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PRESS-REPUBLICAN - PITTSBURGH, N.Y. Baseball notebook: SPORTS SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 19,1995 PAGE B-5 1 attitude strikes out with voters The Cleveland Indians closed their eyes to the ugliness that surrounds Albert Belle, a painful reminder that as long as an athlete can be productive teams are willing to ignore their social transgressions. By ignoring his verbal and physical tirades against the fans — not just the media — the In- dians condone the behavior because they don't want to upset Belle's productiveness on the field, even though he creates a clubhouse distraction. But a message was sent last week by the Baseball Writers Association of America. Belle led the majors with 50 home runs in the shortened 1995 season, and became the first major-ieague player to collect 100 extra-base hits since Stan Musial in 1948. He, however, finished second in American League MVP voting. The award went to Boston's Mo Vaughn, who matched Belle's AL-leading RBI total of 126, and Vaughn did not have the offen- sive supporting cast of Belle. And there is more to being an MVP than simply stats. The MVP is not the Player of the Year, but the Most Valuable Player. One of the five guidelines on an MVP ballot is considera- tion for \General character, disposition, loyalty and effort.\ Belle was a big-time loser in that category. National attention came with Belle's profanity-filled tirade against NBC broadcaster Hannah Storm during the World Series. But the explosion aimed at Storm was no more serious than Belle's daily dealings with fans in AL cities. This vote was not a one-man vendetta like Ted Williams of Boston suffered in 1947 when he won the Triple Crown — leading the AL in home runs, RBI and average — but finished one point behind Joe DiMoggio of the New York Yankees in the MVP voting. Boston Globe writer Melville Webb had a personal dislike for Williams, and did not include Williams anywhere on his 10- player ballot. A 10th place vote would have given Williams a tie for the MVP. Anything else would have made Williams the MVP outright. Belle was among the top three on all 28 MVP ballots that were cast. Despite the Williams fiasco of'47, past BBWAA elections, in general, have shown that a player's impact on his team — in the clubhouse and on the field — outweighs problems with the media. Barry Bonds is a three-time NL MVP winner. Kevin Mitchell won an NL MVP. Steve Carlton, who didn't speak to writers, won four NL Cy Young awards. In the last decade, AL MVP awards have gone to Rickey Henderson, Jose Canseco and George Bell, none of whom would be confused with media darlings. # • • Intangibles also played a part in Cincinnati shortstop Barry Larkin beating out Rockies left fielder Dante Bichette in the NL MVP voting. Nobody, however, can blame the NL vote on per- sonality. Bichette is regarded by the media as one of the most en- joyable players in the game. The first reaction was Bichette, despite leading the NL in home runs and RBI, suffered from the Coors Field factor, the media feeling his numbers were inflated by the altitude and the Denver stadium's cozy dimen- sions. But it goes deeper. Larkin is an accepted star. Bichette, who turned 32 Saturday, is still establishing himself in the star- category. \I think when Dante made the All-Star team (in 1994) it was the start of something,\ said Rockies manager Don Baylor, who felt Bichette deserved the MVP. \Some guys blossom later in their careers. Dante is one of those guys.\ But that also means he still has to overcome an image of his abilities that was created when he played in California and Milwaukee before coming to the expansion Rockies in 1993. Back-to-back All-Star appear- ances, and a runnerup in the MVP voting, combined with three years of solid offensive numbers, is an indication that he is emerging on a national basis. Eight years ago, Greg Maddux was struggling to survive in the big leagues. He was 6-14 with a 5.61 ERA. for the Chicago Cubs. \I was just a brain-dead heaver,\ Maddux said. Not any more. Maddux last week became the first pitcher in history to win four consecutive Cy Young awards. He was a Traey Rlngolsby Rocky Mountain Newt unanimous choice in the NL. And this year, Maddux said, was special because Atlanta won the world championship. \You win a Cy Young and you go home and usually you are the only one that's happy,\ he said. \To see the other guys in the clubhouse win makes it that much more special.\ It was a special season for Maddux. He had a 1.63 ERA, compared to the NL's overall fig- ure of 4.21. He limited hitters to a .197 batting average overall — a .157 average with men in scoring position — giving up 20 hits and striking out 34 in those 127 at-bats. And he allowed one or fewer runs in 18 of 28 starts. \Obviously Greg is a great pitcher,\ teammate Tom Glavine said. \(But) you have to stay healthy and not get hurt for four years and sometimes, you just run into a string of bad luck. To his credit, Greg has stayed away from those things.\ # • • As impressive as Maddux was Randy Johnson of Seattle, who won the AL Cy Young, was prob- ably more vital to his team's suc- cess. The Mariners were 27-3 in games Johnson started — 52-63 in other games. Remember it took a one-game playoff victory against California — which Johnson pitched — for the Mari- ners to claim the AL West cham- pionship. • e • Give Buck Showalter credit for creating a windfall out of nothing. The expansion Arizona Diamondbacks don't play their first game until 1998 but they gave Showalter a seven-year, $6.5 million deal to be their manager. Not bad for a guy who was out of work and had no other option. Showalter lost out on a Ask Babe: Clemente card price not etched in stone Dear Babe: I am trying to fig- ure out the wide discrepancy in the different price guides for a 1993 Ted Williams Roberto Clemente Etched in Stone card. One lists it for $4 (Beckett) and SCD's Standard Catalog lists it for 10 cents! That's pretty radi- cal. Any perspective? Frank Strazzarino Redding, Calif. I don't know about perspective, which is a big word for the Babe, but I always have an answer. While the '95 edition of the Stan- dard Catalog lists the Clemente inserts and Brooks Robinson in- serts at a dime each, the '96 edi- tion, which just came out, has the correct values — $4 each for Clemente and $2 for Robinson. Those are the same values you'll find in Beckett's yearly guide and in Tuff Stuff. Those values should hold up. That may not be the case for the 1994 inserts such as the Roger Maris Etched in Stone cards or the 500 Home Run Club cards. It appears that after the Ted Williams Card Co. went belly up after just two years, a lot of 1994 product was dumped into the marketplace. I've seen lots of as for those insert sets selling at bargain basement prices. It would be nice to think you could buy low and sell high. However, those low sale prices are bound to eventually be reflected in lower values for the sets. Tuff Stuff lists the 500 Home Run club set at $25 and the Maris set at $15. Both have been advertised at much less through the mail. Dear Babe: I have a number of Mets (1968-70, 72-73) and Yan- kees (1979, 83) yearbooks that I would like to sell. According to the Complete Guide to Baseball Memorabilia, they could be worth between $250 and $325. A sports collectibles store interested in yearbooks says there is no de- mand for these at the moment and offered me $40 for the lot. I'd like to think I can do better than that. What's the best way for someone who is not into collec- ting to find a buyer who is willing to pay more than fire'sale prices. Tom Scot Aurora, Colo. —SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWSSERVICE I don't know much about the demand for old yearbooks, but dealers are always looking to buy items at wholesale. Yearbooks are no different than cards. When you go to sell, commons usually end up being thrown in as part of the deal. The only yearbook you have that is going to be of interest to more than just a few collectors is the '69 year- book. The Complete Guide to Baseball Memorabilia lists the Amazin' Mets book at $85 to $100. Basically the dealer offered you about 40 percent of the one item he might have a chance of reselling. You can probably do better than $40 for the lot. The Baseball and Sports Publications Guide lists the ! 69 yearbook at $150. The entire lot lists there for $361. Try a classified ad in the newspaper. Dear Babe: I have a baseball signed by 13 New York Yankees on June 13, 1961, at a Detroit Hotel. Signatures include Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford. Please give me some idea of what it is worth. J. Richard Moses Collierville, Tenn. Two for 13 won't get you to the Hall of Fame and it doesn't help the value of a '61 Yankees base- ball. The Complete Guide to Baseball Memorabilia from Sports Collectors Digest lists a '61 Yankees baseball in the $880-$l,320 ^-ange, but that assumes it has the signatures of key players such as Roger Maris, Yogi B.erra, Elston Howard, Tom Tresh, Ralph Terry and Tony Kubek as well as Mantle and Ford. If the Mantle and Ford signatures are in good shape and close to each other so you can see them when the ball is displayed, it should be in $150-$200 range. Dear Babe: I have a Newsweek magazine from the week of Oct. 2, 1967, with Carl Yastrzemski on the cover. Any value to this item! Gino Cusano Syracuse, N.Y. The Baseball and Sports Publications Guide lists the Yaz issue at $36, while the The Com- plete Guide to Baseball Memora- bilia from Sports Collectors Digest has it at $20. Dear Babe: I have a Legends Gold Standard card, No. L4, by Signature Rookies of \Pee Wee\ Reese. What do I have in terms of value? Freddie L. Jones Compton, Calif. The Reese card, which Tuff Stuff lists for 85 cents, is from a five-card insert set that was part of the '94 Signature Rookies Gold Standard set. The Legends set includes Isiah Thomas, Larry Bird, Nolan Ryan and' Brian Leetch. Bird and Ryan are the most valuable at $2. Dear Babe: I am sending you a photo copy of a picture that has been in the family for over 50 years. Babe Ruth played golf with my father-in-law, who was a judge in Brooklyn. I was offered $750 from a dealer. I want to know if this is a good price or if you can tell me what it is worth. Easter Blanchfield Honolulu, Hawaii. The verdict is in. Tuff Stuff lists a Ruth-signed photo at $2,500. (Send card questions to Babe Waxpak in care of this newspa- per, PO Box 492397, Redding, CA 96049-2397. If possible, in- clude card number, year and brand or a photocopy. Please do not send cards. Babe is a feature of The Record Searchlight in Redding, Calif.) if power play with the New York Yankees, and was let go after four solid seasons. Then Showalter created a national media feeding frenzy that he was destined to be manager of Detroit, but was never offered the job that went to Buddy Bell. That left him with two options — Arizona and Oakland, where Showalter's salary demands did not fit the A's budget... The A's hired Rockies coach Art Howe, who had two edges on the other finalist — Oakland coach Jim Lefebvre. The A's brass liked Howe's low-key personality, and new owner Steve Schott wanted to sever all ties to the Tony La Russa-era. It's a second chance for Howe, who oversaw the rebuilding in Houston, but then got fired after the 1993 season after Drayton McLane bought the Astros. \The firing was just the mistake of new ownership,\ former Houston general manager Bill Wood said. \It's an age-old story —guys come into the game after tremendous success, try to apply the same principles to baseball, and it doesn't always blend.\ • • • Then there are the San Diego Padres. On Tuesday, president Larry Lucchino offered the gener- al manager's job to Frank Wren, assistant general manager of the Florida Marlins. Wren asked for some adjustments in the pro- posal. Lucchino told him they should be acceptable, but he'd get back to Wren. Wren was still waiting for Lucchino to get back when the word came out that the Padres were promoting scouting director Kevin Towers to the job of general manager. And during all of this Lucchino was getting permission from Toronto to talk to Blue Jays assistant general manager Bob Engle about the job. • # • The Detroit Tigers are willing to pick up a good portion of Cecil Fielder's $7.5 million salary if they can find a taker ... San Diego's search for a run-produc- ing first baseman has Lucchino pushing his baseball people to pursue Jose Canseco, a marginal outfielder-turned-DH who has been battling injuries and is looking for a multi-year deal with a $5 million annual salary ... Florida Marlins thought they were close to signing free-agent pitcher Ramon Martinez only to have Los Angeles quickly re-sign Martinez to a three-year, $15 million deal... Florida and Cleve- land are pursuing versatile B.J. Surhoff, who has played first, third, catcher and outfielder for Milwaukee ... The Yankees' in- terest in free-agent second baseman Craig Biggio and Rober- to Alomar is tied with what they do with first base. If they bring back Don Mattingly they will pur- sue one of the elite second baseman. But if they sign Fred McGriff or acquire Seattle's Tino Martinet they will likely stay-in house, re-signing Randy Velarde or moving shortstop Tony Fer- nandez, to fill the second base void. The Yankees know they have to beef up the offense from an infield where the four starters combined for 21 home runs in 1,572 at-bats last year. Biggio, alone, had 22 home runs in 553 at-bats ... What the Philadelphia Phillies admit was missing from 1995 was the clubhouse \chemis- try\ that was so important to their NL championship season of 1993. That has led to speculation that the Phillies might try and stage a 1993 reunion in 1996. There's talk of the Philies re- signing outfielder Pete Incaviglia, third baseman Dave Hollins, first baseman Ricky Jordan, and left- handed pitcher Terry Mulholland. \I hope I can go back to Philly,\ said Incaviglia, who played with the Chiba Lotte Marines and has no desire to play another year in Japan. \I'll never forget those guys. It really was like we were a family ... We went out and played for the city, almost like you're back playing high school football. You just don't see that at the pro- fessional level.\ • • • NUMBERS • 2.5 million: The attendance requirement that has been set for the Houston Astros by owner Drayton McLane, which will be tough. The Astros' single-season record is 2.28 million in 1980 — the year, hometown hero Nolan Ryan debuted with the Astros. • 7: The players who are guar- anteed $32.3 million by Atlanta with last week's signing of Mar- quis Grissom to a four-year, $19.2 million contract. And general manager John Schuerholz said there's still room to re-sign Fred McGriff, which means the Braves could increase last year's $46.4 million payroll. • 81: The sellouts for 1996 that are being projected by the Cleveland Indians, who actually think they could have all games sold out by Jan. 1. The club is consideringselling500 standing room only tickets on game days. • • * NOTES • Florida pitcher Pat Rapp, who was 11-2 after the All-Star break, underwent surgery last weekend for a herniated disk in his lower back. Doctors say he'll be 100 percent by spring train- ing. He's hoping to start throw- ing by Christmas. • No surprise Mark Lewis went to Detroit from Cincinnati to complete the David Wells trade. Tigers scouting director Jeff Scott was with Cleveland and selected Lewis as the second player overall in the 1988 ama- teur draft. • An underlying factor in Mel Stottlemyre resigning as pitching coach in Houston to accept a similar job with the New York Yankees was Stottlemyre's wife suffered from allergies brought on by the Houston climate and couldn't live there any longer. • • • AND QUOTES • Former Detroit manager Sparky Anderson on being unem- ployed: \It's going to be strange not having a team to go to (next spring) but honestly it's some- thing I can get used to ... I'm not going out hunting for a job, but if someone came up with an offer that bowled me over, sure I'd be interested.\ • Los Angeles general manag- er Fred Claire: \A year ago we didn't even know (NL rookie of the year Hideo Nomo's) name. This is unmatched not only in our history, but the history of baseball. Even with Fernando (Valenzuela) people had an awareness. He at least had pitched in our organization.\ • Bobby Valentine on specula- tion he agreed to manage Class AAA Norfolk as a prelude to replacing Dallas Green with the Mets: \That has never been ad- dressed. There are no promises, no contractual agreements, . because the subject has never been talked about.\ (Tracy RlngoWby wrlt.t for th. Rocky Moun- tain NIWI in Danrcr.) We'll Load UpThis Dodge Dakota Before^bu Even Buy It. Get a Mopar Bedliner At No Extra Charge. Plus Get Up To $ 3,000 in Savings and Package Value Discounts. Pickups are designed to be loaded with stuff. So we've loaded the mid-size Dodge Dakota with up to $ 3,000 in savings and package value discounts* And if you buy one from stock by November 30, your participating Americas Truck Stop New England Dodge dealer will also load it with a Mopar bedliner at no extra charge. And loading up a Dodge Dakota with a Mopar bedliner is a very smart thing to do. Before you load it up with anything more. The New Dodge See Your New England Dodge Dealer Today. '$500 back plus $2,500 pkg. values based on value of SLT package items vs. pkg. MSRPs.
