American League Notebook : Reluctant Starter Stieb Tries for Perfect Finish

Dave Stieb, the Toronto pitching ace, is co-authoring a book on his life that will be published here next year. It’s titled: “Tomorrow I’ll Be Perfect.”

Stieb, who acknowledges that his quest for perfection often leads to displays of temper and emotion, may not have to be perfect tonight, but he will have to make a start he would rather have missed.

Kansas City’s 5-3 victory Tuesday night has forced a seventh and decisive game in the playoff for the American League championship.

Stieb will face Bret Saberhagen, the Royals’ Cy Young Award candidate and an undistinguished starter in Game 3. Stieb started Games 1 and 4, permitting only one run and five hits in 14 innings, a demonstration of why and how he won the league ERA crown at 2.48.

Now Stieb will make a second straight start on three days rest, testing an elbow that was tender for much of the second half--and, of course, the Royals.

“I don’t want it. I don’t want to think about it,” Stieb had said of a Game 7 start before the Royals won Tuesday night.

“I just want to win tonight,” he said.

Pressed as to his reaction if it came to Game 7, if he had to start, Stieb said: “My attitude coming into this series is that I just wanted to make the most of the opportunity. I feel I have. If I have to do it again, I’ll do it again.”

Saberhagen remained in the trainers room after Tuesday night’s game and was unavailable for comment. Manager Dick Howser said he would be surprised if the 21-year-old right-hander didn’t rebound from his 4-inning stint of Friday night with a strong effort.

“I don’t think he’s had two bad games in a row,” Howser said. “The good ones usually don’t. They may have a bad game now and then, but they generally come back with three or four good ones.

“That’s what Sabe’s done, at least.”

Crew chief Dave Phillips declined an NBC invitation to appear on a pregame show analyzing the controversial umpiring decisions.

Asked by a reporter to comment on George Bell’s charge that the umpires seem anti-Canadian and anti-Dominican, Phillips said: “Things are said in the heat of the moment. George is a professional. We’re professional. I’m sure he knows we’re doing the best we can. We’re human. We make mistakes. But it doesn’t matter to us who wins or loses. Or how many games it takes.

“The only team we really care about is the one in the blue jackets.”

Add Phillips: The crew chief was involved in another debatable call that went against the Blue Jays in the fourth inning, but it proved to be meaningless.

First baseman Willie Upshaw made a reaching catch of a wide throw from shortstop Tony Fernandez and attempted a sweeping tag of Frank White, who eluded it by putting one foot out of the base line and then stumbling across the first-base bag. Phillips, working first base, called White out, then asked plate umpire Darryl Cousins for assistance. Cousins reversed the call, presumably on the basis that he had a clear view of Upshaw missing the tag.

Ken Harrelson, keeping the White Sox beat writers on edge as he creates a headline a day in his new capacity as White Sox general manager, told the Sun Times that if Carlton Fisk remains in Chicago next year it will be as the regular left fielder, with Joel Skinner the No. 1 catcher.

Harrelson, however, is still waiting word from the Yankees regarding a major trade that would reportedly send Fisk, Tom Seaver and others to New York for Don Baylor, Ron Hassey and others.

Musical Managers: The anticipated return of Tony LaRussa as White Sox manager would deprive Jim Fregosi of that job but Fregosi’s name has also surfaced as a possibility in Pittsburgh, where Joe Torre is being mentioned. Torre is also under consideration in Houston, though the Houston Post has reported that Don Zimmer has the job sewed up. Some baseball people don’t believe that, saying Zimmer is merely a candidate, with the front runner being Russ Nixon, who managed for new Houston General Manager Dick Wagner in Cincinnati.