European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 20, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 26 baseball �?T91, and stripes wednesday february 20,1991 Spring questions a a. A. A a. A. A. A provide answers for Winter blahs a a by Ben Walker a baseball writer the Best thing about Spring training this year is that there is a Spring training. Skirting thursday. Baseball leaves the boardrooms and returns to where it belongs or the Fields of Florida and Arizona. When pitchers and catchers report is there any sweeter phrase a these will be the sounds of Spring the crack of the Bat and the chatter of ballplayers not last years Clamp of locks and Clang of chains t his week the stories will Start trickling in irom Vero Beach Clearwater and Scottsdale Sun splashed spots that come alive once a year warming Quot even the coldest Winters in Detroit and Pittsburgh. I Low will Darryl do with the dodgers does Nolan still have heat can Hershiser Mattingly Worrell and Esasky come Back Are the reds ready to repeat and can Cecil do it again is the rocket really Worth More than Jose Well Start finding some things this week like if Jim Palmer is serious and whether Gary Carter Goose Gossage and Bob Boone can catch one More ride. On through March when we see How Well Willie Mcgee Jack Clark Vince Coleman Gary Gaetti Jack Morris and Brett Butler do with new teams. Toward april Well discover whether Tim Raines Glenn Davis George Bell Tony Fernandez Fred Mcgriff and Dave Righetti can successfully change leagues. Best of All the talk will be about sluggers and southpaws not agents and accountants. The issues that caused the owners 32-Day. Lockout last season Are resolved at least for a couple of Long Road trip astros told new York Donald Fehr the head of the major league baseball players association said Friday the Union was not Likely to allow the Houston astros to leave t he Astrodome for a to n t h d u ring 1992 season. Astros chairman John Mcmullen said earlier this week that he had rented the Astrodome for the Republican convention from july 27-aug.23,1992. Mcmullen said the team either would take a month Long Road trip or play Home games at another site possibly the Louisiana super dome in new Orleans. A the Basic agreement does not permit a 30-Day Road trip a Fehr said referring to the collective bargaining agreement Between players and the 26 clubs. A a that a a change in working conditions. A i can t imagine How anybody thought that could be done without prior consultation and agreement with the players and Quot the other now its time for the More Standard Spring fare a what Rookie is Sparky Anderson touting As the next Tycobb and will Sid Fernandez lose enough weight to please the new York mets there is though a labor problem looming it be baseball these Days without one wouldst major league umpires who staged a one week Boycott of exhibition games last season Are negotiating a new contract with the american and National leagues but it appears that will be worked out before opening Day on april 8.and at least we know there will be baseball on time and on schedule. Last year the players were on the Golf course on what should be been the first Day of Spring training a a a its the first lockout invitational and who knows How Many a rounds it will last a Bob Ojeda said be it fore teeing off. That was followed by pictures of major leagues practising on Little league Fields. No one knew when it All would Start and by the time it did some of the games Charm was gone. This time everyone a spirits seem up. Baseball a Short season is a time of rebirth of optimism. Even for those who might not be so Happy in awhile like Kevin hit 21 Home runs for the Yankees As a 25-year-old. Rookie filling in for injured first baseman Don Mattingly. But this year he May get stuck hitter. A at my age id have to say do is not my favorite position a Maas said. A i done to like it but in a not going to go to Spring training huffing and puffing and try to this Spring brings a special pitching match up arranged for ageless Nolan Ryan. Create a bad resides How could anyone be Disen chanted just look at the delicious delights Only a few Days away. On March 7, the mets Start the exhibition season at Home against a bring Mem boys a Darryl Strawberry and the dodgers. In tact the mets play their first three games against los an Gerjes. On March 17, the dodgers make their first trip since-1964 to Mexico where they have a Large following. The fans surely will flock to Monterrey when in a specially planned matchup of mexican left hand ers Fernando Valenzuela starts against Milwaukee a Teddy Valenzuela Higuera. Then on april 2, a real treat. The Texas rangers will travel to Austin for a game against the University of Texas and 44-year-old Nolan Ryan will Start against his 19-year-old son Reid a freshman for the longhorns. Reid by the Way is already warming up for the assignment. The son of the halftime strikeout Leader made his collegiate debut this week in a Relief role. You guessed it a he struck out the first Batter he faced. Despite rough spots fast Lane suits Avery Atlanta a Steve Avery. A Learned a lot by Tom salad1no Atlanta apr Steve Avery the Atlanta braves no 1 draft pick in 1988, was rushed to the major league last june a and it showed. In Between flashes of brilliance a a six hit eight strikeout 3-0 Victory Over the Chicago cubs a the 2,0-Ycar-o a hard throwing left Iander going 3-11 with a 5.64 Era. A but it did Little to shake the Confidence of. The 6-foot-4, 205-Pound Young Man from Taylor mich., who added 30 pounds since graduating from High school and 10 pounds during the Winter. I know i m going to make the team in Spring training and in a looking to get off. To a Good it Start this year and get a full season in a Avery said Friday after a workout in Atlanta. He also does no to detractors who said the braves brought him up too no. I done to think it was a said Avery who was 5-5 with a 3.5 Era at Richmond of the triple a International league when the braves called Bint up on june 13 and thrust hint into the rotation replacing Pete Smith who suffered shoulder problems and missed the rest of the s the Only Way to learn 1 took my. Lumps but i Learned a Jot Quot said Avert who turned Down a baseball scholarship from Stanford to sign with the braves. 1 his year i will use what i Learned last year to my How. Fan put it into words a he said soft. It r eve grown up a Little bit. You have to reach a mature level to pitch up Here and i know i m ready to Piten Here. I know i struggled but in be done that at every level. It just was a Little longer Here but that was because it was a Little bigger step a said Avery. A i know i belong up Bobby Cox the braves manager who As general manager made Avery the third selection of the 1988 draft has Avery pencilled in As the fourth starter in his five Man rotation. At try. Equipped with a fastball in Thea a curve Ball and accomplished change up was 13-0 As a High school Sean Era and 196 strikeouts in 88 innings.1 be then went to the a a a Csc Rookie in Suejean in Pulaski and was 7-1 with a pm Era. In 1989 Avery was 6-4 at Durham in class a with a 1.45 Era then jumped to Greenville of class a a where he was 6-3 with a 2.77 Era. Following the 1989 season baseball America tabbed Avery As one of its �?o10 or the 199 so and Only one of two players the other was Texas Ruben Sierra among a hot of people a that will influence baseball in the next decade.�?�. A Ayery was among a group of Atlanta pitchers attending pitching coach Leo s a operation i Lead Start a
