Are rookies scared?
“Absolutely,” replied Ryne Sandberg. “Maybe `nervous’ is a better word. You have to prove to yourself and to your teammates you belong.”
Sandberg was 1 for 32 in 1982, his first season with the Cubs.
“It was a struggle,” he recalled. “I was worried, wondering if I’d ever get another hit. But that wasn’t my most embarrassing moment.”
Sandberg went on to explain how the Cubs had arrived in Cincinnati to open the season and halfway down the concourse he realized he had left his carry-on bag on the airplane. So he ran back to the gate but there was a complication. He was locked between two doors. Trying to escape, he set off an alarm.
“I can still hear the sirens,” he said. “They had to hold up the team bus for 10 minutes. I just didn’t know any better. It was very embarrassing.”
Now, 15 years later and in his farewell season, the likely Hall of Famer smiled in amusement.
“That’s what happens when you’re a rookie. You’re nervous,” he said.
So far as is known, Kevin Orie hasn’t been similarly confused. And if he has been, he isn’t likely to talk about it.
“I like his approach and his attitude,” Sandberg said. “He works hard. He reminds me of me–a little bit.”
“I’m similar in a way,” Orie concurred later Friday at Wrigley Field after he had gone 3 for 4 and driven in three runs in an 8-3 victory over the Mets. “I’m not a big hooter and hollerer.
“I’ve kept my mouth shut. I found out the more you open your mouth, the more trouble you’re going to get into. I’ve seen a lot of negative things (this season) but I haven’t said much. Sometimes it’s hard. But it makes life a lot easier.”
And so, as Sandberg is departing, it appears the Cubs are likely to have another silent hero.
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Orie, 25 last week, has done everything expected of him and more. He is batting a solid .271 and leads all National League third basemen in fielding percentage.
The only disappointment is he hasn’t shown much power for a third baseman, only eight home runs and 43 runs batted in. Sandberg had almost identical rookie numbers–seven homers, 54 RBIs. Nonetheless, Sandberg subsequently had five seasons with 20 or more home runs and owns the career record for the most home runs by a second baseman.
Orie, 6 feet 4 inches and 210 pounds, is hoping to beef up to 220 during the off-season. Still, there is no assurance he will hit with more power. There are too many variables for such predictions.
“I think he’ll be a better player next year,” said manager Jim Riggleman. “But there are no guarantees. Sometimes the numbers go down. Look at what happened to (the Dodgers’) Todd Hollandsworth. Rookie of the year last year and now he’s back in the minors.”
Like most everyone else, Riggleman has been impressed with Orie’s discipline at the plate.
“He has a good feel of the strike zone,” Riggleman said. “That’s half the battle right there. If you’re going to be a good big-league hitter, you have to swing at strikes.”
Also, with time, Orie will know the pitchers and what to expect.
“Once you see what they throw, the hitter has the advantage,” Riggleman observed. “They throw the same stuff year after year. That’s what’s amazing about Fergie Jenkins and Tom Seaver and all the great pitchers. They got the hitters out–even the best hitters–with the same stuff year after year.”
“It’s a learning process,” said John Franco, the Mets’ star closer. “The hitters get to know the pitchers and the ballparks. And don’t forget we’re all competitors. If I get 20 saves, I want to get 30, and if I get 30, I want 40. If you’re not a competitor, you don’t last.”
Cookie Rojas, a baseball lifer and now a coach with the Mets, agrees with Franco’s assessment.
“Getting to the big leagues is the easiest part,” Rojas insisted. “Staying is the toughest part.”
Several Cubs old-timers–Billy Williams, Ron Santo, Randy Hundley and Glenn Beckert–were unanimous in their appraisal of Orie and more or less agreed he has All-Star potential.
They had come to the ballpark for the Cubs’ annual Walk of Fame ceremonies and had assembled behind the plate during pregame batting practice.
“I can’t believe it has been 25 years since we played here,” Beckert said. “We must be getting old.”
“That’s right,” Williams said, agreeing. “After the game we’re all going back to the nursing home.”