Baseball Notes : Fast Runner and Fast Thrower Speed Youth Movement for Yankees

With Jack Clark scheduled to miss at least the first three weeks of the regular season, the New York Yankees won’t immediately have their murderers’ row of a lineup together. But don’t cry for them.

This has been a tremendous spring for the Yankees, one in which they’ve discovered that two of their young farm hands may be ready not only to contribute, but to star.

First, there’s rookie Roberto Kelly, 23, a speedster who has hit over .300 and appears to have won the center field job. He’s not only big, strong and fast, but his instincts in the outfield are almost perfect.

Manager Billy Martin plans to bat him ninth, which would have him just in front of leadoff man Rickey Henderson. “If the balk rule is enforced,” Martin said, “Henderson and Kelly both may steal 100 bases.”

The other phenom is left-hander Al Leiter, 22, who came here with only an outside chance of making the club. He has made it. Whitey Ford has taken Leiter under his famous left wing, and the results have been 10 straight scoreless innings. Leiter’s 95-mph fastball now usually clocks in at about 92, but he has added a big, slow curveball that has hitters almost tripping over themselves.

He has earned a spot in the rotation behind Rick Rhoden, John Candelaria and Richard Dotson. And when Ron Guidry recovers from shoulder problems, Guidry will work from the bullpen.

Add Yankees: Martin, the master of the psychological tactic, is having his pitcher’s take batting practice throughout the season. “Why?” he asks as if the answer is obvious. “They have to hit in the World Series, and we’re not here thinking we’re not going to be there.”

The Toronto Blue Jays approached the Orioles about pitcher Mike Boddicker last week and were told that Baltimore wanted shortstop Manny Lee and left-hander John Cerutti. The Blue Jays say they can’t trade Lee because they’re unsure about Tony Fernandez’s recovery from elbow surgery. If the trade had been made, the Orioles would have moved Cal Ripken Jr. to third and made Lee their shortstop.

Boddicker may not be so important to the Blue Jays if early reports about Dave Stieb are correct. After two disappointing seasons, Stieb apparently has regained what was once the best slider in the game.

The Los Angeles Dodgers were scheduled to hear FBI officers talk about the dangers of drugs and gambling on Thursday. The meeting had to be delayed 15 minutes while players finished their clubhouse NCAA basketball pool.

With their new stadium plan again on hold, the Chicago White Sox have had discussions with Tampa-St. Petersburg officials about relocating into the new Suncoast domed stadium, which is under construction.

The Whitey Herzog File: On why he has changed his mind about having Bob Horner on his team -- “You can hit almost anyone in that (cleanup) spot, and you’ll get 100 RBI if those other guys are getting on base as frequently as they should be. I guarantee if Horner hits .275 (his career average) and stays healthy, he’ll drive in 100 runs whether he hits two home runs or 20.” More Whitey: “Everybody asks me how we’re going to beat the Mets. Why don’t they ask me how they’re going to beat us? Haven’t we won two of the last three years? They’ve got a very good team, but there’s more than one good team in this division, and we’re one of them.” Still more Whitey, this after sending pitcher Cris Carpenter, last year’s No. 1 draft pick, to the minors: “He pitched eight scoreless innings down here, threw 92 mph and got the ball over the plate. I told him, ‘Son, I’m not used to sending out pitchers before they’ve given up a run.’ ”

The Dodgers are wondering about their new bullpen. First, Jay Howell left a game with back spasms last week, and every few days they get to watch ex-Met Jesse Orosco get pounded. As the weekend began, Orosco had been in six games and allowed eight earned runs, 11 hits and eight walks in 10 innings.

After being called for three balks in a game this week, Kansas City’s Charlie Leibrandt began holding the ball for at least five seconds before pitching from the stretch. The rule is that pitchers must come to a complete stop, and Leibrandt said he would now make his stops long ones.

“If they want long games, then that’s what they’re going to get,” he said. “I’ll just keep holding onto the ball. If they want a circus, they’ll get a circus.”

The Royals will have five players with base salaries of $1 million or more, and their projected 24-man roster will have one of the highest average salaries in the game-$501,365. Club officials say they need to draw around 2.1 million fans just to break even.

Willie Hernandez’s save total dropped from 24 to eight last season, and he was on the disabled list twice. By the end of last season, he was buried in Tigers’ Manager Sparky Anderson’s bullpen, and Hernandez admits his poor physical condition was partly to blame. He showed up this year having worked hard, and his slider has been as good as it was in his Cy Young year of 1984.

His main problem now appears to be regaining the acceptance of the fans at Tiger Stadium, and club officials privately say that one of the keys to their season may be when players are announced for the home opener.

“I’m not scared about it,” Hernandez said. “Whether I can handle it or not, I’m not sure. I thought I had it under control last year, but I didn’t. The only thing I want the people to know is that I’m not perfect. I’m throwing good in spring training, trying to do my best. My attitude is good. ... I want to prove to myself that Willie Hernandez is not finished yet.”

The Montreal Expos got a scare last week when their plane to Puerto Rico had to return to Miami because birds were sucked into one of the jet’s engines. When the announcement about the turnaround was announced, Tim Raines immediately inflated his life jacket. The flight crew was not amused.

San Diego taskmaster Larry Bowa has scheduled nine “B” games this spring to get his pitchers more work. Bowa’s goal is that each of his pitchers will have thrown a complete game by the time spring training ends.