European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 3, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 22 the stars and stripes monday. April 3,1989 opening Day 89 first fan readies Heafer for first Start by the associated press yep. Everyone is ready even he first fan. President Bush a former baseball player Al Vale University will throw the first pitch today in Balti More. His Texas Friend. Nolan Ryan suggested Bush go with a fastball. Vou gel More of an Owooh if you heave it Over the Catcher so head instead of going with the fast breaking Deuce into the Din Bush said. The traditional season opener has the world so Ries Champion los Ang Csc dodgers Al Cincinnati an judo 8 05 . Cart. Orel Hershiser was scheduled to Slan for the Dod Gers hut lie caught Lac flu and will Pilch wednesday tier shiver will be trying to i land his record of 59 consecutive scoreless innings when he pitches against the reds Tom Browning. Today. Danny Jackson pitches for Cincinnati against Tim Belcher. In other openers in the National league today. St. Louis visits new York and san Francisco is at san Diego. In the american league. Boston visits Baltimore. Toronto is at Kansas City Milwaukee visits Cleveland and Seattle plays the a sat Oakland. Jackson was 23-8 last season and was runner up to harsh Serin the no by Young award voting. It was the most victories by an no Pitcher who did t win the by Young since san Francisco s Ron i Tryam won 24 games in 1973 and was beaten by Tom Seavor the reds have finished second in the my West each of the past four seasons and fee they need a Good Start to win in 1989, As for Llie dodgers they have a new Rigil Side of the infield with Eddie Murray at first and Willie Randolph at second. We have a set lineup and t think better than we were lust year dodgers manager Tom Lasorda said. But Tell cer body we re the champions now and winning will be harder because everybody will be out to beat 115," winning could be even harder if the. Dodgers have to do it without left fielder Kirk Gibson. Gibson who led the club with 25 Home runs and 76 runs batted in last season has nol recovered from the knee injury he suffered in the playoffs last october and played very Little in Spring training the reds have a very different problem Pete Rose is being investigated by the commissioner s office for serious allegations that Are reportedly linked Cincinnati manager s gambling associations. For the moment Rose is thinking about managing. We think a lot of our Guys Are going to grow up this Tim Belcher Leftin bin for 9 Euniva Tusci no Orel 1 in higher and Danny Jackson an scheduled to Start in Cincinnati Rose said. If they Don to Well probably finish second St. Louis at new York Dwight Goodwn is-9 starts for the acts against left hander Joe Magrane 5-9, league Best 2.18 Era As new York begin defense of its no East championship. The cardinals Start the car with several key injuries. Right hander Danny Cox is the season with Elbow problems and left hander Greg Mathews has a sore Arm. The mels have won 17 of their last 19 season open ers. They have not lost a Home opener since losing to Montreal in 1969. Watch Vince Coleman against the mils. He s 39 for-39 lifetime in new York. San Francisco Al san Diego Rick ecu Wocl 19-11 pitches against Eric show 16-11 As Jack Clark makes his regular sea son debut for . Reuse cd will be glad to Sec Clark Back in the no As he is Only s-for-41 .122 lifetime against the right hander. Boston at Baltimore the orioles lost their first 21 games last season and winning on opening Day this year won t be easy As Roger Clemens 18-12 pitches for the red sox against Dave Schmidt 8-5 Clemens was 4-0 last april with a 1.75 e a but tired and fell to 0-5,7,33 in August. President Bush will shake the ceremonial first pitch and Rock Star Joan jell will sing Llie National and him. Toronto at Kansas City Blue jays left hander Jimmy key 02-5 May want to pitch around the royals George Brett. Last year on opening Day. Key yielded a Home run to Brett in the first inning and did t allow another to a left handed baiter the rest of the season. Mark Gubicza 20-8 allowed five hits to Toronto first baseman Fred Mcgriff last season and three were Home runs. Toronto s George Bell started last season with four homers in his first seven Al Bals but hit Only 20 in his next 607. Milwaukee at Cleveland Don August 13-7 As a Rookie last season gets the opening Day assignment for inc Brewers against Greg Swindell 18-14swindell was 5-0 last april but lost eight straight from june 5 to july 19. The Brewers Paul Mollor is sidelined for a month after Finger surgery Seattle at Oakland Jim makes his debut As the mariners Man Ager and sends Mark Langston 15-11 against Dave Stewart 21-12. Last season left Burc was a coach for the athletics. Stewart who was 6-0 last april for the Al champions has won his last nine decisions in the first month of the season after losing the first 10 april decisions of his career. Oakland s Jose Canseco who had eight homers and 24 Bis last april will miss the first month of the season with a wrist injury. 89 s rookies live their big league dreams today associated press writer Gary Sheffield needs 10 prove himself defensively Bob Milacki can be a Lull too Fine with his pitches Mike Markcy has to work curve and Gregg Jet Ferias is still gelling used to second base. But Don t expect any of them to be on the trading Block in Iho near future. They All have the makings to be among the Bucsi rookies of the 1989 season. Sheffield and Jeffries have already proved they can hit major league pitching while Milacki and Markcy arc a pair of hard throwing right i Andurs who have worked their Way into the starting rotation. The switch Ming Jeff cries has Long been one of the most highly regarded prospects in the powerful new York met farm by Ern. He took no Lime to establish himself in the majors last season Balling .321 after being called up in a gust to spark the offence urn some work is necessary on defense and offence. Jct Ferias has shifted Between second i hard and shortstop and must find a steady position. The 21-year-old Rookie admitted that his Fielding skills have nol reached the level of his hitting. I be improved my Fielding since i was in the minor leagues but that s something i need to keep working says Juffe pics. Who has played second during Spring training. Manager Darcy Johnson remembers Jefferiss ill fated Bunting attempts in last year s says his hitting prowess in the minors May have actually worked against him. When you hit .370 you probably Haven t spent much time Bunting. Hut in the major leagues it s something iou need to be Able to do and he has to work on Milacki also broke through in style last september allowing one hit in eight innings against the Detroit tigers in his major league debut and just nine hits Overall in is innings. The Baltimore Ori Ole Prospect who in 1987 threw a no Hitler for 11 a innings while pitching for class a Charlolle. Admits to needing More experience but does t doubt his ability. "1 guess my strength is being Able to throw strikes with my fastball and Chan cup. I la throw the change up when i m behind in the count and keep the waiters manager Frank Robinson raved about the Joung Pitcher. Bob Milacki has no weakness. None. He has All the pitches. He can get them Over Al any Lime. He knows How to pitch Bui pitching coach Al Jackson was More cautious. I m sure he has other shortcomings but it la take some Lime into the season to Sec them. 1 sure Don t the Chicago cubs produced one of 1988 s Best rookies in first baseman Mark Grace and Markcy could rank just As High for the class of 89. The hard throwing right hander is concerned a boil his control i have to Stop pitching behind in the count the difference Briw can the major leagues and the minor leagues is How Well hitlers react when they know Jou have to throw a strike Allbough Markcy was win less for the cubs in five mans last september he compiled an earned run average of just 2.6d. Manager Don Zimmer liked what he saw. Recalling an Outing against the is. Louis cardinals. He threw three fastball and 0ie Smith whistled them Down the line As if hey were Chang ups. I said us of he s nol going to finish three innings. But he was smart enough 10 know he did t have his Good fastball and hell have 10 find another Way to get them out. Some Guys would have just thrown harder and been hit Sheffield the Nephew of new York acts Ace Dwight Goodwn should have Little need to cry Uncle this year. The 20 year old shortstop has hit Well wherever he s played and is coming along in the Field showing Good Range and a powerful Arm. The one question we had was How he would pc form defensively manager Tom tribe whom says. We All knew he had a Good Bat but he s matured a lot quicker defensively than we thought he might. One of the things i was most impressed with was How far he has come defensively since the first Lime i saw Sheffield performed Well defensively in place of the injured Dale Sveum last september and promises to be better this season they be always told me they want me to work on defense and it s something i be tried to work to do Sheffield says. I want 10 be a Good shortstop that s the position 1 feel most comfortable at it s the position i be played most of my
