Baseball : With Streak Behind Him, Molitor Sets Sights on Batting Title

Having missed Joe DiMaggio’s record for hitting in consecutive games, Paul Molitor will now try to catch Wade Boggs.

The Milwaukee Brewers’ designated hitter batted .405 during his 39-game hitting streak, hiking his average from .320 to .365, which tied Boggs for the American League lead.

Going into Saturday’s games, Moltior was hitting .363, two points behind Boggs.

Molitor’s name does not appear among the league leaders, however, since he has missed 44 games because of injuries and lacks the required number of plate appearances. Molitor had 377 through Friday and ultimately needs 502, which he should reach by mid-September. He may, therefore, give Boggs, who has won two straight batting titles and three overall, some competition for the 1987 crown.

Said Molitor, who has been on the disabled list 9 times in 10 seasons: “I’ve never been a goal-setter, mainly because of injuries. You can end up with more disappointment than you can handle. If I’m able to remain in the lineup on a regular basis, I’d like to think I could remain on a pace close to this (his .405). But my main concern is to play on a regular basis. I’ve had all too much experience being deflated on that basis.

“In fact, we’ve been joking as to what’s the greatest accomplishment, hitting in that many games in a row or playing in that many. If at the end of the season I have a chance to compete with Wade, I’ll focus on it at that time.”

Molitor’s streak was the latest addition to a bizarre Brewer season. Milwaukee won its first 13 games, including a no-hitter by Juan Nieves, and was 20-3. Then the Brewers lost 12 straight and 18 of 20, giving back all they had gained.

But through Friday, the Brewers were on a roll again, having gone 28-15 since the All-Star break. The Detroit Tigers, at 27-14, were the only American League team with a better winning percentage over that period.

Said Tiger Manager Sparky Anderson, reflecting on a race in which the Tigers, Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees are running ahead of the Brewers: “Keep an eye on ‘em. They’ll unseat one of us. They’ll finish ahead of one of us.”

Hal McRae turned down an opportunity to manage the Kansas City Royals over the final 36 games of the 1987 season because it struck him as tokenism. He wanted the security of a three-year contract, which the Royals wouldn’t offer.

“I want a fair shot,” he said. “I didn’t think I could get that in 36 games, especially 36 games at the end of the season. You’ve got to remember the club hasn’t done that well this season and has been very inconsistent. (Management) wanted a miracle, and I wanted Fort Knox.”

John Wathan, who had been managing the Royals’ Triple-A Omaha farm club, said he had been a second choice throughout his catching career and was conditioned to it.

“I have enough confidence in my ability to feel I’ll do a good job in the last 36 games and come back next year,” he said.

The lethargic Royals, still alive in a pathetic division, are hoping to catch lightning in a bottle. Billy Gardner, the fired manager had done nothing to shake up the team.

“Billy is a great guy, one of the nicest in the game, but sometimes a manager has to get tough,” third baseman George Brett said. “He never did.”

Don’t blame owner Marge Schott or her St. Bernard, Schottzie, for the collapse of the Cincinnati Reds, who went from five games up in the National League West to five down in a three-week span through Friday.

Discouraged? “To say the least,” Schott said.

Responsible? On that point, Schott seemed to abdicate her role as the big shot in the organization.

“The only good thing about it is, if it doesn’t turn out, it’s not my fault,” she said. “I’ve told that to Bill and Pete many times.”

Schott referred to General Manager Bill Bergesch and Manager Pete Rose.

“You have to find ways to put emotion into them,” she said of the players. “I say, that’s the baseball people’s job. It should be Pete and Bergesch doing that.”

More than emotion, the Reds have needed a starting pitcher.

On Wednesday, they acquired left-hander Dennis Rasmussen from the New York Yankees but gave up a pitcher, Bill Gullickson, to get him.

Rose’s refusal to part with Kurt Stillwell, his second baseman of the future, is said to have thwarted deals with the Pittsburgh Pirates for Rick Reuschel and with the San Diego Padres for Dave Dravecky or Eric Show. Both Reuschel and Dravecky are now with the San Francisco Giants.

Schott is said to control finances, but Rose has the final word on personnel. Two scouts are now following the Kansas City Royals in the hope of swinging a trade for Danny Jackson or Mark Gubicza, but the price is again likely to be Stillwell, considering the Royals’ problems at shortstop.

In the meantime:

--Veteran Mario Soto, a possible remedy for the Reds’ needs, is ready to test a sore shoulder that has kept him on the disabled list since May 22, but he is demanding to do it by stepping directly into a September start, rather than pitching a simulated game that the club believes is essential. Soto has been pitching in the minor leagues this month.

--Schott continues to try her own remedies, sending the team a good-luck cake from Schottzie and posting an inspirational message from an 83-year-old fan on the clubhouse bulletin board.

“I’m going to try and think of anything to start a fire under the team--whether it’s cute or not,” she said.

Pennant insurance does not always pay.

Joe Niekro and Steve Carlton are a combined 4-10 with the Minnesota Twins, who are 5-14 in games they have started. Steve Trout is 0-4 with the Yankees, who are 1-5 in games he has started.

Phil Niekro is 0-3 in his two starts with the Blue Jays.

Doyle Alexander, on the other hand, is 2-0 with the Tigers, who are 3-0 in games he has started.

And the Giants have prospered because of the recent addition of Dravecky, 4-2; Don Robinson, 2-0 with 4 saves; Craig Lefferts, 1-3 with 3 saves, and Reuschel, 1-0. That’s a combined record of 8-5 with seven saves.

Manager Roger Craig, alluding to Giant president Al Rosen: “I told Al he’s done his job, now it’s up to me.”

Jeffrey Leonard, the Giant outfielder who fought with teammates Dan Gladden in 1985 and Jim Gott in ‘86, had a brief shoving match with Will Clark Tuesday in Philadelphia. Noting that promoter Don King had attended the next night’s game there, Leonard said:

“He’s not here to negotiate a boxing match. He’s not here to see no baseball game. He’s here to negotiate with the Hac-Man (Leonard) and Bonecrusher Clark.”

Said Houston Astros’ Manager Hal Lanier: “The Giants have added some pitchers, but we’ve added one, too.”

He meant Bob Knepper, who has won 3 straight and 5 of his last 6 decisions after going 1-10 in his previous 13 starts.

Lanier and General Manager Dick Wagner are said to be at odds on several issues, particularly Wagner’s refusal or inability to improve the Astros’ bench.

Manager Dick Williams of the Seattle Mariners believes that the Minnesota Twins have a spy planted in the center-field bleachers at the Metrodome and are stealing signs, a key reason for their success at home.

“A hitter looks past the pitcher, say, for a guy in a red shirt,” Williams said. “If the guy has a hat on, it’s a fastball. If the guy takes his hat off, it’s a breaking ball. It’s really very easy.”

The Twins seem to need more than a spy. Their basic problem remains starting pitching. In losing 9 of 10 games through Friday, the starters worked a total of only 53 innings--an average of slightly more than five a game--and allowed 75 hits and 49 earned runs.

Carlton (1-4) has been dropped from the rotation, and the Twins, 18-24 since the All-Star break through Friday, will attempt to survive with a four-man rotation of Frank Viola, Bert Blyleven, Les Straker and Niekro.

Said General Manager Andy MacPhail: “There’s no sense making lazy circles now, like vultures over a carcass. We’re going to be all right. We’re the team to beat.”

The Oakland A’s September relief load will fall on the young and untested Eric Plunk, who throws his fastball more than 90 m.p.h. but hasn’t always known where it was going, and veteran Dennis Eckersely, who picked up his 11th save Saturday.

Relief ace Jay Howell is out for the season. He will have arthroscopic surgery Tuesday for the removal of bone chips from his elbow, having blown five of his last six save opportunities while attempting to pitch with the condition.

Said Howell: “I could have made the decision earlier, but I wouldn’t have felt right. It’s easier now because my arm is sore and I’ve been regressing.”

Don Sutton, on the new and persistent charges that he scuffs the ball: “I take my job very seriously and get tired off all this. I’ve been investigated more than Richard Nixon.”