Ruhle Returns to Throw Shutout at Gulls

After Vern Ruhle had pitched a masterful four-hit shutout in his first game with the San Jose Bees, Mark Bauer sought advice from the 34-year-old veteran of 12 major league seasons.

Bauer, 23, was starting the second game of Sunday’s doubleheader against the Ventura County Gulls and he asked Ruhle how certain hitters ought to be pitched.

Advice from a savvy pitcher is usually sound, and Bauer followed Ruhle’s to complete a sweep of the Gulls, 3-0 and 9-4.

If only Bauer had gone to Ruhle for advice of a different kind before signing a month ago with the Bees, he would be pitching in Double-A ball in the Pittsburgh Pirate organization instead of toiling for $400 a month with the non-affiliated Bees.

The right-hander, like Ruhle, was not offered a contract this spring after working after out with the Oakland A’s. Bauer’s agent, Kevin Jacobson, advised his client not to sign with the Bees, because the contract stipulated that the Bees be paid $10,000 by a major league organization wanting to sign Bauer. Jacobson reasoned that no team would risk the cash for a player with Bauer’s limited success.

Bauer, a former second round draft pick who had pitched in the Oakland organization since 1983, signed anyway with San Jose owner Harry Steve.

Ruhle signed a contract 30 minutes before Sunday’s first game and displayed the guile that Bauer lacked. His contract stipulates that a major league organization wanting his services need not pay a dime to the Bees.

“I had Harry sign my release form before I pitched an inning,” Ruhle said.

Last week, the Pirates asked Steve for permission to sign Bauer and assign him to their Double-A team in Nashau, N.H. Pittsburgh, however, declined to pay the $10,000 and the deal was off.

Bauer, of course, feels stung by the Bees and Steve’s refusal to let him go.

“It screwed me up because that was my big chance,” Bauer said. “Harry didn’t lie to me but he said he’d be fair. It wasn’t that clear.”

Steve is serving a two-week suspension for his part in the Steve Howe controversy and did not attend Sunday’s games. He said Saturday that because former major league pitchers Howe, Mike Norris and Fernando Arroyo have been dropped from the club, the Bees had only eight pitchers until Ruhle signed.

“We’re hurting,” Steve said. “We’ve got no left-handers and are at the point where guys have to go longer than I’d like.”

Jacobson said he hasn’t spoken with Steve.

“He’d just say it’s a business decision,” Jacobson said. “And he’s right. But if a co-op team like the Bees is supposed to have players’ interest in mind, they’d have let him go up.”

Ruhle is the victim of a technicality of a different sort. A major league team that signed him before the June 5 draft would have to compensate the Cleveland Indians, Ruhle’s 1985 team, with a second or third round pick.

Ruhle, who struck out eight and faced only four batters over the minimum on Sunday, believes he will be signed after the draft, when the compensation condition is dropped.

“I’ll probably pitch two or three more games here,” Ruhle said. “I’m here because my real feeling is that I belong in the major leagues. I need an opportunity. I won’t be too selective.”

Ruhle has a lifetime record of 66-85 with three major league teams and was a 2-10 last season with Cleveland.

None of the four Gull hits off Ruhle were sharply struck. Geronimo Berroa singled to left in the second, Jim Bishop blooped a double to left in the third, Luis Reyna grounded a double down the left-field line in the fourth and Rob Ducey had an infield single in the sixth.

Ducey hit his 12th home run of the season, a two-run shot, off Bauer in the third inning of the second game and later singled to improve his average to .335. The left-handed hitting outfielder, who turned 21 on Saturday, leads the league in hits with 55 and total bases with 108. He also stole his 15th base Sunday.

“Rob has one of the sweetest swings I’ve seen,” Gull Manager Glenn Ezell said. “He’s gonna move up in a hurry.”

Bauer (3-0) allowed five hits and two earned runs over five innings to record the win in the second game.

Daryl Sconiers doubled, tripled, scored two runs and drove in one to lead the Bees in the first game. Sconiers also singled home a run in the first inning of the second game.

Also in the second game, Ken Reitz delivered the key blow for the Bees in a six-run sixth inning. The former St. Louis Cardinal singled off William Shanks to tie the score, 3-3, then scored the winning run when Gull catcher Francisco Cabrera dropped a fair pop fly off the bat of Mickey Yamano.

Shanks (1-2), who has eight saves, was the victim of three Gull errors in one-third of an inning.

Gull Notes

Bees pitcher Vern Ruhle faced Gull owner Ken McMullen when both played in the American League in 1976. Neither could recall the outcome of their meeting, but McMullen said, “Vern has always been respected for having one of the best breaking balls in baseball.” . . . San Jose first baseman Daryl Sconiers played in the California League with Salinas in 1979 before joining the California Angels . . . Ken Reitz of the Bees was the starting National League third baseman in the 1980 all-star game. . . . Bee catcher Darryl Cias, who was with the Oakland A’s for a short time in 1983, attended Kennedy High. . . . There are eight players and one umpire in the California League with names pronouned Darryl, but they are spelled six different ways. . . . The Bees had five former major league players in their lineup for Sunday’s first game. There are 142 former California League players on major league teams, which represents 25% of all major league players, according to California League statistician Bill Weiss . . . Cal State Northridge baseball coach Terry Craven attended a Gulls game recently with Matador sophomore catcher Scott McIntyre. Comparing the caliber of NCAA Division II ball with the Class-A California League, Craven said: “The big difference is that in Class-A every player is a big league prospect. Teams might have 10 or more good pitchers. In Division II, we have three or four position players and two or three pitchers per team that can play at this level.” . . . Omar Malave, who started the first 31 games at third base for the Gulls, has been benched in favor of Jim Bishop. Demoted from Knoxville (Double-A) last week, Bishop is 6 for 15 with the Gulls. Malave is hitting .204 with no home runs and 9 RBIs.