Tigers closer Mike Henneman remained despondent Thursday after an outing so poor Wednesday night that it brought talk of retirement.
“Nothing’s changed,” said Henneman, who has struggled all season, both on the mound and with personal situations away from baseball. “It’s just a bunch of things.”
He began the ninth inning Wednesday with a 2-1 lead to protect. The White Sox knocked him around for four runs on five hits and a walk. A chat Thursday with manager Sparky Anderson resolved nothing.
Henneman is in the second year of a staggered three-year contract that will pay him $1.5 million this year (he anticipated a strike) and $4.7 million in 1995.
Did he sleep Wednesday night?
“After seven Rolaids,” he said. “Fruit flavor. They were good.”
Try this, Mike: Wednesday’s game was tied with two out in that ninth when Lance Johnson was called safe on an infield chopper. Tim Raines’ two-run double and Frank Thomas’ 31st homer followed. An objective witness close to the play said Thursday Johnson was out.
It’s possible: Thomas, like any hitter, can be gotten out. It isn’t easy.
“He uses the whole field,” said manager Gene Lamont, “which I think makes him hard to defense and hard to pitch to.”
Anderson said he tries to pitch him high and tight or away at the knees. “But you’re cutting a fine line there,” he said. “You miss any other place in that zone, he will hit it hard, some way.”
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Hold everything: Right around now, in a normal year, contenders look to trade kids for immediate help. This year isn’t normal.
“I would think it would be tough for a club to do,” said Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, “not knowing if there’s going to be an end of the season. I would think that it would be very hard for somebody to go out and overpay to get that player you think is going to put you over the top.”
So the Sox aren’t about to trade a Scott Ruffcorn for a power bat off the bench.
On call: Lamont said Alex Fernandez, who will be available in the bullpen this weekend, probably will start next Thursday’s opener against the Indians after the break.