Most of the Best Set for 56th All-Star Game : Injured Guerrero Can’t Play, but He’s There; Andujar Can, and Isn’t

Although Pedro Guerrero of the Dodgers flew nearly 2,000 miles to take a whirlpool in the Metrodome Monday afternoon, Donnie Moore, the Angels’ sole representative in tonight’s 56th All-Star Game, never got off the ground in Orange County Monday morning.

Moore’s scheduled 7 a.m. flight was canceled because of mechanical problems, according to Angel publicist Tim Mead, and the American League All-Star team had already worked out by the time he arrived early Monday evening.

Guerrero arrived here Sunday night with Linda Valenzuela, wife of the Dodgers’ other representative. Then while Fernando Valenzuela and the rest of the National Leaguers worked out Monday afternoon, Guerrero took treatment for his back, which he sprained last Wednesday night in Pittsburgh.

But, Guerrero said, coming here just to watch, is better than not coming at all, which set him 180 degrees apart from his friend and fellow Dominican, Joaquin Andujar, whose absence was a much-discussed topic.

Andujar, the St. Louis Cardinals’ right-hander who leads the majors with 15 wins, decided Friday to snub the game when Dick Williams, the manager of the National League team, announced that he was selecting one of his own Padres, LaMarr Hoyt, to start tonight.

A year ago, Andujar had passed up the All-Star game, claiming that his grandmother was ill. But when the Dodgers were in St. Louis last weekend, Guerrero had said Andujar would be here for sure.

“Joaquin’s crazy,” Guerrero said Monday while sitting in the whirlpool, his first treatment since hurting his back while hitting a home run in Three Rivers Stadium. “He’s a good friend of mine but he’s wacko.

“I wish he would have made it. He’s Dominican, and not too many guys from there get to make the All-Star team.

“He’s not only representing the Cardinals, he’s representing his country in his situation. I know I’m representing the Dodgers, but I also represent the Dominican.”

That was one of the reasons he got out of bed, where he has been spending most of his time since getting hurt, to be here, Guerrero said.

“The doctors told me it depended on how I felt,” Guerrero said. “They said they wanted me to rest. I understand that. I know I need to rest. But I’m able to walk, so why not show up?

“You don’t see this every year. The only time I thought I made it (the All-Star team) for sure was in 1982, when I was having a real good year, and I didn’t make it. That was a disappointment to me.”

At a press conference Monday morning, Williams was asked if he had talked to Andujar.

“No, I didn’t talk to him, nor did I attempt to,” Williams said. “He was doing all the talking. I did talk to Whitey Herzog (the Cardinals’ manager) every day. I had not named our starting pitcher. I’m glad it hyped him (Andujar) up because we beat him that day.”

Pete Rose, who made his All-Star debut the last time the game was played in Minneapolis in 1965, said it never occurred to him not to show up.

“If I wasn’t here, I’d be working out anyway,” said the Cincinnati player-manager, who has been an NL All-Star 17 times.

“I wouldn’t be going to Kings Island (an Ohio amusement park) or fishing, not that I have anything against Kings Island or fishing.

“I never missed one. I’m sure he (Andujar) has his reasons.”

But Rose was in no mood to discuss the possibility of a strike, which came closer to reality when the Major League Players Assn., meeting in Chicago, set a walkout date of Aug. 6.

“If you want to know about the strike, you should have gone to Chicago,” Rose said to the circle of reporters around him. “You still have time to get there.

“There’s nothing I can do about it. Hopefully, that’ll give us enough time to get closer (in the standings). Hopefully, there won’t be a strike, but if there is, I don’t want us to be 10 games out.”

Guerrero, who went to Mexico in 1981 with Valenzuela and said he played three games there during the last strike, was disturbed at the prospect of another one.

“If nothing happens, that’s when we walk?” he asked after being informed of the strike date. “Why the (bleep) should we go on strike? We should have settled this (bleep).

“All I can say is I just hope we don’t strike. I hope we get everything settled, just play the game and finish the season.

“Because if we do strike, I figure there won’t be baseball till next year. And that would be too bad.”

While the players’ union was talking strike in Chicago, a crowd of 46,024 paid to watch the All-Stars practice, a record for an All-Star workout. They were drawn in part by a home run contest, during which Eddie Murray of the Baltimore Orioles hit a ball off the public-address speaker suspended above right field.

Valenzuela, getting his first look at the indoor stadium named after former Vice President and Minnesota Senator Hubert Humphrey, shook his head.

“Last weekend, the wind took the balls out in Chicago, just like they fly out here,” he said.

Valenzuela, the only left-hander on the National League staff, told Williams he could probably pitch an inning tonight. “I threw a lot of pitches Saturday,” Valenzuela said.

There are five Padres in the National League starting lineup, since catcher Terry Kennedy was named as replacement for the Mets’ Gary Carter, who injured his knee Saturday. Seven Padre players are on the squad, which made right-fielder Tony Gwynn sound a little defensive.

“I haven’t got nothing to do with that,” he said. “I’m just happy to be here. I have no say-so in how many Padres are here. Hopefully, we’ll be able to play and do well.”

Although the game may be oversaturated with Padres, the absence of Angels was duly noted, and not just because Moore couldn’t get airborne. Detroit Manager Sparky Anderson, who named Tiger right-hander Jack Morris to start for the AL, was asked if he’d thought of bringing Reggie Jackson here.

“Absolutely,” Anderson said. “We all know Reggie Jackson is a Hall of Famer before he even quits his career. Rod Carew is the same way. I really felt this is one of those unfortunate things.”

Guerrero said if he’s fortunate, he’ll be playing sooner than the doctors’ estimate of two weeks. The center of his pain is in an area just above his right buttock.

“I’m the one who knows if I’m ready,” he said. “I don’t want to go on the disabled list. If I’m ready before that, I’m going to play.”