Spring Training / Roundup : Boggs Forced to Wait for Arbitration Ruling

Boston Red Sox third baseman Wade Boggs, who is seeking an unprecedented $1.85-million contract through arbitration, must wait until today or Monday for a decision.

Arbitrator Thomas Roberts, a labor lawyer from California, listened to the Red Sox and Boggs’ attorneys during a four-hour hearing in New York Friday but didn’t announce his decision Saturday, as expected. Arbitration decisions are normally handed down the day after the hearings.

“This is really disappointing,” Boggs said. “This (the hearing) bothers me. I was very displeased I had to go through with it.”

Boston offered $1.35 million to Boggs, the 1985 major league batting champion with a .368 average. He is seeking a raise of $850,000 over his 1985 pay, awarded during arbitration last year.

“Every other player who had big years was signed by their club,” Boggs said. “I wasn’t, and I’ll probably have to go through this whole thing (arbitration) again next year.

“We worked to avoid this since the end of (last) season, but the two sides couldn’t work it out. I’m very disappointed, I really am.”

Boston General Manager Lou Gorman argued that Boggs does not have the history of repeated accomplishment to deserve a salary in the $1.5- to $2-million range.

“We brought up players like (Atlanta’s Dale) Murphy, (Kansas City’s George) Brett, (Philadelphia’ Mike) Schmidt and (the New York Yankees’ Dave) Winfield, and tried to show Boggs hasn’t accomplished what they have and doesn’t deserve to be paid as they are,” Gorman said.

Boggs has batted .349, .361, .325 and .368 in his four seasons in the majors.

When the New York Yankees took the field at Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for their second official spring training workout of pitchers and catchers, the manager was late.

But there was not even a hint of controversy regarding Lou Piniella’s tardiness, unlike in other years, particularly when Billy Martin was at the helm.

The new Yankee manager was at a speaking engagement Friday in Tampa, Fla., at which Yankee principal owner George Steinbrenner also was in attendance. The engagement lasted longer than anticipated, forcing Piniella to miss the last scheduled flight out of Tampa for Fort Lauderdale.

Then, in his efforts to fly back Saturday morning, Piniella was further frustrated by fog in the Tampa area that delayed all flights. He finally got a private plane to fly him back and arrived shortly after pitchers and catchers took the field for calisthenics.

Joaquin Andujar was the only notable absentee when Oakland A’s pitchers and catchers opened spring training with a four-hour workout at Phoenix Stadium.

There were 21 pitchers and six catchers in uniform as Manager Jackie Moore began his second season.

Andujar, acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals during the winter, has permission from management to arrive from his home in the Dominican Republic on March 1.

Moore said most positions on the A’s roster are filled. He is looking for a No. 2 catcher, a fifth starter and three middle relievers.

Atlanta Braves Manager Chuck Tanner said at West Palm Beach, Fla., that he has selected Rick Mahler to pitch the club’s season opener but has made no other decisions about the pitching staff.

“Rick Mahler is my opening night starter. He earned it last year and deserves it after the kind of year he had,” Tanner said after putting pitchers and catchers through a 3 1/2-hour spring training workout.

Mahler led the Braves in most pitching categories last season, including victories (17), earned-run average (3.48), innings pitched (266) and starts (39).

Meanwhile, the whereabouts of pitcher Pascual Perez remained a mystery Saturday.

The Braves were notified Friday that Perez was ill, and on Saturday they were told that he is having problems with the U.S. consulate in his native Dominican Republic.

Regulars Terry Pendleton, Andy Van Slyke and Tito Landrum were early arrivals and worked out with 18 pitchers and six catchers as the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals held their first workout at St. Petersburg, Fla.

“I know who my No. 1 and No. 2 starters are,” Manager Whitey Herzog said, referring to John Tudor and Danny Cox. “I’ve got to come up with 3, 4 and 5.”

The candidates for the last three jobs include 10-game winner Kurt Kepshire, nine-game winner Bob Forsch, Ricky Horton, Rick Ownbey and Tim Conroy, who was acquired from Oakland in the Joaquin Andujar trade.