Sunday, March 21, 1999
BASEBALL INSIDER
Muscle and Fitness or Baseball Weekly?
BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Following the Detroit Tigers has been a lively pursuit this spring. Japanese pitcher Masao Kida has commanded steady attention, and the final days of Tiger Stadium already has given Detroit's season a commemorative quality.
Moreover, watching the Tigers means seeing rookie Gabe Kapler play.
Most of you don't know Kapler yet. If he's like a lot of prospects, you never will. But his spectacular Grapefruit League performance has changed the “ifs” surrounding his arrival in Detroit to “when.” It also has generated trade speculation regarding Brian Hunter, who's blocking Kapler's path in center field.
Kapler hasn't just excelled. He has wowed spectators and scouts. In a five-day span last week, he homered off veteran Texas pitchers John Burkett and Mike Morgan, homered and made an unbelievable catch against the Reds and threw out an Atlanta runner at home plate.
The 23-year-old was a 57th-round draft pick, somebody who never should have survived Single-A. He's a dedicated weightlifter who has appeared on the covers of bodybuilding magazines.
Kapler's spring efforts and his performance at Double-A Jacksonville last year (.322, 28 homers and a Southern League-record 146 RBI) have bolstered his confidence.
“If I don't get a hit the rest of the spring, I still believe I'm ready,” he said. “I think I can hit at this level. And I think I can play defense at this level.”
He did both in a one-inning span against the Reds last Tuesday. After belting a two-run homer off Pete Harnisch, Kapler ran full speed into the Joker Marchant Stadium wall to grab Michael Tucker's drive. The collision knocked Kapler to the ground, but he quickly righted himself.
“He got up like nothing happened,” said an amazed Tigers second baseman Frank Catalanotto.
“I wasn't sure he could play center field, but after that play, I've changed my mind,” said a Tigers coach who requested anonymity.
Kapler received the stamp of legitimacy from none other than Hall of Famer Al Kaline, one of the team's television analysts.
“He has unbelievable work habits, the best I've ever seen in an outfielder,” Kaline said. “He's going to will himself into being a big star. He's really mentally tough. A lot of guys have a lot of ability, but not all of them are mentally tough. And the game of baseball is probably more mental than anything else.
“He's not smooth. But he gets to a ball. Whether he can play in a really big ballpark, I don't know yet. But I wouldn't bet against him. He's just an unbelievable kid. I wish I was his agent.”
OK WITH KONERKO: After declaring at the beginning of spring that he wanted to play 120 games or so at first base, Chicago White Sox slugger Frank Thomas now says he's comfortable as the designated hitter.
Guess who's the leading candidate to replace Thomas at first? Paul Konerko, the overhyped prospect whom the Reds traded last November for center fielder Mike Cameron. Konerko batted .400 with two homers and 10 RBI in his first nine games and grabbed an edge in the competition with Mario Valdez and Jeff Liefer.
“Paul needs to be on the field, too,” Thomas told The Chicago Tribune. “It'll all work out.”
NOT-SO-SILENT SPRING: Last Sunday, New York Mets reliever Turk Wendell threw a pitch that hit Derek Bell on the left forearm. Everybody assumed that was in retaliation for Bell's antics last Sept.16, when he hit a game-winning homer against the Mets in the 11th inning and stood at home plate yelling, “Oh, my God.”
Anyway, Bell ordered Houston pitchers to defend him. Bob Scanlan dutifully threw a pitch behind Wendell's head an inning or two later. The next inning, Wendell flung a fastball under outfielder Richard Hidalgo's chin.
“I wanted them to know I wasn't going to take that,” Wendell said. “That's old-fashioned baseball. That's the way I should be.”
HURRY BACK, JOE: Manager Joe Torre's disappearance from the New York Yankees scene as he recovers from prostate cancer surgery may have robbed the organization of a necessary buffer from owner George Steinbrenner.
Said one club executive, “There's no one here to say "no' to George. It's scary.”
Steinbrenner became unusually budget-conscious after losing salary arbitration cases to shortstop Derek Jeter and relief ace Mariano Rivera. The Boss ordered two Yankees officials and the team's Florida advance scouts to go home, rather than pay their spring-training expenses.
And Steinbrenner's sudden thriftiness may force Darryl Strawberry, who's also recovering from cancer, to remain in extended spring training longer than he wants. Once Strawberry, who signed a minor-league contract, officially rejoins the major-league roster, the Yankees will get hit with an additional $800,000 in payroll “luxury” tax.
RUMOR MILL: The Arizona Diamondbacks need right-handed relief help. They asked Detroit about Doug Brocail or Todd Jones, but the Tigers reportedly wanted more than left-hander Brian Anderson.
• If the Cleveland Indians don't keep Orel Hershiser, as is widely assumed, Detroit, Florida, Philadelphia and Tampa Bay could provide a home for the veteran right-hander.
QUICK PITCHES: Rickey Henderson, the Mets' new leadoff hitter, was 1-for-20 at one juncture this spring. But, he pointed out, “This stuff doesn't go on the bubble-gum card.”
• Former Reds reliever Jeff Brantly was asked if he was working on some troublesome pitches after yielding seven hits and seven runs Wednesday. “Yeah. I was working on getting ripped,” said the ever-candid Brantley, now with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Sports Stories
Bullpen battle tightens
White Sox have interest in Fordyce
REDS NOTEBOOK
Rangers 5, Reds 4
