Baseball : Summit Meeting Scheduled This Week Between the Autrys and Reggie

“No problem. Everything will be OK.”

This was the view of Angel owner Gene Autry Saturday as he prepared for a summit later this week not far from the Palm Desert estate of Walter Annenberg, where President Reagan often reflects on matters of state.

“We’ll have breakfast or lunch in a few days,” Autry said. “A lot has been written about basically nothing.”

Autry and his wife, Jackie, will meet with Jackson and agent Gary Walker.

“No problem. Everything will be OK.”

Both sides can be expected to make that public presentation, tenuously ending the accusations and rebuttals that have created the biggest spring headlines. The bottom line, however, is unchanged. The handshakes and congratulations are unlikely to alter some obvious facts:

1. Unless Jackson accepts a contract extension that would give the Angels an option on 1987, he will not get the extension he covets. The unstated concern is that if the Angels extend Jackson, they will soon have Doug DeCinces, Brian Downing and Bob Boone--all in the final year of their respective contracts--hammering on General Manager Mike Port’s door.

2. If offered an equitable proposal, the club would still prefer to trade Jackson, creating these options:

--Brian Downing could be come the designated hitter, opening an outfield berth for promising Devon White.

--Doug DeCinces could become the designated hitter, easing the strain on his suspect back and creating a vacancy at third base for the promising Jack Howell, though Howell has been experiencing a disappointing spring.

Why the desire to trade Jackson, whose 27 home runs and 85 runs batted in led the team in 1985?

That’s not entirely clear, though it seems to be a combination of salary ($975,000), age (40 in May), contract differences and concern about a potentially volatile situation.

Jackson has been a respectable citizen, a hard worker and a solid run producer in three of his four years in Anaheim. He is still a significant gate attraction, but the feeling persists that management is looking only at the aforementioned threats.

It may be that the club is dying to say Jackson is available and that it is receptive to offers but resists for feat of how Jackson might react were he aware of his status.

Of course, Jackson has insisted that he already knows where he stands, that the Autrys and Port made it clear during their winter conversations that he was unwanted.

Reggie may have heard only what he chose to hear as he read between the actual words, but his interpretation of the message seems accurate:

The Angels--despite the cosmetic results of the weekend summit--would like to end the relationship but don’t quite know how to go about it.

What’s evident is that the hints of the winter weren’t enough.

Jackson, in his option year, has proved he’ll take the money before he takes the hint.

Arbitrator Tom Roberts, who ruled Thursday that the San Francisco Giants could include a drug-testing clause in the contract of free-agent infielder Joel Youngblood, is the same arbitrator who will rule on a claim by the Major League Players Assn. that the owners have violated the collective bargaining agreement with the widespread insertion of testing clauses.

Representatives of the union and the owners’ Player Relations Committee will argue the case in New York April 1-3.

Doesn’t the Youngblood ruling set a precedent, forcing Roberts to rule in favor of the owners on the overall grievance?

“We don’t think so,” a union source, requesting anonymity, said. “We feel good about the Youngblood case in that the player is employed again. Was there a contract agreement (before the Giants insisted that Youngblood accept a testing clause)? That was the issue, the case of someone having employment on the basis of an agreement having been reached.

“Roberts said in his decision that the testing clause (in Youngblood’s contract) will be non-enforceable if he finds in the April hearing that the owners have violated the bargaining agreement by inserting them.”

In the absence of a testimonial to Dick Williams from his former players in San Diego, Cincinnati Red Manager Pete Rose offered one:

“I really like Dick Williams. Speaking as a manager, I’m glad he’s out. I think he’s a hell of a manager. He makes it harder for you to win. That’s not meant as disrespect for Steve Boros, but I had the upmost respect for Dick Williams.

“I read about how his players feel about him. I don’t see how they could have felt that way and played the way they did two years ago (winning a National League pennant).

“The guy won in Boston and Oakland and almost won in Montreal. All I know is that everywhere he goes, the people who scalp World Series tickets follow him.”

That sigh of relief came from the St. Louis Cardinals Thursday when shortstop Ozzie Smith, found to have a slight rotator cuff tear three weeks after the World Series, played without pain in his exhibition debut. Smith will play only every other day through the rest of spring but says he has had no discomfort since arriving in Florida.

Asked if there is some way the Wizard of Oz can reduce stress on his shoulder by eliminating the tendency to throw on the run or across his body, Manager Whitey Herzog said:

“You’ll never change that. Ozzie’s been throwing on the run all his life. And he’s not exactly the type guy you send to the minor league base to learn how to play infield.”

Oakland A’s relief ace Jay Howell, getting a late start on spring training because of an Achilles’ tendon injury, does most of his conditioning in swimming pools. He wears goggles and uses a paddle while bending to duplicate the pitching motion in waist-deep water.

Said Howell: “Doing it in public pools is kind of peculiar. People always seem to call security.”

Right-hander Richard Dotson of the Chicago White Sox seems to have fashioned the most remarkable comeback east of Angel infielder Rick Burleson.

Dotson won 22 games as the White Sox won the West Division title in 1983, then slipped to 14-15 in ’84 and 3-4 when he appeared in just nine games in ’85. But he apparently has regained his rotation berth, thanks to an unusual operation.

Dotson had a four-inch strip of muscle removed from his upper chest in July. The muscle was pinching an artery, cutting off circulation to his arm. There was no problem when Dotson held the arm to his side, but it went cold when Dotson raised it in his pitching motion.

Dennis (Oil Can) Boyd, who rejoined the Boston Red Sox recently after his mysterious illness had finally been diagnosed as hepatitis, reported for his first pitching assignment Thursday almost two hours late. Manager John McNamara, whose temper has been frayed by Boyd’s eccentricities, showed uncharacteristic anger.

“He called to say his wife was sick and that he’d be a few minutes late,” McNamara said. “I’m disappointed that it was more than a few minutes. He’s got to learn to adhere. I’m running out of patience.”

McNamara’s patience might have already expired if Boyd hadn’t won 15 games last year, the most by a Boston pitcher since 1979.

Rick Rhoden, who has been promised by the Pittsburgh Pirates that he will be traded before opening day, appears headed for a reunion with former manager Chuck Tanner in Atlanta.

The Braves will reportedly give up pitchers Jeff Dedmon and Rick Camp, infielder Paul Zuvella and outfielder Gerald Perry.

The Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies are also reportedly bidding for Rhoden.

New Pittsburgh Manager Jim Leyland has been lecturing Jose DeLeon on the importance of pitching inside. DeLeon seems to have taken the message literally.

“Pitch inside?” he said. “Does this mean I’m being traded to Houston?”

Pat Sheridan hit .228 and Darryl Motley .222 as Kansas City’s right-field platoon last year.

Now they are trying to prove it was no fluke.

Motley went hitless in his first 23 at-bats of the spring. Sheridan’s first 23 included 11 strikeouts.

The Royals were next to last in the American League in team batting and runs scored last year.

A talented young pitching staff carried the team to a World Series victory and deserved better than to have General Manager John Schuerholz burden it with the same offense. The Royals are still the team to beat in the West, but Schuerholz may have made a fatal mistake in choosing to play a pat hand.

It appears that Pete Incaviglia, who set NCAA records for home runs and runs batted in at Oklahoma State last year, has a good chance of becoming the Texas Ranger left fielder, following Bob Horner and Dave Winfield as the only active players who have jumped directly from college to the majors.

A tough decision?

“It goes against all the grain,” Texas Manager Bobby Valentine said. “Most baseball people preface their comments by saying, ‘You’re not going to keep the kid in the big leagues, are you?’ You wonder if it’s tough?

“It’s my long-term reputation. If he’s rushed and falls on his face I’m going to be the young manager who couldn’t judge the situation.”

Valentine appears to have already made some tough decisions. Five rookies seem to have won spots on a nine-man pitching staff.

They include starters Jose Guzman, Ed Correa and Bobby Witt, and relief pitchers Dwayne Henry and Mitch Williams.

Houston’s Nolan Ryan, who has won only two of his last 20 starts, has failed to get above 88 on the speed gun this spring, the equivalent of a changeup for the man known as The Express.

The Baltimore Orioles, concerned about second baseman Alan Wiggins’ attitude and work habits, have brought in a psychiatrist to meet with him.