Saberhagen Doing It All for Royals

When the need arose for a pinch runner in the 13th inning of Tuesday night’s game, Kansas City Manager John Wathan didn’t hesitate.

He called for Bret Saberhagen.

Playing in his third consecutive game, a rarity for a starting pitcher, Saberhagen scored what proved to be the winning run in a 7-4 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.

So, in effect, Thursday’s Kansas City starter has already beaten the Orioles twice.

Ten days ago at Royals Stadium, Saberhagen pitched the best game by an opponent this season, facing only two Orioles over the minimum in a 3-0, three-hit triumph.

But, just because that looked so easy, it doesn’t mean Saberhagen considers the Orioles pushovers. Far from it.

“I just had really good stuff the last time,” said Saberhagen, who, amazingly, just turned 25, although he seems to have been in the majors for a decade.

“I threw as well as I have in a long time. Actually, I like their ballclub. Last year, the Orioles were just waiting to lose and they’d find ways to do it.

“This new team is looking for a way to get you, any way it can. They just keep plugging away at you.”

Saberhagen found himself in the uncommon position of being on the bases when Wathan ran short of bodies in the marathon game.

“I enjoyed running bases in high school,” Saberhagen said. “I ran for (George) Brett one year (1984) and I almost got one last year, but (Kevin) Seitzer dogged me. He made an out.

“I’ll probably pinch run for Bo Jackson next.”

Saberhagen appeared to be destined to run for himself in pro baseball. Selected by the Royals in the 19th round in the 1982 draft, he was to have been a shortstop.

That was before he led his team to the Los Angeles high school title when he “pitched a no-hitter in the championship game and 24 innings without giving up a run. That’s when they decided I was a pitcher.”

The rest is no mystery. His career soared.

Saberhagen broke in with the Royals before his 20th birthday in 1984 and became the youngest starter in League Championship Series history later that season.

The next year, he was the youngest American League pitcher to win the Cy Young Award. It came after a 20-6 record, and he capped a sensational joyride by shutting out St. Louis in Game 7 to become the youngest player to win the Most Valuable Player trophy in the World Series.

Less than 36 hours earlier, he had beocme a father for the first time.

Heady stuff. At 21, he was on top of the baseball world.

“It all seemed so easy,” he said. “The first two years we got to the playoffs. I think about it all the time, the enjoyment. But we haven’t been there for three years now. We’ve got the hungrys again.

“I’d much rather have someone else be the Cy Young if we get in the playoffs and Series again. Personal goals have to take a back seat in here.”

Saberhagen was younger than 148 rookies who played last season. He has never quite matched his dizzying sophomore year and actually has had winning records in only two of five seasons.

But he has accumulated 70 major-league victories already with many more to come, thanks in great measure to pinpoint control and excellent stuff.

He is the only starter in the big leagues who has averaged fewer than two walks per nine innings pitched.

But, as the Orioles know, he is not unbeatable. In his last start, Saturday at Toronto, he barely threw 30 pitches before being knocked out in the first inning, then worked in relief the next day.

It was reminiscent of his second half last season (4-10, 4.31 ERA), when his breaking ball and run support abandoned him.

“I had a problem finding my curve, and it seemed like when we’d score runs, I was bad and I wasn’t getting them when I was good,” he said.

Kansas City monopolized the American League West in the ‘70’s and early ‘80’s, but first Minnesota, then Oakland passed the Royals. Now Texas is making threatening gestures in what could be an exciting race. The Royals will need big years from all their starters to be in the thick of it.

Even an occasional pinch-running effort from Saberhagen, described by Wathan as a “good athlete, very quick,” can’t hurt.

Age is certainly no factor for Saberhagen, who looks younger than most rookies.

“It seems like he should be 30 at least,” Wathan said.

“Hopefully, I can be here again when it seems like I should be 40 or 45,” said Saberhagen.