Friday, February 27, 1998
The University Daily Kansan
Section B · Page 5
The Associated Press
TAMPA, Fla. — On a recent day ruined by yet more rain, Joe Torre was talking about the name making the biggest splash at spring training.
It did not belong to Chuck Knoblauch, David Cone or Hideki Irabu.
"They're going to make a bubble gum card — El Niño," the New York Yankees manager said.
Even before this week's deadly tornadoes, the punishing rain at the Florida and Arizona camps was attracting more attention than any player.
Wherever baseball is being played, or not being played, there are record rainfalls and cooler-than-normal conditions. The Cactus League opener Wednesday between the Anaheim Angels and Arizona State was washed out, and several games this weekend in the Sunshine State face damp forecasts.
“This is a weatherman's delight.
San Francisco manager Dusty Baker said. "They've never been as right before. We used to make fun of them, but now we check them out
every morning, and they've been right on."
The Tampa Bay Devil Rays still cannot dress at their spring stadium because heavy rain prevented repair work in the clubhouse. The Philadelphia Phillies almost hired a helicopter to hover over their practice field to dry it out.
The pattern is likely to continue in Florida, starting with El Niño-driven storms this weekend. Arizona, however, may get a break for the next week.
"Every time there's an El Niño event, Florida really gets it," said meteorologist Craig Ellis of the National Weather Service in Phoenix. "It's definitely due to El Niño. We do have an effect here in Arizona, but Florida has the best correlation. They always get it bad."
In the Tampa area, where six
teams train, there had already been 9.99 inches of rain in February through Tuesday, compared with the 30-year average of 2.72 inches.
In Orlando, near the Kissimmee area where tornadoes touched down at the Houston Astros' complex, there had been 8.4 inches of rain, compared with the usual 2.5 inches.
"It has been two to three times rainer in most places," Scott Spratt of the National Weather Service in Melbourne, Fla., said. "Most of the effects are somewhat related to El Niño."
With 2.93 inches of rain, Phoenix is experiencing its fourth-wettest February in 103 years of recorded weather. That has made it a long spring for a half-dozen teams trying to train.
"We have weary too many guys who need work to start missing games," Anaheim manager Terry Collins said. "They tell me it's supposed to be like this the rest of the spring. It's tough coming off last year, when we were so spoiled. Our first game against BYU got rained out, and that was the last drop we saw."
About 120 miles south, the city of
Tucson, Ariz., is in the midst of its wettest February on record. That has not made it fun for the expansion Arizona Diamondbacks, who had to switch practice sites because of muddy fields.
"We'd like to be doing more," manager Buck Showalter said. "If we get much more, we would fall behind. But there is not much you can do about it."
As Yankees pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre said of El Niño, "That's one guy you can't control."
Despite all the washouts, Atlanta pitcher Greg Maddux said he was not worried — at least, not yet — because the Braves' new site near Disney World has plenty of indoor facilities.
"You can always work around the weather," he said. "It doesn't really interfere with our workouts right now."
Besides, Florida Marlins manager Jim Leyland pointed out, they had rain before. This marked the second straight season they were met by rain on the first morning of training school.
"It didn't seem to hurt us too much last year," he said.
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St. Louis pitchers prepare to return
Cardinals ready for opening series against the Expos
The Associated Press
JUPITER, Fla. — Donovan Osborne and Jeff Brantley, two St. Louis Cardinals pitchers who are recovering from injuries, threw batting practice for the first time yesterday and didn't look bad doing it.
"Both looked great," said pitching coach Dave Duncan. "It was pleasantly surprised. Both should be very happy with the way they threw."
Osborne, 28, a left-handed starter who grew up in the Cardinals organization, missed four months last season because of groin and hernia injuries. He made only 14 starts, less than half of the 30 he had in 1996 when he won a career record 13 games. He was 3-7 with a 4.73 earned run average in 1997.
Brantley, a 34-year old right-hander, is the scheduled closer after Dennis Eckersley was signed by the Boston Red Sox during the off-season. Brantley was obtained for first baseman Dimitri Young in a trade with Cincinnati but is coming off arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder. He was the top National League reliever in 1996 with 44 saves and a 2.41 ERA in 66 games, 71 innings.
Duncan said he hoped that both pitchers would be ready to play soon.
"With both of them, we are taking
it one step at a time, looking for progress each time out," he said. "We would like each of them to pitch batting practice four times and if all goes well, they could be ready to pitch in a game in 10 to 12 days."
NOTES: Manager Tony La Russa will take a look at several of his newer and younger players in today's unofficial opener against Montreal at the new Roger Dean Stadium.
The Cardinals' starting lineup:
Vince Coleman, left fielder; Craig Shipley, shortstop; John Mabry, third baseman; Brian Hunter, first baseman; Tom Lampkin, catcher; David Bell, second baseman; Juan Munoz, center fielder; Wayne Kirby, right fielder; and Brady Raggio, pitcher.
La Russa said players who do not play in today's game would play tomorrow in the formal opener against the Exdos.
Raggio will be followed by Sean Lowe, Armando Almanza and Kent Bottenfield. Shawn Boskie is the scheduled starter for Montreal.
Yesterday's conclusion of Wednesday's intrasquid game turned into a homer-fest with two by Mark McGwire and one each by Kirby, Ron Gant, Brian Jordan and Lampkin.
Free agents shun Rams
The Associated Press
ST. LOUS - Having been shut out in the bidding for most of the NFL's prime free agents, the St. Louis Rams are making do with a handful of complementary players.
The latest signing yesterday was Ray Agnew, a reserve last season with the New York Giants.
The day before that, they signed linebacker Eric Hill and wide receiver Ricky Proehl. Proehl led the Chicago Bears with 58 receptions last year but would have been a backup if Curtis Conway had not been injured.
The Rams don't seem to mind there is not a marquee name in the bunch.
"The they are players that upgrade your team," said Charley Army, the team's vice president of player personnel. "Everybody has to have these players in order to line up and play. We're not going to sign anybody who can't help our team."
Hill, third on Arizona in tackles despite missing five games because of a broken leg, figures to be an upgrade at inside linebacker. Hill wanted a three-year deal but the Rams, perhaps wary of his age and injury history, held fast for two years at $5.25 million.
Proehl, who got a four-year, $8 million deal, could push Eddie Kennison for a starting spot opposite Isaac Bruce but is more likely to be the third wideout.
This flurry of activity comes after the Rams unsuccessfully
wooed defensive end Gabe Wilkins, who went to San Francisco, and offensive guard Joe Patton, who stayed in Washington. The Rams, who were 5-11 last season, said they were not concerned.
"There's still some high-profile guys out there," Armey said. "And some of the guys who signed for big money weren't even high-profile guys. We're doing now is falling back and assessing what we're going to do."
Last season, the Rams' best moves came very late. Johnson signed in June, cornerback Ryan McNeil came aboard in July and running back Amp Lee signed in August. All were major contributors and Lee was the team MVP.
"People forget free agency is a five-month deal," Armey said. "There's always a rush to sign players, but we'll still find one or two that are going to help."
The Rams were pretty confident McNeil, who led the league with nine interceptions last season, would accept the franchiseplayer designation the team slapped on him. McNeil said last week he would talk to some teams, but whoever signed him would owe two first-round draft picks.
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