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player ready...The Haves and the Have-Nots, also known as the New York Yankees and the Milwaukee Brewers, played nine innings at County Stadium here Wednesday. The game began at noon and was advertised as a “Businessman’s Special.”
The Haves have the best players George Steinbrenner’s money can buy. Their total player payroll is in excess of $52 million, more than twice that of the financially disadvantaged Brewers. Reminded of this disparity, Milwaukee manager Phil Garner told reporters: “I’m not proud. I’ll take a handicap–say, five runs a game.”
But unlike golf and horse racing, major-league baseball operates without handicaps, which is as it should be. There are no stroke penalties, nor are the weights assigned to achieve a dead heat.
Even Garner conceded the Yankees, or any other club with such resources, can spend whatever the circumstances demand.
“Clearly, if we could do it, we would,” Garner said.
Still, the richer clubs don’t have a total monopoly.
The Brewers, for example, have left-handed screwball pitcher Angel Luis Miranda, 26.
“There are some screwballs around,” Garner acknowledged. “But I don’t think there are any other pitchers in our league who throw the screwball. We have an exclusive there. The Yankees and the Orioles don’t have everything.”
Fact is, the Yankees are also without an established second baseman. Pat Kelly, the regular, is out with a shoulder injury and may be lost for the season.
Manager Joe Torre has tried three players at this position–Mariano Duncan, Andy Fox and Robert Eenhoorn–who apparently have been found wanting.
So Steinbrenner is out shopping. First, he went to the Minnesota Twins and tried to acquire All-Star Chuck Knoblauch.
“He makes $4.7 million a year,” Minnesota General Manager Terry Ryan reportedly told Steinbrenner, who replied that wasn’t a problem.
“Sorry,” said Ryan. “Knobby’s not for sale.”
Sooner or later, Steinbrenner will find his man.
Willie Randolph, the Yankees’ third-base coach, will be pleased when that player reports, for both professional and personal reasons. First, it would strengthen the team; second, Randolph no longer would have to respond to the many suggestions that he come out of retirement. He was an outstanding second baseman for more than a decade.
“People keep telling me, `Get a glove, Randolph!’ ” he said. “But it’s too late.”
Wednesday’s game was the Yankees’ 12th of the new season, and Torre used his 12th different lineup. Tim Raines, who had been out with a thumb injury, played for the first time.
“Not all of our player are 100 percent,” Torre advised. “But, today, we’re healthy enough.”
More than that, they had the added advantage of the day’s pitching matchup, David Cone going against Ricky Bones. Cone went into the game with a 2-0 record. Bones was 0-2 with a 4.34 earned-run average.
Cone had allowed only one earned run in his previous three starts and had an 0.43 ERA. He is the best right-handed pitcher this side of Greg Maddux and during the off-season signed a three-year contract for $19.5 million.
How much is $19.5 million?
One million less than the entire annual Milwaukee player payroll.
And, of course, you can guess the rest. The financially handicapped Brewers won 8-4. They pounded Cone for four runs in the first inning and chased him with a two-run barrage in the fifth. Six earned runs off Cone is a rarity. It happened only twice last season.
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“I had a bad day,” Cone confessed. “There are always going to be bad days. You just hope you can make them few and far between.”
“I’m not worried,” said Torre. “We have other people who can pick it up.”
The victory lifted the Brewers to the .500 mark and also raised the spirits of manager Garner.
When someone mentioned the enormous economic gulf between the Yankees and the Brewers, and also Cone’s salary, Garner laughed and said:
“Either he’s overpaid or we’re underpaid.”
Turning serious, Garner summed it up.
“Money alone doesn’t do it all. But the odds of winning go up as your payroll goes up.”