Baseball Playoffs : National: San Francisco vs. St. Louis : Giants’ Jose Uribe Ready to Prove He Can Play Baseball

Jose Uribe, the other shortstop in the National League playoffs, wants to prove he belongs in the land of Oz.

Uribe, the only player San Francisco kept from the trade that sent Jack Clark to St. Louis, began the series Tuesday night in Ozzie Smith’s shadow.

“People are thinking I’m not ready for this,” Uribe said. “They’ll find out I can play baseball.”

Facing an identity crisis is not new for him. Shortly after joining the Giants in 1985, he changed his name from Jose Gonzalez to Uribe, his mother’s maiden name. He did it because two other shortstops in pro ball were called Jose Gonzalez, prompting then-San Francisco coach Rocky Bridges to say, “Jose is the original player to be named later.”

Despite the most common last name in the United States, everyone knows Smith. He is the Wizard.

One of the best shortstops of all-time, he enjoyed his finest all-around season for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Smith committed just 10 errors, matching his fewest in 10 years. He hit a career-high .303 with 75 runs batted in--without a homer--and stole 43 bases.

“Based on everything, I would have to say this was my best season,” Smith said. He took a .247 lifetime average into this year and had never hit above .280.

Smith won his fifth straight Gold Glove in 1986 with a .978 fielding percentage. That was one point higher than the guy who finished second, Uribe.

This season, Uribe may also have had his best year, although few outside the Giants know it.

After batting .230 in his first two seasons with San Francisco, he hit .291 from the eighth spot in the lineup despite a 1-for-46 slump after the All-Star break. He had five home runs and 30 runs-batted in.

Uribe had 13 errors and helped the Giants make a major league-leading 183 double plays, a franchise record. He has grounded into only three double plays in 794 career at-bats, making him the toughest player to double in the past two seasons.

“As much as I love Ozzie, he’s no better than this kid,” San Francisco Manager Roger Craig said.

Defense should play a major role in the best-of-seven series. The Cardinals tied for the fewest errors in the league with 116 and were second to San Francisco with 172 double plays. The Giants made 129 errors, although Uribe’s strong arm could cut down the number of St. Louis infield hits.

No one questions Smith’s fielding skills and quick release, although some purists say the artificial turf at Busch Stadium makes it easier by providing truer bounces.

The Cardinals, who deplore Candlestick Park, claim the infield grass in the Giants’ park is so high that it slows down balls.

A good performance by Uribe in the playoffs--he hit .345 against the Cardinals this season--could enhance the Giants’ chances and his own image. In 1985, unheralded Buddy Biancalana became a nationally known figure when he outplayed Smith and Kansas City won the World Series.

Smith, however, has excelled in league playoffs. He batted .556 in the victory over Atlanta in 1982 and was Most Valuable Player in the 1985 series when St. Louis beat Los Angeles.

“This is a great opportunity to show the world what I can do, especially the people in St. Louis,” Uribe said. “When they traded me, they never thought I would be the starting shortstop for three years.”

Uribe, originally signed by the New York Yankees but released before playing with them, spent four seasons in the Cardinals’ minor-league system and reached the majors for eight games in late 1984. Most of his time in the majors was spent watching Smith work and talking to him about the position.

On Feb. 1, 1985, the Giants traded Clark to St. Louis for pitcher Dave LaPoint, outfielders David Green and Gary Rajsich and Gonzalez-Uribe. Green and LaPoint later rejoined the Cardinals and Rajsich was released.

“It was a chance for me to play,” Uribe said. “I knew if I stayed in St. Louis, I would have to move to third base or second base.”

The Giants gave him the starting shortstop job and Uribe’s defense carried him. Last year, he teamed with second baseman Robby Thompson for one of the best double-play combinations in baseball.

Uribe hit just .223 in 1986, although he batted .303 with runners in scoring position. That statistic dropped to .239 this year but his overall average increased.

“I can do better,” Uribe said. “I just kept trying harder, and it worked.”