European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 5, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 28 the stars and stripes sports saturday february 5,1994ill hit apm Michael Jordan shown at a 1993 softball game will find people playing hardball at the White sox training  planned Chicago up a retired basketball superstar Michael Jordan will put his baseball skills on display for the Media but not the Public at a workout and news conference monday in Chicago. Jordan reportedly has ordered a shipment of bats and has asked for number 45 to be assigned to him if the White sox sign him rather than the 23 he wore during his Stellar career with the bulls. White sox general manager Ron Schueler said last week he is leaning toward signing Jordan who has said hell play a year in the minors if the sox feel he has major Mcgue potential and will make a decision shortly. By Shirley Povich the Washington Post ambitious Michael Jordan not Only is flirting with the idea of playing major league baseball he will be in the White sox training Camp this month Bent on becoming their designated hitter or maybe playing right Field. A ,.a judgment of Jordan a Prospect for Success in the new Field he has chosen is not being withheld Here. It is being expressed with a taunt with the two most loaded words in the lexicon of the sceptics a Good  when he is up there at the plate with a Bat in his hands Jordan will discover that his rare basketball skills Are less than useless. Its a different game far different. Baseball ainu to hoops with that stationary Basket 10 feet off the floor and an easy target that can be negotiated by the 6-foot-6 Jordan. Not so that pitched Ball which can Duck and fall and curve and swerve and whoosh past your Bat. A hitting a baseball is the most difficult thing in  that statement was authored by Ted Williams difficult even for the greatest hitter of his Era. It is fair that Michael Jordan should be alerted. Consider the Outlook for a 30-year-old basketball player who Hasni to played baseball since he was a kid of 16 and wants now to join the top of the profession. There a a Gap Between kid Ball and big league pitching. Air Jordan with his swivelling and leaping was a Catchy phrase that earned Michael justifiable Fame and enormous contracts from Nike but in baseball language a air Jordan will mostly describe his Baths encounters with the Ozone. His presence at the plate could be a metaphor for a strikeout waiting to happen. Has a magnificent body that breathes Power but his size will hold no terror for the delighted pitchers who will Welcome him As the designated hitter. One recollection is the time Whitey Ford first glimpsed 6-7 Frank Howard pounding pitches into the seats in batting practice. Was Whitey impressed not the calculating Little left hander of the Yankees. A jeez what a strike zone a Ford noted. For All his vaunted Power Howard never hit .300 in his 15-year career and justifying Fords assessment he was a league leading strikeout victim. Jim Hannan now a successful vice president of Dean Witter Reynolds inc., threw one of the american leagues Best fastballs in a 10-year career with the senators. He says he would be amazed if Jordan could hit big league pitching. A if he Hasni to played Ball in 14commentary years id love to pitch to him a Hannan said. A it would be like pitching to another Pitcher you Down  first thing Hannan said a a in a throw one under his Chin just to give him thought or id dig him in the ribs. Wed pitch him inside to keep him off balance and then feed him a breaking  pitchers Are plotters sneaky with their tricks like Whitey Ford and his dry spitter connected by a Good roughing of the surface of the Ball in the dirt. Quot or a Hannan said a some of the Guys would make it a mud Ball by working up enough saliva to mix with the dirt and it would drop off the  some of them would hide a Little Stuckum in the Tongue of their baseball shoe and apply it to the Ball As necessary to discombobulated the hitter. Another common weapon the change up leaving the hitter to swing at a Ball that Isnit there yet. All of these things could put Michael Jordan in therapy. Ted Williams in de Linn a Fine Book a the hitter a declares that a it is when the pitch is 15 or 16 feet away from you that you decide to  that pitch is sometimes arriving at 90 Mph or verging on a Devilish drop or curve and requires Quick Bat experience that is not Learned on the basketball court. Jordan Isnit the first famous pro basketball player to turn to baseball. Gene Conley of the Boston celtics mixed basketball with baseball and played big league Ball for 11 seasons. But Conley was smart to elect pitching As his chosen profession scorning the Bat. Jordan will learn its not like trying to hit something affixed to a backboard. This recalls an episode when buddy Lewis the senators third baseman  buy a hit in Spring training after batting .317 in 1937. He was moaning to everybody about the futility of his hitting. A a a a. A. A. Whereupon the pro at the Orlando Golf club offered to help Lewis demonstrating and saying a look its just like the Golf swing its All in the  Lewis rejected the analogy saying a yeah but that Damn baseball wont hold still for  that is something for Michael Jordan to consider. Even Gene Lamont the White sox manager has quantified Jordan a bid to become a major leaguer. He is calling it a million to one shot. The Only certainty is that Jordan a could be a learning experience better avoided. To miss 3 months Atlanta apr Atlanta Brave left fielder Ron Gant who signed a $5.5 million contract last week for the 1994 season will be out at least three months after breaking his right leg in a Motorbike Accident a team physician said Friday. Gant underwent 2vi hours of surgery thursday night at Atlanta a Piedmont Hospital for a compound fracture of two Bones in his lower right leg. The surgery was performed by braves physicians or. Joe Chandler and or. Carl Fackler said Jim Schultz the clubs director of Public relations. Gant will be out at least three months but he should have a full recovery Chandler said Early Friday after the operation. A it is highly unlikely hell miss the entire season a Chandler said. A it is not Likely to be a career threatening  Chandler said the break was a compound fracture of the Fibula and Fibula Bones. He said he inserted a Rod Down the Fibula from the knee to just above the ankle. Gant will be in the Hospital five to seven Days and then a Short cast will be put on his leg Chandler said. A a he la be on crutches for a while a he said. A the was conscious when he came in and in Good spirits a said Schultz from the Hospital. Brave officials did not know details of the Accident but David Rubinstein a Friend who accompanied Gant to the hos vital said it occurred thursday in Chero be county a Northern suburb of Atlanta where Gant was Riding a dirt Bike on private property. The braves open Spring training in less than three weeks. Gant hit .274 with 36 Home runs 117 runs batted in and 26 stolen bases last season and received a nearly $2 million raise from the $3.7 million he earned in Olerud accepts 15th-richest Deal 1993. Gant 28, and a Friend were named last saturday in a lawsuit accusing them of conspiring to have sex with two teen age girls on Christmas eve in Victoria Texas. Gantus Hometown. Gant and Stephen Gaskin 27, Are also under criminal investigation in connection with the alleged incident with the girls aged 15 and 16, said Victoria county District attorney George Finley Iii. Bernard Klimist a Victoria attorney representing Gant released a statement denying the allegations. The Case was to go before a grand jury Friday. New York a John Olerud who led the american league in hitting last year jumped into the top 15 in salary thursday while Norm Charlton Jody Reed and Henry Cotto found new teams. Olerud who hit .363 last season with 24 homers and 107 Bis agreed to a $17 million three year contract. The Deal has an option for 1997 that if exercised would give the first baseman $22.5 million Over four years. The. Deals annual average value of $5,666,667 is the 15th baseball signings highest in the major leagues but Olerud said he and his wife Kelly were trying to be Low key. A fall Winter Long we be just been working on our House Down Here a he said from his Home in Phoenix. A a we la have a Nice evening at Home and in a sure Well do something to celebrate. I done to have any big plans for any big  with the Start of Spring training just two weeks away Charlton signed with Philadelphia Reed signed with Milwaukee and Henry Cotto signed with Baltimore. The orioles also signed Rene Gonzales and Mark Williamson and the Minnesota twins signed reliever Jeff Innis Charlton a 31-year-old Lethander joins a bullpen where he will compete with Doug Jones As closer. The Phillies dealt Mitch Williams to Houston for Jones after Williams gave up the world series winning Homer to Toronto a Joe Carter. In arbitration Cincinnati and Catcher Joe Oliver argued be fore Reginald Alleyne in los Angeles. Oliver who made $1.2 million last season was seeking $2.5 million while the reds were offering $1.85 million. Reliever Rich Rodriguez and the marlins settled before their scheduled hearing at $700,000, More than double his $265,000 salary last year. Pitcher John Burkett and the san Francisco giants settled late thursday night. 7 even players remain in arbitration which runs through feb. 18. Two hearings were scheduled for Friday. John Olerud Fite photo