National League : New Manager Takes the Heat, As Braves Stay Cold

Back in March, the wise guys who weren’t picking the San Diego Padres to win the National League West were putting their money on the Atlanta Braves, and why not?

The Braves had eight players who were All-Stars at one time, a two-time MVP in Dale Murphy, the best relief pitcher in baseball in Bruce Sutter, a pitcher who once threw a perfect game, Len Barker, and some exciting young players in Brad Komminsk and Gerald Perry.

Plus, they had a new manager in Eddie Haas, who came highly recommended after 27 years of loyal service in their re organization.

But here it is August, and the fifth-place Braves are closer to last place than first in a season in which they never mounted a challenge for the division lead. How to explain it?

You could start with the pitching. The Braves’ staff earned-run average is next-to-last in the league, with Barker and Pascual Perez having one win apiece.

But the consensus in Atlanta is that the Braves’ troubles extend beyond their breakdowns on the mound to the office of the manager. The same Atlanta officials who so enthusuastically endorsed Haas’ promotion from minor-league Richmond last winter are admitting privately that they made a terrible mistake.

And now, speculation is mounting that Brave owner Ted Turner is planning to do something he’s never done before: fire a manager while the season is still in progress.

The players have been circumspect in their public criticism of Haas, although they were sorely tested by last Tuesday’s game in Los Angeles, when Haas left in Terry Forster to give up a game-winning home run to Mike Marshall, instead of summoning Sutter.

“It’s mind-boggling,” Bob Horner of the Braves told Gerry Fraley of the Atlanta Journal and Constitution after that loss.

“Every time we get in a make-or-break situation where you make a decision that either wins or loses the game for you, we do the wrong thing. There’s no continuity.”

After that game, Haas said the reason he didn’t use Sutter was because “he couldn’t pitch every night.” At that time, Sutter had appeared in only four games this month.

Then, two days later, Haas did bring in Sutter, and he gave up a game-winning home run to Terry Whitfield. Damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t.

On the subject of Sutter: Even though he has seven wins and 19 saves, observers during the L.A. series say he is not the dominant pitcher he was with the Cubs and Cardinals. His split-fingered fastball isn’t breaking the way it used to, those people say, and also appears to be five miles-per-hour slower. One Dodger player mentioned that Sutter looks a lot thinner than he used to, as well.

In the past, when Sutter was going bad, he turned to Mike Roarke for advice. But Roarke is the pitching coach for the Cardinals now and can’t help his one-time protege.

Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda, for one, believes Sutter misses his mentor.

“Could be,” Lasorda said. “Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, the greatest golfers that ever were, when they’re having trouble with their mechanics, even they have somebody watch them.

“I think it’s his location that’s hurting him. If he keeps it (the split-fingered fastball) in the right spot, it’s tough to hit.

“It’s like Fernando (Valenzuela). If his screwball isn’t in the right spot, it’s of no value. He (Sutter) has been putting it in the wrong location, getting the ball up.”

Take It Out on the Manager, Part II: When Padre outfielder Kevin McReynolds was benched recently, he unloaded on Padre Manager Dick Williams.

“It’s a little game by Williams,” McReynolds told Tom Friend of The Times. “I guess he’ll play the power game to show who’s boss.

“Well, I’ll give him a little time to play. I may walk in at any minute and say something, I don’t know.

“Am I mad? That would be too satisfying to him. He’s tried to play Mr. Macho before. You know, ‘I run the team and stuff.’ It’s a little game with him.

” . . . If you’ve ever heard the word front-runner, that’s where he sits. If you look at his past, that’s the way it’s been.”

The day McReynolds’ quotes appeared in the paper, he returned to the lineup. Said one Padre: That’s the best description (of Williams) I’ve heard in 25 words or less.”

Who’s counting: The crowd of 2,384 at Candlestick Park Thursday was the smallest to see the Giants in five years, but the Giants were taking it in stride.

“It’s still better than being in my backyard when there’s nobody there,” Coach Rocky Bridges said.

“And anyway, have you ever been to Cleveland? That place holds 76,000 people, and some of the crowds those guys get look like a lineup in a men’s room.

“What are you going to do? If you’re not winning, you’ve got to have Lady Godiva to ride out there to draw anybody.”

Added Giant catcher Bob Brenly: “The fewer people in all those orange seats, the more glare there is. It’s a good thing the sun wasn’t out or we’d have all gone blind.

“At least everyone went home happy. Each and every one got a foul ball.”

What a switch: Willie McGee of the Cardinals, who began Friday night with a league-leading .361 average, has a chance to be the best-hitting switch hitter in league history. The record for highest average by a switch-hitter is shared by Pete Rose, who hit .348 in 1969 for the Reds, and Frankie Frisch, who hit .348 for the Cardinals in 1923.