Looks Like A Strike

With just a week remaining before the 600-odd major league baseball players are scheduled to strike, the only thing that would keep the 1981 season from interruption is an injunction requiring the owners to open their books for public scrutiny--something they have steadfastly refused to do.

The reason? Management would rather compromise than allow player rep Marvin Miller to get his hands on black-ink statements that are embarrassingly large. The Yankees, according to a story that will run in New York's Village Voice next week, cleared $6.7 million last season after taxes, and grossed an unbelievable $28 million. Admittedly, they are baseball's most successful club, but consider that the Dodgers are aiming for an all-time attendance record of '3.6 million fans, or that White Sox executive Eddie Einhorn is close to signing a contract that would offer 140 games on cable television yearly, and you realize that, yes, salaries are high, but so are profits.

* * * * *

The Great Spitball Controversy is just a lot of people foaming at the mouth according to Oakland A's pitching coach Art Fowler.

"Everybody was moaning and groaning and complaining about us throwing spitters," Fowler said before the A's lost their seventh straight game Wednesday night, "but since we started losing nobody'd been saying nothing about spitters. We don't throw spitballs, but we've got four or five guys who throw the ball as hard as anybody."

Despite the losing streak, Fowler--who has worked under Billy Martin since 1969--says he's never seen the Bashful One happier.

"Billy's running his own show now," Fowler said. "He's manager and general manager, and he's finally got an owner who will listen to him. He's in the best situation he can be."

Entering last night's game at Fenway, Martin was still one away from his longest losing streak as manager, an eight-gamer with the 1973 Detroit Tigers (June 19-25). Despite a well-publicized blow-up earlier in the week, life isn't hard in the Oakland clubhouse these days, according to Fowler. "When Billy wins, he's always pushing and pushing, and doesn't let up. When he starts to lose a little bit, he backs off."

Fowler has both won and lost with Martin (except in 1976, when Yankee-General Manager Gabe Paul wouldn't hire him: "He said I drank too much and then went out and hired Bob Lemon," Fowler said, "Do you believe that?") and says he has never had any problems. "I think he's the greatest, he's been loyal and never lied to me. The players love him because they know he'll be on their side a hundred per cent. He just loves the game, and it just kills him when he loses."

* * * * *

One of the Eastern League's brightest prospects is Holyoke's 19-year-old shortstop Gustavo Polidor, a Venezuelan who speaks no English. The Millers lost his services for a night when he and the team crossed into Canada for a tour of Niagra Falls during a stay in Buffalo. At the end of the excursion, the squad passed through customs--except for Polidor, who didn't have his passport. The shortstop was detained at the border while team officials frantically tried to send the papers north. Polidor was finally released after spending the night because the border police had no idea what to do with him.

Highly-touted Candy Maldonado looks so good at Albuquerque (PCL) that one official said the Dodgers would try to move Reggie Smith or Dusty Baker after this season. The right-handed hitting outfielder hit .305 at Lodi last season with 25 homers, 102 runs batted in and 63 stolen bases, and is piling up big numbers against AAA pitching so far. "He can hit for power and average, and he'll be a great one," a Pacific Coast League-watcher said.

The Royals are high on lefty Keith Creel, a pitcher at Jacksonville (Southern) who should be up with the big club by the end of the year. Creel hails from Duncanville, Tx., and played college, ball at the U of Texas in Austin. His brother, Leland, plays first base for Lubbock Christian College, the host team for the NAIA World Series which begins June 2.

The younger Creel, who supposedly has major defensive inadequacies even at first base, has tied the college (NCAA and NAIA) home run record for a single season with 29. He is a junior and eligible to go in this year's draft, but, despite the homers, clubs have not shown all that much interest. "Several people have been to see him," says coach Larry Hays, "but I guess he doesn't have all that much mobility."

* * * * *

News and notes from around the majors: It looks like Milwaukee's Paul Militor is out for the year with torn ligaments in his ankle. There was some concern if he could make the switch from second base to center field but, ironically, he hurt himself running the bases...One observer who knew Mickey Hatcher in the minors is surprised at how much attention the Twins outfielder is getting as a flake. "He was cool as a cucumber in the minors because all he wanted was a big league job. He didn't do anything unusual." ...Now that Vancouver manager Ed Nottle is in the news again for skippering his team after being ejected by wearing the costume of the local mascot, a conversation he had with a fan while managing Oakland's West Haven affiliate is worth recalling. The youngster called out to Nottle, who wears number one. "Are you Billy Martin?" When Nottle replied in the negative, the fan asked. "Do you know Billy Martin?" Nottle replied, "I thought I knew Billy Martin. I thought he was my friend. But he's sent me out here to manage a team that can't win a ball game." West Haven had lost 13 in a row to start the season, and Nottle quipped, "I've had losing streaks before, but never 20 minutes after spring training."