European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 7, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday june 7. 1992 the stars and stripes a Page 25 late recognition brings Relief to to sox s Reardon baseball 92 by Jim Donaghy a baseball writer Jeff Reardon is closing in on Rollie fingers All time saves record. It does no to necessarily mean hell be considered the Best reliever Ever though. Even Reardon knows that. A a it a actually about time that people started talking to me even about this record a Reardon said this week during Bostons West coast trip. A everybody wants to talk to me now but there Wasny to really anybody talking about it in Spring training. So i think a lot of people doubted that i could even do it this year. In a not saying its done but hopefully its going to get  Reardon entered a weekend series at Fenway Park against Cleveland with 339 career saves two shy of tying fingers. Fingers was elected to the Hall of Fame last Winter and someday May be followed by fellow relievers Reardon Lee Smith Rich Gossage and Dennis Eckersley. The Best reliever right now most would probably say Eckersley. He a 20 for 20 in save opportunities this season. A i done to think they consider me the same Type of reliever As Eckersley nowadays a Reardon said. A Eckersley is a great Pitcher and a great reliever. But in be been doing it for a Little longer than he has. In a not taking anything away from Dennis because i think he a  Eckersley began his career with Cleveland As a starter and is the Only Pitcher in major league history with 100 saves and 100 wins. He also pitched a no hitter while with the indians. He became a reliever with Oakland in 1987, and already has 208 saves. Eckersley put together perhaps the Best season Ever by a reliever in 1990 when he had More saves 48 than baserunners allowed 45. His Era that season was 0.61. Reardon holds or shares save records for three different teams Montreal 41minnesota 42 and Boston 40. He says he May have been Hurt in the eyes of the fans by timing and location. A i think it May have been Montreal playing six years in Canada a Reardon said. A Aback then i was getting saves like say Rollie fingers was getting. If you had 23 saves you had a great year. I had four years of 21, 23, and i was doing just As Well As any reliever in the big leagues. A but i think that maybe playing up there people Arentt going to follow you As much. Playing in Minnesota probably helped me because we went to the world series and people recognize you right  Reardon has always been fairly consistent but not dominating like Gossage and Smith. Gossage and Smith just blow the hitter away. Smith has 326 career saves and will be chasing Reardon soon for the All time record. A i saw Rollie recently and he told me i better keep going because big Leeds right behind me a Reardon said. A Trollie is the one who opened the door for  a i done to think 400 saves is out of reach because of the Way in a pitching this year and the fact that in a healthy. I think in a getting to be a better Pitcher every year As far As mixing it up and i feel i can pitch until in a 40. That a my  since fingers and Reardon came along Relief pitching has become even More specialized. John Franco and Eckersley usually pitch Only one inning a when their teams Are leading. A Tony la Russa is very careful How in a used and i realize that a Eckersley said. A i think the whole thing is crazy a said giant reliever Dave Righetti who has 251 lifetime saves. A Billy Martin used Cit Reardon right is two saves away from being congratulated for tying a record. Up Flo to bring me in the fifth inning. I had four or five years of abuse and i lost four or five Miles an hour off my fastball. But this business of everyone worrying about their save percentage is  met manager Jeff Torborg even likes to break his assignments Down to innings. Paul Gibson or Tim Burke for the sixth and seventh Jeff Innis for the eighth and Franco to finish. It does no to always work out that Way. A maybe if you be got a perfect staff a starters who consistently give you innings solid Middle Guys and an Eckersley Fine. But otherwise a manager should use the staff the Way he secs fit that Day and not worry about one Man being the designated closer a san Francisco manager Roger Craig said. The trend however is to come up with an effective closer. Gregg Olson Bryan Harvey Rick Aguilera Bobby Thigpen Tom Henke Jeff Russell Rob Dibble and Norm Charlton All  s on Pace for impossible 62 by the associated press every so often a Guy hits a lot of homers Early in the season and All sorts of comparisons Are made. This season Mark Mcgwire is the one who a being linked to babe Ruth and Roger Maris. Projections Are usually pretty useless. But for those who Are interested Mcgwire entered the weekend on a Pace to hit 62 homers. He hit his 21st on Friday. Will Mcgwire hit 60 homers this season probably not. As a Rookie in 1987, Mcgwire was on a Pace to hit 60 homers for a while until slumping the last two months of the season. He finished with 49 Home runs Tor a Rookie record. A i think the Strain of All the Media attention really caught up with me in August a Mcgwire said. A when i think about it the time the demands the people who wanted to talk to me doing a radio show a to interview a newspaper interview Odds and ends that people want your time for it took a toll and caught up with  Mcgwire hit Only three homers in August 1987 after enduring a 14-game, 9-for-50 slump that started july 27. It was a pressure that Maris knew too. Marisa hair literally fell out in the final Days of his Ruth Chase although he kept getting Good pitches to hit. On a Yankees team that hit a record 240 homers including Mickey mantles 54, pitchers did no to have much room to Man Euver. Maris broke Ruth a 1927 record of 60 on the final Day of 1961, the first season of the 162-game schedule. Hack Wilson a 56 homers in 1930 Are the most Ever in the no. Among those who chased Ruth a record was Ralph Kiner who won or shared seven no Home run titles. Fie hit 54 in 1949 and 51 in 1947 for Pittsburgh. A i did no to think Ruth a record was realistic a said Kiner a broadcaster for the mets since 1962. A i was really after the a notes tonal league record More than anything  Kiner said he got a lot of mail most of it negative during the seasons he came closest to Ruth. Many of those letters told Kiner he would ruin baseball if he hit 60. A a it a amazing How revered that record is a Kiner said. A but i thought it was  even in an Era of stronger sluggers such As Cecil fielder Jose Canseco and Fred Mcgriff and livelier baseballs the magic Home run number of 60 remains a mystifying Mark. Canseco thinks he might be Able to reach 50 homers and 50 steals in a season. He a much less optimistic however about 60 homers. A a it a impossible a said Canseco who hit 42 homers for Oakland in 1988. A Mark my words it will never be done. Everybody has at least one Good  in 1990, fielder hit two Home runs at Yankee stadium on the final Day of the season to finish with 51. The 50-Homer Milestone has been accomplished 18 times by 11 different players. Ruth did it four times in a 154-game schedule the first coming in 1920 when he hit 54 homers. A sixty Home runs can to be done now a said Mike Schmidt who won eight Home run titles with the Phillies. A the pitching is too Good. The travelling is  slam City Eddie Murray hit his 16th career grand slam tuesday night to tie babe Ruth Hank Aaron and Dave Kingman for fifth on the All time list. The Leader is Lou Gehrig with 23. Murray is 5 for 6 with 15 Bis when batting with the bases loaded this season and 76 for 180 lifetime with 235 Bis. The mets hit grand slams in two straight games Bobby Bonilla and Murray. No National league team has Ever hit grand slams in three consecutive games. The Milwaukee Brewers nit grand slams in the first three games of the 1978 season Sixto Lezcano Gorman Thomas and Cecil Cooper. After needing 5,191 at bats to hit his first grand slam last Friday Kirby Puckett needed Only 23 to hit his second on wednesday. Did y of notice Terry Pendleton a game winning Homer for Atlanta off Mitch Williams was the first off a Philadelphia Pitcher in 84 innings. Oakland a Mike Moore ended a personal 10-game losing Streak against Boston. Baltimore Rookie Jelt Tackett who went a stretch of five years in the minors without a Home run hit his third of the season tuesday. Philadelphia a Darren Daul ton was 0 Tor 19 lifetime against Atlanta a John Smoltz when he hit a two run Homer in the first inning of the Phillies 4-1 Victory. Nick Esasky who Hasni to played in the major leagues in Over two years because of vertigo reported Friday to the braves farm club at Richmond to begin a 20-game rehabilitation assignment