Pettis Is Hot, Pushes Ump; Angels Thaw and Win, 7-4

Thursday was the kind of the night that kept baseball out of Canada for a century: Temperatures in the low 40s, winds gusting in the high 40s, players bundled in thermal underwear, baseballs driven to left field that sailed over to right.

Gene Mauch managed seven years under these conditions in Montreal. He couldn’t wait to get out. Jim Slaton once pitched an opening-day game in such weather. He threw his arm out.

The Angels do not harbor good memories of baseball games played north of the border. The other day, Brian Downing had a suggestion for the city fathers about their Exhibition Stadium. “They ought to blow this place up,” Downing said as he shivered by the batting cage. “Get rid of it.”

Exhibition Stadium is still standing, but the Angels are now feeling a bit better about it. For one, they’re out of it, concluding a three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays Thursday night. For another, they were resilient winners, forging ahead through the chill for a 7-4 victory before a crowd of 20,102.

Slaton pitched six teeth-chattering innings to earn the win, the 150th of his career. Downing, unable to arrange the demolition of the ballpark, sabotaged it in other ways--bouncing a ground-rule double into the right-field corner, driving in two runs with another double to left and bringing home one more run with a triple to right.

Only Gary Pettis couldn’t handle it. Pettis got himself thrown out in the second inning by pushing plate umpire John Shulock while disputing a third-strike call. Shulock ejected Pettis immediately and filed a report to American League President Bobby Brown, who will determine if Pettis’ actions warrant a suspension.

Those who made it through from the first inning to the ninth came away with the feeling of true accomplishment. If the elements hadn’t been conquered, they had at least been taken down for a split decision.

“I haven’t played ball in weather like this since I left Jarry Park,” said Mauch, referring to the former home of the Montreal Expos. “There’s not much a manager can do. You let the players play and you watch the pitchers. The conditions are too unpredictable.

“A pitcher makes a perfect pitch and the ball goes over the left- field fence. There’s no strategy in that.”

Slaton made few perfect pitches, just enough good ones to get by. He gave up a three-run home run to Ernie Whitt in the second, walked three and struck out two before being replaced by Terry Forster in the seventh.

Forster announced the return of Slaton from the showers as reporters milled around in the Angel clubhouse. “Here’s the man who just got his 150th win,” Forster yelled. He gestured toward Slaton.

Slaton laughed. “Yeah, I’m right on Sutton’s tail,” he said.

One-hundred-and-fifty victories won’t earn Slaton a bust in the Hall of Fame, but it’s an achievement he regards with pride. “I had a torn rotator cuff in 1980,” Slaton said. “I didn’t know if I would pitch again.”

He remembers when he injured the arm. It was at Exhibition Stadium on a frigid April afternoon--similar, he said, to Thursday evening.

“It was a windy day. The wind-chill factor was down there,” Slaton said. “I made it to the second inning and then I heard something pop in my shoulder. I tried to pitch once more after that and then I missed the whole season.”

Slaton returned to the scene six years later to earn a measure of retribution--with the help of the Angel bullpen.

“Some of my pitches weren’t the greatest,” said Slaton (3-1). “Sometimes out there, I was really fighting. With the cold and the wind, I had a hard time gripping the ball. I couldn’t get the feel of the ball.

“I’m not really happy with the way I pitched, but considering the conditions, I’m satisfied.”

Downing, too, said he was thankful for anything he could get on such a night.

“There’s not a man alive who likes to hit on a day like today,” Downing said. “This is a tough place for outfielders to play--and that worked to my advantage. The first ball, I hit the ball into the wind and it blew away from (Toronto right fielder Jesse) Barfield. The other one to right field, pure and simple, was just me trying to get a man over (to second base). The wind got ahold of it and carried it. A lucky break.”

Angel Notes Gary Pettis’ bumping of plate umpire John Shulock over a called third strike in the second inning usually warrants a suspension, but Manager Gene Mauch doubted Pettis would receive one. “Absolutely no chance,” Mauch said. “The umpire was just as aggressive in his body contact (as Pettis) and he admitted it to me. The umpire was furious because he knows he was right. Gary is struggling a little bit right now and when you’re struggling, you can come unglued. Other than a probable fine, I don’t think there’ll be any action. (Shulock) has to take into consideration that it was a tough night to play; everyone was in a foul mood. It was like a hot night in August. Shulock used to play ball himself. I’m sure he understands.” Maybe not. Said Shulock: “Mauch tells me that (Pettis) is struggling and not hitting right now. Well, I can’t help that, it’s not my problem. I struggle, too, but I don’t blame someone else. The conditions had nothing to do with what he did.” Shulock will file a written report to league President Bobby Brown, as is the requirement when a player is ejected from a game, but said he would not recommend a suspension. “It’s not my business,” he said. “I write down exactly what happened, Dr. Brown takes that and the film and makes his decision. Whatever he decides is fine with me.” . . . Pettis declined to discuss the altercation in detail.