Hershiser Wings It to Million : Dodger Pitcher Gets Arbitration Victory While Flying to Camp

Dodger pitcher Orel Hershiser, who had boarded the team’s chartered flight to Dodgertown Thursday morning in Los Angeles, landed on Millionaires’ Row when he stepped off the plane here late Thursday afternoon.

While in transit, Hershiser--who has won 30 big-league games--was awarded $1 million in salary for 1986 by arbitrator Howard Block, who decided in favor of the 27-year-old pitcher in his case against the Dodgers. The Dodgers had submitted a bid of $600,000 at Wednesday’s hearing.

“It was a big relief,” said Hershiser, who was informed by reporters of his seven-figure windfall.

“I hadn’t been sleeping too well. You can see the bags under my eyes. I’ve been dreaming of numbers the last week.”

When Hershiser spun his personal wheel of fortune, he was thinking of numbers never imagined by game-show host Pat Sajak. In winning, Hershiser becomes the second Dodger pitcher who will be paid at least $1 million this season. Fernando Valenzuela, who signed a three-year, $5.5-million contract last Saturday, will be paid $1.6 million this season.

If it’s possible to have a well-heeled set of arms, the Dodgers have it. Manager Tom Lasorda will be able to call upon a $4.925-million starting rotation in 1986. The Dodgers claim they have the best starting pitching in baseball; they almost certainly have the richest.

The pecking order, after Valenzuela and Hershiser: Jerry Reuss, $900,000; Rick Honeycutt, $725,000, and Bob Welch $700,000. And that doesn’t include Alejandro Pena, who will be making about $400,000 while attempting to recover from last winter’s shoulder surgery.

Reuss, in the third year of a five-year contract, is in line to collect his million in 1988, assuming that the Dodgers choose to exercise their option on the last year of his contract.

When Hershiser arrived here for spring training two years ago, he was projected as a possible addition to the Dodger bullpen. He earned $47,000 in 1984.

When he arrived here for workouts that will begin today for Dodger pitchers, catchers and non-roster players, Hershiser had been thrust into the company of Valenzuela, Dwight Gooden and Bret Saberhagen, three Cy Young Award winners.

Not coincidentally, Hershiser’s attorney, Robert Fraley, invoked the names of those three pitchers when he presented his case to arbitrator Block.

Gooden and Saberhagen, who parallel Hershiser in length of big-league service, were both enriched last week. Gooden signed for $1.32 million, and Saberhagen won $925,000 in his arbitration case.

Hershiser said that Dodger attorney Bob Walker had been very fair in arbitration. “He stated a good case based on length of service,” Hershiser said. “We rebutted with the fact that we felt there were precedents set by Fernando (who won $1 million after his second season) and Gooden. Over two years, we felt we were in that range.”

Hershiser had a 19-3 record last season, winning his last 11 decisions, and led the Dodgers in wins. His earned-run average of 2.03 was third in the National League, behind only Gooden and John Tudor of the St. Louis Cardinals.

He also tied for third with five shutouts and was unbeaten at Dodger Stadium with a record of 11-0. He threw two one-hitters, a two-hitter and a three-hitter. His two-year record was 30-11.

“Our brief had a lot of ifs to it,” Hershiser said. “ If Saberhagen wins or loses (his case), if Fernando wins or loses, if Gooden wins or loses.

“When those guys settled or won high amounts, it made our case a lot stronger.”

Hershiser said the Dodgers made several offers before the hearing but never went as high as $900,000.

“The way we looked at the numbers, we had a good case, and they had to get close to that million mark,” he said.

Hershiser said no blood-letting took place in the hearing.

“(The Dodgers) didn’t slander me or try to knock me down,” Hershiser said.

And had he lost?

“Win or lose, I had told Jamie (his wife), ‘I’m going to go out and give my best effort.’

“It’s always great to be awarded that amount of money, but if I’d gotten the $600,000, I would have told the Dodgers I was going to do my best.”

The Dodger reaction?

“More power to him,” Vice President Al Campanis said Thursday night. “You’ll never hear the Dodgers complain.”