Terry Bevington, the White Sox manager/philosopher, was about to send his troops against the defending Central Division champion Cleveland Indians at Comiskey Park Monday. An hour before game time, Bevington was asked for his thoughts going into the season’s first matchup of the two best teams in the American League Central.
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Said Bevington: “Life gives you a chance to excel every day and you’ve got to take advantage of it.”
It was the Indians, not the White Sox, who seized the day. The Tribe scored eight runs in the first two innings off Jaime Navarro and coasted to 10-4 win before a surprisingly large crowd of 26,383, considering the frigid weather.
It was the first of another two-game quickie series that may or may not set the tone for the battles ahead.
“Its just another series,” the Indians’ Kevin Seitzer insisted. “That’s the way we (the players) look at it. But you guys make it more than that.”
I agree, but also advised him that sportswriters are in the business of hyping the event. Otherwise, big-league baseball would be as dull as soccer and, of course, without the big boom-bang of the press, there wouldn’t be many, if any, million-dollar ballplayers.
Seitzer, a veteran, said he was all for it, but in the next breath explained, “We’re just trying to keep it going.”
The Indians did just that, extending their winning sequence to eight victories in their last nine games. They also enlarged their division lead to 4 1/2 games over the White Sox. Had the Sox won, they would have been only 2 1/2 out.
It wasn’t much of a day for the Sox. The only positives were consecutive first-inning home runs by Mike Cameron and Frank Thomas and an eighth-inning single by Albert Belle off reliever Jose Mesa. The hit lengthened Belle’s batting streak to 21 games, longest in the majors this season.
Beyond the opening of the heated Cleveland-Chicago rivalry, it was an occasion of sorts for Belle, his first game against his former teammates. Orel Hershiser, who made the start for the Indians, retired Belle in his three previous trips, two easy grounders to short and a swinging strikeout.
Members of Cleveland press corps are taking their hats off to General Manager John Hart, who refused Belle’s request for a five-year, $50 million wage, twice his previous salary.
Hart danced around the question when asked if the Indians are better off without the controversial slugger.
“It’s an intriguing situation, nothing more,” Hart replied. “What’s intriguing is the he ended up in the same division.”
Later, Hart expanded his response and pointed out that third baseman Matt Williams also was capable of delivering the long ball. “He adds a presence to our clubhouse,” Hart said. “We like the club we now have.”
In other words, Hart likes the Belle-for-Williams exchange and also the fact the Indians saved $5 million in salary.
“We had dollars to spend, but not that much,” Hart said. “We were going to need that money to re-sign other players.”
In an attempt to balance his views, Hart said the Indians have the best won-lost record over the last three years.
“And the bottom line is that Belle was a big part of those clubs, he is gone now and I can’t worry about him,” Hart said.
Then Hart gave a friendly pat on the back to a Chicago writer and said, “I hope you enjoy your five years with him.”