In Polonia’s Case, the Sky Is the Limit

There are holes in the bottom layer of the Metrodome’s two-ply fiberglass roof, and they are there by design, created to provide ventilation.

They were not created by Luis Polonia attempting to escape.

“We’re going home!” Polonia yelped as he hurried into the Angels’ clubhouse Sunday afternoon for a shower and a ticket to paradise.

And, a few minutes later: “It’s time to see the moon and the sun!”

As well as a baseball or two.

Two days earlier, Polonia had one of those games that gave birth to his legend: Back-to-back fly balls played into triples, a swipe and a miss at a bouncing single that moved two Twins into scoring position.

Same old Luis. The bag of tricks that sets up next to Felix in the Angels’ outfield, the left fielder who came in from the cold but couldn’t catch one.

“I couldn’t sleep that night,” Polonia said, grimacing through the flashback. “I tell you, that’s not me. I came to spring training this year to show everybody that I have improved my defense. In Seattle, I made some great catches, had some good plays. Then, with one night, I throw it all away.”

It was the roof, Polonia kept telling anyone who would listen. He lost those balls in the roof.

“Whenever we come to Minnesota, I always say, ‘Oh boy, here we go,’ ” Polonia said. “It’s the toughest stadium. You can’t see anything.

“In a normal stadium, you can look at the crowd and talk to people. It’s no big deal. Here, you got to concentrate on the ball all the time. You take the slightest glance (away) and . . . ‘Uh, oh.’

“That’s why I think (Twin left fielder) Dan Gladden is a super player. This guy plays so good out there and it’s really tough. He plays here all the time, so maybe that’s the difference. Probably, if I played for the Twins, I could get used to it.”

This could be a project for DuPont.

Doug Rader, that Angel of mercy, granted Polonia the day off Saturday, just to clear the spots before his eyes. Sunday, Polonia was back in left field and he caught everything hit to him--a fly ball in the first inning, another in the ninth inning. Two for two.

Perfection.

Polonia also hit nearly everything pitched to him. He singled three times, walked once, scored three runs, stole three bases and drove in two runs. This is why Rader doesn’t give him many days off.

“I’m pretty sure most people think that’s why I didn’t play the next day, because I missed a few fly balls,” Polonia said. “But Saturday is my normal day off.

“I was glad to have it off. I had one bad game, I get it over with, I get it out of my head. . . . When I was with the Yankees, a night like that would have really screwed me up. The Yankees didn’t trust me. I’d have a bad night and nobody would back me up.

“Here, Doug backs me up. That’s what a young player needs.”

Translation: Rader is an extraordinarily patient man.

Polonia stole his second, third and fourth bases of the season Sunday because “after taking a day off, why not wake up this way? I want to run this year. Why stop? If I got the chance, I’m gonna go.”

With Minnesota starting a battery of Jack Morris (big windup, slow to the plate) and Junior Ortiz (strong arm but not much experience), Polonia knew he’d be given the green light to run every time he reached base, so he made sure to get on base four times.

“I really haven’t been able to steal that many in the big leagues,” Polonia said. “On my other teams, I never got the green light. Here, most of the time, they give it to me. Why not show people what I can do? If I get the green light all year, I feel I should be able to steal 40, 50, 60 bases. With Oakland in ‘87, I stole 29, but I only went 36, 37 times.”

And on the eve of the Angels’ first 1991 encounter with Oakland, with Rickey Henderson one 90-foot sprint away from tying Lou Brock’s all-time stolen-base record, Polonia leads the American League with steals.

Polonia has four.

Henderson has one.

“For the first time in my career, I’m ahead of Rickey,” Polonia announced, grinning. “But it won’t be for too long.

“I’m not saying I’m going to lead the league in stolen bases, but I’m going to get my own. I’m going to be satisfied.”

And, only one more trip to the Metrodome this season.

“I don’t like this place, no matter what,” Polonia said. “It’s a good place to hit, but right now, I don’t worry about my hitting. I know I can hit. I can strike out and people still know what I can do.

“But when you screw up out there (in the outfield), that thing’s out there forever.”

Reputation’s the thing and Polonia keeps trying to run from his. Repeat after him: Yes, he can catch a baseball. Yes, he can catch a baseball . . .

That’s always been the problem with the Metrodome. It’s a good place to run, but there’s simply no place to hide.