisco the san Francisco giants have decided not to re sign free agent Joel Young blood a 13-year major league Veteran who was the team s lop Pinch hit Tenn 1988. Manager Roger Craig said thursday that the giants decided the 37-year-old was expendable because the Cam will retain another Veteran right banded hitter Catcher Bob Brenly Al general manager Ai Rosen and 1 discussed it a lot and this Way we might be Able to keep three catch ers Craig said Brenly can Pinch nil and play first base and we just think he might give us a Little More versatility than Youngblood. Youngblood s getting up in years but he s got a Gnu body and he still May be Able to play for Somcy. You hate to lose him but when you be got Young Guys on the Bench like Donell Nixon and Emesel riles they can do a lot of things for you he said. Youngwood who tiled for free Agency in november said he has retained agent Dick Moss to search for a Job with another team since learning from Rosen last week that the giants Don t want him Back. This is unfortunate because i bad some pretty successful years for them Youngbood said. The Only thing i could say to him Rosen was to Point to whal i be done. I hit .300 As a Pinch hitter last year Youngblood hit .252 Overall but was 15 for 49, ,307, As a Pinch hitter. A he Best season in six years with. San Francisco was in 1983, when he hit .292 As a regular outfielder with 17 Home Ems and 53 Bis he played previously with Cincinnati St. Louis the new York Mela and Montreal