Gary Is Ready to Get Into Swing of Things : Rams: He struggled as a minor leaguer for Expos, but appears ready to improve his statistics as second-year tailback.

Tailback Cleveland Gary swore he wouldn’t talk baseball Monday when he reported to the Rams’ camp.

Turns out he couldn’t stay off of the subject for five minutes.

“I like it,” Gary said of baseball. “As a matter of fact, I love it. I really love it. Actually, I’m a big kid, but I’m in the real world, doing something I enjoy doing. I’m a very competitive football player as well as a baseball player. I’m just having a lot of fun.”

Gary played left field and designated hitter for the Bradenton Expos, Montreal’s rookie league affiliate in Florida, last spring. Gary, in the second year of a four-year, $1.8 million deal with the Rams, makes a fraction of that as a minor leaguer, but he doesn’t seem to mind.

Last year with the Rams, he stalked the sidelines as a late-signing, first-round choice who carried only 37 times for 163 yards.

“My intentions of playing baseball weren’t because of Bo Jackson,” Gary said.

But doesn’t Jackson’s two-sport career open the doors for others?

“In the public’s eyes, it probably did,” Gary said.

“Just because someone else was doing it. But if not, I would have done it anyway. Because I feel I have the physical attributes to do it.”

Gary, six feet and 225 pounds, said he hit .275 during Bradenton’s extended spring season. But realistically, his road to the major leagues is lined with pot holes and curveballs.

“He’s a very, very raw baseball player,” said Lorenzo Bundy, his manager at Bradenton.

“He’s strong and fast, but the big thing is he hasn’t played a whole lot of baseball. Baseball is a very repetitious thing, we do same things, day in, day out.

“The problem with Cleveland, he’s here three weeks, then gone for mini-camp. He’s here, then he’s gone. His time is in great demand, so it’s hard to dedicate himself to baseball.”

Bundy said Gary’s throwing arm is only average and, like many young players, he has trouble with curveballs.

“He’s got a big, long swing,” Bundy said, “which makes him susceptible to the breaking ball.

“He’s expressed an interest in getting to Jacksonville, our double-A team. But the higher the pitchers get, the more experience, and the more they’ll know his weaknesses.

“He had some of the younger guys figuring him out, too.”

Gary said the Expos are looking for a six-month baseball commitment next spring, perhaps at Class-A West Palm Beach of the Florida State League.

“A lot of it depends on Montreal,” Gary said. “I do play football, and football is my sport, but I have to sign a new deal with Montreal. And I’m really not here to talk baseball. I’m really here to talk Super Bowl.”

A six-month commitment to the Expos starting in March would cut through the heart of a football season, as the Raiders know with Jackson.

Luckily for the Rams, Gary doesn’t have million-dollar options in both sports, as does Jackson.

On the contrary, Gary had a poor rookie season because of a training camp holdout that lasted into September.

Gary was effectively shelved for 1989. No wonder he couldn’t wait for baseball.

“It was very, very frustrating,” Gary said of his first year with the Rams.

This year could be another story. Not only has Gary reported on time, but he seems very much in the Rams’ future, despite another crowded backfield. The team traded last year’s starter, Greg Bell, but signed veteran Curt Warner, 29, hoping to get at least one more great season out of him.

How did Gary react to the signing of Warner?

“I’m a football player, I’m not a coach,” he said. “I don’t have control over any other thing other than going out and playing football and doing my job.”

But Warner’s knees are tender, and he is not expected to carry the entire load.

“I’m counting on an outstanding year from Curt Warner,” Coach John Robinson said recently.

“But I’m not counting on him getting 100%, or 90% of the carries. . . . I’m going to make sure Curt is healthy and full speed when he plays. I have great expectations for Cleveland Gary. I expect the tailback to be a shared position this year.”

Robinson, in fact, almost apologized for leaving Gary on the sidelines too much last season.

“Some of the failure of his not playing was mine,” Robinson said.

So, Gary is left to fight it out with Warner and Gaston Green, now entering his third season. In terms of talent, Gary doesn’t give up much to either player.

So is Gary ready for 1990? Is a slider tough to hit?

“Last year, when they drafted me, I didn’t want to come in here and complain,” Gary said.

“But I love to get the ball. I don’t put numbers on carries, I love to catch the football. But there’s no doubt that Cleveland Gary is mature enough to handle the tailback position. There’s no pressure. I just want that chance.”

Warner has the inside track for the starting job, but nothing has been guaranteed.

“It’s not his job,” running back coach Gil Haskell said. “It’s nobody’s job. Whoever does the best job plays.”

Gary, for one, can’t wait to get started. If things don’t work out, there’s always spring training, 1991, to consider.

“I definitely will play Florida State League and hopefully double-A next year,” Gary said.

“The Florida State league, it’s the highest A, the most competitive level. It’s a pitcher’s league. But I know I’m not supposed to be talking baseball.”

Ram Notes

Quarterback Mark Herrmann signed a one-year contract and reported to camp with Jim Everett and other selected veterans. Herrmann’s deal is worth $300,000, with a $10,000 roster bonus and other incentives. With Chuck Long recently signed, Herrmann’s hopes of making the final cut seem to depend on the Rams keeping three quarterbacks, a decision that has not been made.

“I’m just coming out here to do the best job I can,” Herrmann said. “It’s not my decision. If I start putting pressure on myself, I won’t perform as well, so we’ll just have to see what happens.” If the Rams go with two quarterbacks, Coach John Robinson said the decision between Long and Herrmann will be made on the field. “My goal isn’t to be fair,” he said. “My goal is to pick the best quarterback.”