American League Roundup : Harper Catches On, Helps Twins Win, 12-2

Brian Harper is back to being a catcher, his position when he broke into professional baseball in 1977.

The big right-handed hitter, a Los Angeles native who has traveled all over the majors, has been mainly an outfielder or a third baseman.

He did various stints with the Angels, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Detroit and Oakland before joining Minnesota as a free agent last season. In 60 games he batted .295.

He played a major role in the Twins’ first victory of the season Wednesday night, a 12-2 drubbing of the New York Yankees at the Metrodome.

Harper hit a three-run home run, climaxing an eight-run fifth inning that spoiled Andy Hawkins’ debut in the American League.

Harper finished with three hits and four runs batted in. Last season, he drove in only 20 runs in 166 at-bats.

“I’m ready to play third, first, the outfield or catch,” he said. “I don’t care, I just want to play.”

Harper led a 17-hit attack that made it easy for Allan Anderson, last season’s earned-run average champion. Anderson went seven innings, giving up seven hits and both runs.

The injury-riddled Yankees were even, 2-2, when Hawkins fell apart in the fifth as the Twins sent 12 batters to the plate.

Oakland 11, Seattle 1--In 481 at-bats last season, shortstop Walt Weiss hit three home runs. In this lopsided game at Oakland, Weiss hit two home runs, and the Athletics made it easy for Bob Welch to open with a victory.

Welch gave up four hits in eight innings, one of them a home run by Dave Valle.

Weiss, 1988 AL rookie of the year, who went 0 for 3 in the opener, hit one off Scott Bankhead in the second inning and another off Tom Niedenfuer in the eighth.

Valle’s home run cut the Oakland lead to 2-1. But Mark McGwire hit his second home run in two games, and Dave Parker added a two-run shot for the A’s.

Kansas City 2, Toronto 1--The New York Mets and several other teams made pitches to obtain hard-hitting Danny Tartabull of the Royals.

After he came through in the clutch in the game at Kansas City, the Royals are glad they didn’t part with him.

Tartabull broke up a tight game when he doubled with two out in the bottom of the ninth and scored on Pat Tabler’s single.

It was probably fair that neither Dave Stieb of the Blue Jays nor Charlie Leibrandt figured in the decision. Neither deserved to lose.

Stieb gave up one run and four hits in eight innings. His string of scoreless innings ended at 34 when Tartabull singled home the first Kansas City run in the fourth.