Even With His Money in Bank, Rice Isn’t Relaxing This Spring

Jim Rice is guaranteed $2,090,000 in 1985. His financial future seems assured by a new contract.

Rice, however, isn’t sitting back and traveling a soft route.

The Boston left fielder insists on playing in virtually every spring game, home or away.

He has missed just one bus trip in the last two years.

“I love to play golf and I love to relax, but that’s not what spring training is for,” he said. “I don’t believe guys when they say they can get more done staying behind (rather than making a trip). All they do is fool around.

“To get yourself ready you’ve got to practice and practice right. And to do that you’ve got to concentrate against big league pitchers.”

Alfredo Griffin and Rob Picciolo, Oakland’s new shortstops, have more in common than a position.

They are seldom pitched around. Their commandment at the plate, handed down by opposing pitchers, is: Thou shalt not pass.

Griffin, then with Toronto, and Picciolo, then with the Angels, walked only four times in 538 at-bats last year.

Griffin, in fact, had all four of those walks. Picciolo had none in 119 at-bats, giving him a total of 27 in 1,526 at-bats, or one every 56.5.

What might Rickey Henderson mean to the New York Yankees? Well, he has stolen more bases in each of the last five years than the Yankees stole as a team in each of those years.

Henderson, however, is concerned. The Yankees have moved him from left field to center. That means that in Yankee Stadium, he’ll be patrolling more ground than a park ranger.

“It may be that if they want me for defense, I can’t run as much (on the bases),” Henderson said.

“If they want me for stealing bases, they may have to move me back to left field.”

Tom Seaver will pitch the season opener for the Chicago White Sox, his 15th such assignment, breaking a tie with Walter Johnson for No. 1 on the all-time list.

Seaver said it was an honor to move ahead of a man regarded as a pillar of the game. He called it a credit to his durability, but added: “It’s all relative when you look at other numbers.

“Among active pitchers, for example, I’ve more shutouts than anyone (60). That still leaves me 53 behind Walter Johnson.”

Bob Boone is drawing a degree of attention as he closes in on the lead for games caught.

But Carlton Fisk, also now 37, implied in a Chicago Tribune interview that Boone’s skills are basically defensive and said that baseball’s best catcher has been Carlton Fisk.

“One of my strengths is that I’m not a one-dimensional catcher,” Fisk said.

“No catcher in the major leagues in my lifetime has been as effective . . . Not in everything he should do--run, hit, throw and call a game.

“I’m proud of my 1983 numbers (.289, 26 home runs, 86 RBIs). No catcher I know of had numbers like that at the age of 35.”

An abdominal strain restricted Fisk to 102 games and a .231 batting average last year. He must rebound if the White Sox are to rebound.

Fisk said he is ready physically and is planning to produce numbers similar to ’83.

In fact, he is already thinking about the new contract he hopes to sign at the end of the ’85 season.

“I’d like to sign for three more years, then take it year by year,” he said. “I might be able to DH when I’m 40. My physical condition is good enough that I might be able to play until I’m 41 or 42.”

Kansas City left-hander Larry Gura, like Angel left-hander Tommy John, is at a crossroads.

Gura, like John, has two more years on his contract but is coming off two subpar seasons, as John is.

He was 11-18 with a 4.90 earned-run average in 1983 and 12-9 with a 5.18 ERA last year, when rookies Bret Saberhagen, Mark Gubicza and Danny Jackson moved into a rotation that included sophomore Bud Black and veteran Charlie Liebrandt.

Again as is John, Gura, 37, is now pinning his comeback hopes on form corrections and suggestions made last winter by Mike Marshall, former Dodger relief star.

Gura also visited Marshall at St. Leo College in Florida, where Marshall is the baseball coach. Gura won’t talk about it, but he’s now throwing a screwball, which was Marshall’s forte.

Boston Manager John McNamara, on his two-year contract: “It’s the first two-year contract I’ve had since I was in the Army. I served every day of that one.”

Let’s see, the reorganized Cleveland Indians now have:

--Danny O’Brien, who is senior vice president of baseball administration and player relations.

--Joe Klein, who is vice president of baseball operations.

--Phil Seghi, who is senior player personnel adviser.

--Ted Barthelmas, who is executive director of administration.

--Jim Napier, who is field director of player development.

Said Peter Bavasi, who orchestrated all this as president and chief operating officer: “If I work this right, in two years my own job will be obsolete.”

Kansas City Manager Dick Howser, reflecting on his 0-9 playoff record as manager of the Yankees and Royals:

“I just hope they expand to a seven game playoff so I have a few more chances to win. If that doesn’t work, maybe they can go to five out of nine.”

Physicals: --Some concern in the Detroit camp about shoulder problems being experienced by Lance Parrish and Alan Trammell.

--White Sox designated hitter Ron Kittle is treating shin splints with acupuncture.

--The Eat-to-Win diet enabled shortstop Roy Smalley to return to the Twins with only 7% body fat.

--Former Angel Fred Lynn said he gave up corn chips and ice cream, and at 195 pounds feels better than he has at any time in the last five years.

Baltimore catcher Rick Dempsey threw out only 18 of 71 base stealers last year. That’s 25.3%, the worst of his career. He’s 0 for 8 this spring, and was 0 for 5 against the Dodgers Tuesday.

Dempsey is tired of shouldering the blame.

“I’m not happy about looking bad,” he said. “We have the worst staff in baseball for holding runners on. It’s the best staff with the best ERA, but not for holding runners.

“I think they have to sit down and decide if we’re going to stop the running game. Otherwise, we might as well give the guy second base.”

Minnesota catcher Dave Engle is having problems of another kind. He’s throwing well to second base, but can’t find the pitcher with his return throws. He overthrew his pitchers six times in exhibition games last week.