National League Notes : When You Say Beer, Whitey, You’ve Said It All

When reliever Bruce Sutter signed with Atlanta after last season, the Cardinals supposedly were written off as pennant contenders.

“But when we got Jack Clark after losing Sutter, that made the players feel better,” Manager Whitey Herzog said. “When we got Clark, the players stopped crying in their beers about Sutter . . . excuse me, they stopped crying in their Budweisers.”

Who signs Whitey’s paycheck?

Anheuser-Busch Inc.

John Tudor was 12-11 last year as a Pittsburgh Pirate but won 20 games as a Cardinal this season.

Herzog, hinting that a larger field like Busch Stadium helped Tudor, said: “He’s got a new shortstop, center fielder and left fielder and twenty acres of green he didn’t have behind him last year.”

Add Herzog: He says five players (presumably Ozzie Smith, Vince Coleman, Willie McGee, Tito Landrum and Terry Pendleton, or maybe Andy Van Slyke) have the green light to run as they please.

“They can run on their own until I take the go sign away,” he said. “But the others need the sign. That way, the other team can’t get our signs. But really, I don’t know when they’re going myself. If they’re on third and want to steal home, I might have to take the sign off there, too. We steal if we’re five behind or five ahead.”

One more Herzog add: They say he models his teams to fit his home stadium at the time. In St. Louis, it’s big and it has artificial turf.

“But if I were in Fenway Park, you wouldn’t see this team,” he said.

Former big leaguer Joe Morgan on Cardinal pitcher Joaquin Andujar:

“He’s a little strange. He’s like a little kid. I mean, I care a lot for him. I love him. But he’s really like a little kid. He doesn’t know how to react to you guys (in the media). He takes it personal. But without that little kid in him, he might not have that enthusiasm.”

Add Morgan: He keeps being asked if he’ll manage in the majors, and his name has been linked to the vacancy in Houston, where he used to play.

“I’m going to manage my Wendy’s restaurant in Oakland,” he said “and I’ll keep doing that until the right job comes along.”

Add managing: Latest news is that former Pittsburgh Manager Chuck Tanner will manage the Atlanta Braves. He will meet Friday with Brave owner Ted Turner, who told Gerry Fraley of the Atlanta Constitution-Journal: “I think we can work something out.”

Dodger third baseman Bill Madlock, who played for Tanner in Pittsburgh, said: “Chuck’s a great manager. He’s good for any team. I enjoyed playing for Chuck, and I’ll tell you, Tommy (Lasorda) and Chuck are a lot alike. One’s short and fat. One’s tall and fat.”

Orel Hershiser, today’s Dodger starter, has that outstanding sinker that makes hitters ground out. Consequently, he’d rather pitch in Dodger Stadium, where natural grass can slow those balls up.

“I’m pitching the second game and the sixth game (both in Los Angeles), so I miss that city with the funny grass,” Hershiser said. “I’m kind of glad.”

This wasn’t Bill Russell’s first experience in throwing out a first ball. He said he tossed up the first ball at a charity basketball game last winter in Arma, Kan., near his hometown of Pittsburg.

Russell said it was Executive Vice President Fred Claire’s idea for him to throw out Wednesday’s first ball.

“I thought it was very nice of them to ask me,” said Russell, unable to play in what would have been his sixth playoff series because of blurred vision in his right eye. His vision isn’t getting any better, Russell said, which rules out an appearance in the World Series should the Dodgers get that far.

Russell had the best average of any Dodger against Tudor this season, batting .500 with five hits in 10 trips. In his career, Russell was at .412 (7 for 17).

Times staff writers Mike Downey and Gordon Edes contributed to this story.