Gulls’ Victory Salvages Lost Weekend With Bees

The front office of the Ventura County Gulls had hoped the four games this weekend against the San Jose Bees would be moneymakers.

Plenty of people would pay to watch the birds and the Bees, the thinking went, especially considering that San Jose’s roster was dotted with an intriguing collection of former major leaguers.

But Steve Howe, Derrel Thomas, Mike Norris and Fernando Arroyo didn’t last long enough to make it to Ventura. Their absences, particularly Howe’s, gave the stands Saturday at Ventura College the appearance of a honeycomb.

Only 747 paid to see the Gulls defeat the Bees, 6-2, behind home runs by Rob Ducey and Domingo Martinez.

The hoped-for sellout never materialized. No Howe, no way.

“Howe’s suspension cost us a few thousand dollars,” Gull Owner Ken McMullen said. “We’ve been getting roughly 200 bodies a game the last week. It’s been disappointing and we hoped to really pack them in this weekend.”

Harry Steve, president and manager of the Bees, is serving a two-week suspension of his own for pitching Howe last week in defiance of an order by the National Assn. of Professional Baseball Leagues. Howe has been suspended by Baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth for reported problems in Howe’s drug rehabilitation. Howe was 2-1 with a 1.97 earned-run average in 10 appearances before the suspension.

Steve said Howe would have started the first game of today’s doubleheader.

“This will be the third start he’s missed,” Steve said. “This has cost me some serious cash. But I knew going in he was a big risk.”

Steve, who always seems to have another ex-big leaguer up his sleeve, said that Vern Ruhle would start today’s first game. Ruhle, 35, pitched for the Cleveland Indians last season and was a longtime member of the Houston Astros.

Ruhle takes the field today along with ex-major leaguers Daryl Sconiers, Ken Reitz and Darryl Cias, none of whom had a significant impact on Saturday’s outcome. Rather, several Gulls who might well be prefaced as future, not former, major leaguers, were outstanding.

Ducey, who celebrated his 21st birthday Saturday, hit a two-run home run and drove in three runs. He has 11 home runs and 38 runs batted in.

Todd Stottlemyre, two turned 21 last week, improved his record to 7-2 and kept his ERA under 2.00 by allowing one earned run and no walks in seven innings.

Geronimo Berroa tripled and doubled, and Martinez hit a solo home run.

Gull Notes

The Gulls have drawn a total paid attendance of 13,475 in 18 home dates. . . . Although the Gulls haven’t had many promotions, they’ll have an unusual one today. Between games, magician Clark James will attempt an escape from a straitjacket while suspended upside down over home plate. . . . KTIE-TV and Jones Intercable televised Saturday’s game live. The Intercable broadcast was in Spanish.