White Deserves More Respect at Ballot Box

Two of the American League’s best outfielders were here Friday evening, though you’d never know it by the most recent All-Star game voting results.

One of them, the fabled Bo Jackson, is on a first-name basis with America, a cover boy, a two-pro sport letterman.

The other, Devon White, is apparently baseball’s invisible man, a no-show in a strange popularity contest that allows an injured Jose Canseco (wrist surgery) or a slump-ridden Fred Lynn (disabled bat) to attract more votes than someone who owns a Gold Glove and is among the leaders in seven American League offensive categories.

If you’re keeping score at home, Jackson leads all AL outfielders with about 104,000 votes. Fair enough.

Equally fair is Kirby Puckett’s standing at No. 2.

But Canseco, who hasn’t had an official at-bat since last year’s World Series, ranked third? Sounds like the Oakland Athletics hired the same people who arranged the recent elections in Panama. And Willie Wilson (.192 average) ranked seventh? Dave Parker, a designated hitter, ranked ninth? Lynn, of all people, ranked 16th?

Is it too late for a recount?

Nowhere to be found is White, who couldn’t muster more than the 14,000 votes it would have taken to edge the amazing Lynn. Instead, he labors in obscurity while the rest of the country showers Jackson with new adjectives.

“Bo is a different breed from everybody,” said Royal Manager John Wathan, who then rattled off examples galore.

How about the recent game against the Seattle Mariners where Jackson, standing flat-footed near the base of the left-field wall, threw out Harold Reynolds at home on the fly . Reynolds, who stole 35 bases last year, already had rounded third when Jackson fielded the ball. Wathan still shakes his head in amazement over that one.

“Probably one of the best arms I’ve ever seen,” Wathan said. “He definitely should be considered for a Gold Glove.”

Or the Hall of Fame, what with the outpouring of compliments aimed Jackson’s way.

Wathan said he knows of no other player--past or present--who can hit a baseball farther than Jackson, and that includes a healthy Canseco. Wait a second: Wathan takes that back. In fact, he nominates himself as a candidate to outdistance Jackson in a home-run derby.

Wathan, who hit 21 homers during his 9 1/2 years with the Royals, said there’s only one catch:

“From center field I could probably hit it as far,” he said.

Angel Manager Doug Rader recalled the time he saw Jackson jerk a pitch down the left-field line at Royals Stadium. It curved foul and then settled near a concession stand located some 500 feet from home plate. On his next at-bat, Jackson hit a two-hopper to the shortstop . . . and beat it out.

“I don’t know which one was more devastating,” Rader said.

Against Angel starter Kirk McCaskill, who began Friday evening’s game as the league leader in earned-run average, Jackson reached out and sent a slider over the right-field fence. It was his 14th home run of the season, half of which have been to the opposite field. And truth be known, McCaskill thought it was a great pitch on the outside part of the plate, maybe even out of the strike zone.

But this isn’t Fred Lynn we’re talking about here. This is the legendary Bo.

“The ball he hits, they’re going to carry anywhere, anytime, at any temperature,” Wathan said.

Even White finds himself graciously tipping his Angel cap to the remarkable Jackson. Now if someone would just tip their hats back.

White isn’t bitter, just puzzled. He leads the Angels in runs batted in, stolen bases and is tied for the team high in home runs--and we haven’t even mentioned his AL top-10 rankings in slugging percentage, stolen bases, extra base hits, total bases, hits, triples and multi-hit games.

Turns out, neither has anyone else. America yawns. “De-Who?” it says.

“Bo, he’s having a good year,” White said. “You can’t take nothing away from him. But I feel I should be somewhere in the All-Star game.”

White’s problem is that he didn’t win a Heisman Trophy. He has become a poor man’s Bo, the best center fielder no one outside of Southern California has heard of.

White had his chance to be a trend setter. He was--still is--a talented basketball player. But even then he finds himself overshadowed by the multifaceted and mysterious Jackson. In a dunking contest several years ago for non-basketball players, the judges scored Jackson’s slams higher than White’s. White cried foul. Now he cries, “Uncle.”

“Bo’s a hot name,” he said. “Everyone in America knows who Bo is. Everyone in America doesn’t know who Devon White is. I’m not brought up.”

There’s only so much White can do: hit more home runs, enroll at Auburn, get traded to Oakland where ballot stuffing is a science. Otherwise, he’s at the mercy of Athletic Manager Tony LaRussa, who will choose the non-starters for next month’s All-Star game in Anaheim.

“I just hope to make the team,” White said. “If I don’t, I’ll be (angry). But what can I do?”

If it makes him feel any better, Royal catcher Bob Boone said he would punch Jackson’s, Puckett’s and White’s names if handed an All-Star ballot. And Wathan, when asked if the future of outfield play was on display Friday night, said simply: “I’d sure like to be their agents. Both of them have tremendous futures.”

Jackson, we know about. Time now for White to get a moment or two on the marquee. There’s plenty of room.