European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 29, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Baseball no vacation in Winter leagues by David Beard san Juan puerto Rico apr groundskeeper ship dominoes Oil a card table under the grandstands. A tiny Bell announces a lonely Vendor of tropical Fla ored Paraguas a puerto rican Snow Cones. Before the empty Orange and Green seats of the stadium ballplayers sweat through wind sprints or take turns in the batting Cage in the midday Caribbean Sun. Everybody is looking for an Edge trying to bolster his lug league Hopes months ahead of Spring training. On the Field this Day san Juan metro manager Chris Chambliss hits fun goes working hard on his dream to manage in the majors. Hector Villanueva smashes batting practice pitches trying to muscle his Way into the Chicago cubs starting lineup or onto an expansion team. Oil can Boyd is pumping fastballs hoping he sen route to a second comeback from shoulder injuries. Six year minor league Veteran Dennis Springer is aiming for a longer look this Spring from the los Angeles dodgers. A  a doing everything he can but there a Only so Many big league spots. Sometimes you have to be Lucky in this game a said san Juan a third base coach Luis Isaac. He knows. Isaac 46, has spent the last 28 years catching coaching or managing in the Cleveland Indian organization nursing his major league ambitions. The same dream fuels players from the combined 25 teams in Winter leagues in the dominican Republic Mexico puerto Rico and Venezuela. Cubans league shut Down after Fidel Castro a 1959 revolution a a in a a Knuck Leball Pitcher so i just need to get consistent with it. The Way to do that is to pitch a much As 1 can a said Springer who played in Mexico and the dominican Republic the past three Winters. �?o1 stunk last year. I Only got 100 at bats a Villanueva grumbled explaining his motivation for keeping Sharp m Winter Ball. The hefty Utility first baseman who had just slammed a Homer in batting practice also wants More time catching to increase his value in the majors. To some of the Mainland . Players Winter Ball represents a Quick dose of humility a fewer Perks less Money a struggle with Spanish a rum and Palm tree vacationland atmosphere a As Phillies outfielder Wes Chamberlain put it after a subpar 1990-91 Winter in puerto Rico. S . Rookie of the year Eric Karros said his last two Winters in Venezuela were anything but vacations. Karros credits much of his summertime Success with los Angeles to the passionate latin fans and in your face reporter of Caracas. A mentally it made me much stronger because i had to struggle against a lot of adversity a the first baseman said recently. His american league Rookie counterpart Milwaukee spat Listach played last Winter for Mexico a Mazatlan squad. Of the players on the world Champion Toronto Blue jays Pat Borders Kelly Gruber de Sprague Todd Stottlemyre Mike Timlin and Derek Bell have All done Winter time in Venezuela. I he leagues however Are mainly driven by the latin players 3,744 of whom signed professional contracts from 1977 to 1991. A a a a in a always hungry to play before my people Cleveland second baseman Carlos Baerga told cheering friends and relatives on his Homecoming to puerto Rico last month. After touring Japan this front i with . All stars Baerga is preparing to rejoin san Juan a Winter team. Baerga is one of the few stars who be kept playing Winter Ball As did latin luminaries such As Juan Maricial Vic Power Ruben Gomez Orlando Cepeda Tony 1 cd Felipe Alou and Tony Oliva. Nowadays players such As Ruben Sierra buy nightclubs and Salsa record companies and Muse about $8 million contracts. Quot inactivity and Leisure with a lot of Money m tie 1992 National league Rookie of the year Eric Karros of the dodgers 23 honed his skills in the Winter leagues As Roberto Clemente Tony Cerez Jim Palmer Don Baylor and Reggie Jackson did before him. On third and there was a Fly to deep deep Rigler a Rivera said slowly his Finger tracing the flight of an image pocket is not the Best Way for a player to keep in shape Over the Winter a said Reinaldo Paniagua owner of puerto Rico a Santurce grabbers since 1976. Paniagua and Winter league officials acknowledge their limitations in an Era of big Bucks baseball. Rising crime and economic hardship have Cut attendance and teams in puerto Rico and the dominican Republic in recent years but the leagues have had to wheedle through their share of problems Over the decades. Major league scouts and former players such As new York Yankees Pitcher de Figueroa also show up As much to socialize and reminisce As to watch. During one night game German Rivera a former Yankee minor leaguer recalled coaching Santurce under managers Earl Weaver and Frank Robinson tour ing the Golden age of Winter league Ball in the 1960s and Early 1970s. In those Days he said Santurce had players such As Perez Jim Palmer Don Baylor and Reggie Jackson. At the mention of Jackson a name fans around Kic a rushed to mention the sluggers 19 homers one season. The most in puerto Rico since negro league Star Willard Brown belted 27 in 1947. Rivera just smiled and Shook his head. In his mind. Jackson was an even More powerful right fielder. "1 remember a game when Roberto Clemente was nary Ball to where Jackson had once stood in right Field. The Finger quickly sliced the air toward Home Jackson threw a strike to. The plate and got c Semente out. Clemente just stood up and stared at Jackson lie  believe it Quot the fans smiled knowingly at the irony Clemente of All people should have known. His Strong right Arm had Cut Down countless runners trying to score. Next to Rivera Jorge Calderon pointed to the dugout and recounted a fight Between the Ever determined Clemente a practically puerto Rico a Patron Saint a and the easy going cuban screwball Pitcher Mike Cuellar. A everything happens Here. In be been coming to these games since 1 was 6 years old said c Aileron straining the buttons on his Guay Abera shirt As he inhaled during a san Juan Metros game. I he 48-year-old dentist caught the baseball Bug from his fat Liei who was a teammate of negro league great Josh Gibson on a 1930s san Juan squad. From his Soltice Calderon said he can see the Klein lights of san Juan a stadium. If they re on. A i Call my wife and Tell her i won t be Home for a while a Only 8 of 153 free agents have signed a  i a i r Conni r Ltd i Coles. 30. Hit .312 for the Csc meat by Ronald Blum new York a while the big names Arentt signing the less sought Titer players Are doing deals. While Barry Bonds continued to wait Billy Hatcher re signed with the Boston red sox Friday and Darnell Coles signed with the Toronto Blue jays. That makes it eight signed players among the 153 free agents. Bonds the former Pittsburgh pirate outfielder is the most prize free agent of the of season and is expected to get a contract Worth at least $30 million Over inc Sears. The Atlanta braves new York Yankees and los Angeles dodgers Are expected to be the most interested teams but serious negotiations Haven t started. It s like everybody a sparring Quot said Bonds agent Dennis Gilbert. Quot nobody s taking full swings  Juan Guzman a agent Barry Meister said the Pitcher May not sign until next week. Meister who says he is talking seriously with seven teams originally said Guzman intended to sign by the end of the week. In the meantime Hatcher and Boston agreed to a $14 million two year Dea. Toronto and Coles agreed to a is Mil lion two year contract. Hatcher who made $1.65 million last season was acquired by Boston from Cincinnati in july for Lorn Bolton. Hatcher hit .238 in 75 games with one Home run and 23 Rols. Lie has a lifetime batting average of .263 in 1,004 major league games. Hatcher 32, gets a $100,000 signing Bonus $700,000 in 1993 and $600,000 in 1994. Lie can earn an additional $250,000 per year in performance bonuses. Boston had declined to exercise a $2.1 million option and instead paid him a $400,000 buyout c Oles 30, hit .312 for the Cincinnati reds last season with Aliice Home runs and 18 Rols in 55 games he sprained ins right ankle on aug 25 and spent the rest of the season on the disabled list. Coles has spent parts of 10 seasons in the major leagues and has a 247 average with 63 homers. His Best season was with Detroit in 1986, when lie hit .273 with 20 homers and 86 Rols. He made $395,000 last season. Under his new Deal  gels a $200,000 signing Bonus and $400,000 each for the next two seasons. He can earn an additional $100,000 a year in performance bonuses