Dodgers to Try Bowling Over the Cardinals

The mementos of October are usually preserved at Cooperstown.

But should the Dodgers defeat the Cardinals in the National League playoffs that begin today at Dodger Stadium, Pedro Guerrero may have something to donate not to baseball’s Hall of Fame but to the archivists who work across the street from Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

As any fan of Earl Anthony could tell you, that’s where the Bowling Hall of Fame and Museum is located. Guerrero probably couldn’t tell you the difference between a bowling alley and Tin Pan Alley, but that didn’t keep him from showing up at Dodger Stadium Tuesday wearing a bowling glove on his left hand.

Yes, a bowling glove, a simple leather strap that fits over the thumb and wraps around the hand and which the Dodgers hope will give support to a sprained left wrist that has all but robbed Guerrero of his power.

Guerrero, who missed 17 games after suffering the injury on Sept. 7, has had exactly two extra-base hits--a double and home run--and six RBIs in the 13 games since he returned.

And even though Mike Marshall had a monstrous last five weeks--11 home runs and 39 RBIs in September-October, a one-month total exceeded in L.A. Dodger history only by Frank Howard (41 in August, 1962)--the Dodgers probably cannot afford the absence of Guerrero’s elephant gun against the Cardinal conejos , whose 314 stolen bases put them on Fleet Street this season.

“Pete says it’s not any worse,” said Dodger trainer Bill Buhler, “but it’s not any better, either.”

The bowling-glove idea was Buhler’s, who originally suggested it when Manny Mota was still playing for the Dodgers and suffered an injury similar to Guerrero’s. Mota, now the Dodger batting coach, liked it so much that he wore it for the next 10 years.

“It really helped me,” Mota said. “I didn’t turn the wrist over. It gave me wrist control and a lot of protection.”

Guerrero remained unconvinced after batting practice. “We’ll have to wait and see,” he said, making no promises that the glove will remain on when the games begin today--assuming, of course, that the rain that is forecast doesn’t materialize and cancel things.

No one expects the Cardinals to pause for a moment before pushing the pedal to the metal. If Ella Fitzgerald isn’t careful, they may even steal a few notes from the national anthem.

That’s one reason the Dodger pitchers were practicing their pickoff moves during Tuesday’s workout .

“Just a review,” scoffed Orel Hershiser, scheduled to start Game 2 on Thursday. “Wouldn’t a writer review the alphabet before he sat down to write?”

For the Dodgers to slow down the Cardinals, it won’t be as simple as A-B-C. No one is more aware of that than Dodger catcher Mike Scioscia, who threw out just one of 13 Cardinal baserunners this season.

There was some thought that Steve Yeager, whose cousin Chuck was the first man to crack the sound barrier, might be nominated by Manager Tom Lasorda to try to keep the Cardinals under Mach 1. Yeager may be old (37) and ornery and creaking around the joints--he’s got enough screws in his left knee to open a hardware store--but he still managed to throw out 4 of 10 Cardinals.

“Scioscia will be my catcher,” said Lasorda, not willing to sacrifice Scioscia’s bat (.296 average to Yeager’s .207).

That, of course, made Scioscia the center of much of the media attention Tuesday. He even got a little advice from Hall of Famer Johnny Bench.

“The first time you get on base, go,” Bench said to Scioscia. “As soon as it looks like the pitcher’s hands drop down there, take off.”

Said Scioscia, who has three stolen bases this season: “I’ve got to go as soon as he drops the resin bag.”

The Cardinal pitcher who won’t be keeping an eye on Scioscia today is left-hander John Tudor, the Halley’s Comet of the ’85 baseball season.

Tudor, a 31-year-old journeyman who had spent a career of winning about as many games as he lost, was 1-7 on May 29. Then he won 20 of his last 21 decisions, the only loss being a 3-0 setback to the pitcher he’s facing today, left-hander Fernando Valenzuela, in one of seven wins the Dodgers had in 12 regular-season games against the Cardinals.

“He’s the same pitcher, no different with the Cardinals than he was with the Pirates,” said Bill Madlock, who was a teammate of Tudor’s in Pittsburgh last season, when the pitcher was an ordinary 12-11.

“The difference is he has Ozzie Smith and (Tommy) Herr and Willie McGee and (Vince) Coleman to run down everything and get anything on the field.

“I think he’ll tell you he’s got the same sinker and changeup, but Ozzie Smith will save you a few games.”

Tudor wasn’t in the mood to tell the media much of anything in a pregame press conference, which traditionally features the managers and starting pitchers of both teams.

Asked to describe the evolution of his changeup, his most effective pitch, Tudor answered: “It’s always been a good pitch for me. . . . If you want to know how I pitch, come out tomorrow and find out.”

Another writer asked if Tudor wouldn’t mind re-telling the story of how a high school friend spotted a flaw in his delivery while watching on TV. Tudor said he minded.

Is the story true, the writer asked.

“It’s true,” Tudor said, “but I’m just tired of going into it.”

Just like that, the Tudor part of the interview ended. “I don’t know why you brought me in here if you weren’t going to ask any questions,” he muttered on his way out.

As usual, however, Manager Whitey Herzog was in a more expansive mood. For one thing, Herzog dismissed the notion that this is a good time to be facing Valenzuela, for the pitcher has won just once in the last five weeks.

“I got to manage the Cardinals,” Herzog said. “Tommy Lasorda manages the Dodgers, and I don’t think he’d send Valenzuela out there if he didn’t think he could beat us.

“He (Lasorda) has got one guy who is 19-3 (Hershiser), another who is 14-4 (Welch). If he didn’t think Valenzuela was his best pitcher, he wouldn’t be out there.”

As much as Herzog respects Valenzuela, though, he doesn’t always get his name right. At one point, Herzog referred to him as “Orlando.”

By any name, Valenzuela was the only Dodger pitcher to win a game in the 1983 playoffs, when the Dodgers lost in four games to the Philadelphia Phillies. That was a best three-of-five set; baseball has gone to a best-of-seven format this season.

“I think we were beaten by experience in ‘83,” said Marshall, who was a rookie that year and had two hits in 15 at-bats. Greg Brock, also a rookie that season, went 0 for 9 against the Phillies.

“I don’t know if it’s because we were intimidated, or just happy to be there,” Marshall said. “Maybe we just got beat on the field.”

“This will be different. I don’t know if the result will be any different, but as far as being prepared, we know what’s going to happen. After the season we’ve had, we’ll never be more ready.”

The flag is up.

DODGERS VS. CARDINALS PLAYOFF COMPARISONS

Batter AB R H HR BI BA FIRST BASEMEN Brock, LA 438 64 110 21 66 .251 Clark, StL 442 71 124 22 87 .281 SECOND BASEMEN Sax, LA 488 62 136 1 42 .279 Herr, StL 596 97 180 8 110 .302 SHORTSTOPS Duncan, LA 562 74 137 6 39 .244 Smith, StL 537 70 148 6 54 .276 THIRD BASE Madlock, LA 513 69 141 12 56 .275 Pendleton, StL 559 56 134 5 69 .240 LEFT FIELDERS Guerrero, LA 487 99 156 33 87 .320 Coleman, StL 636 107 170 1 40 .267 CENTER FIELDERS Landreaux, LA 482 70 129 12 50 .268 Maldanodo, LA 213 30 48 5 19 .225 McGee, StL 612 114 21 10 82 .353 RIGHT FIELDERS Marshall, LA 518 72 152 28 95 .293 Van Slyke, StL 424 61 110 13 55 .259 Cedeno, StL 296 38 86 9 49 .291 CATCHERS Scioscia, LA 429 47 127 7 53 .296 Nieto, StL 253 15 57 0 34 .225 Porter, StL 240 30 53 10 36 .221

THE LINEUPS

St. Louis Coleman lf McGee cf Herr 2b Clark 1b Cedeno rf Pendleton 3b Porter c Smith ss Tudor p Dodgers Duncan ss Cabell 1b Madlock 3b Guerrero lf Marshall rf Scioscia c Maldonado cf Sax 2b Valenzuela p