BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : WORLD SERIES : Hisle Case Stirs Blue Jay Bitterness

Blue Jay batting coach Larry Hisle kept trying to hide his pain a day after being told by Manager Cito Gaston that he will not be back for next season.

“I feel a little bit awkward right now,” Hisle said, “but I’m a Toronto Blue Jay at the moment. It’s just difficult, very difficult to understand what has happened.

“Several players have come up to me, but I’ve tried to stay away from the players. I’d be truly embarrassed if this took away from the focus of the game.

“But the Toronto Blue Jays have to do what’s best for the organization. I only have one action, and that’s to accept what’s taken place. I have to move on, and do the best job I can.”

The Blue Jays, who became the first American League team this century to finish 1-2-3 in the batting race, are expected to replace Hisle with Willie Upshaw, who has not signed a new contract with the Texas Rangers.

Some Blue Jays were bitter about the situation.

“When you’re in the middle of something like this,” Paul Molitor said, “something like this shouldn’t happen. There’s no reason he shouldn’t be back. The hitters have had a lot of success, and are committed to his work.”

*

Phillie Manager Jim Fregosi was selected manager of the year in the National League by the Associated Press, but the way Phillie reliever Larry Andersen sees it, there shouldn’t even be a manager of the year in the American League.

“There should be a pitching coach of the year in the American League,” Andersen said. “I really have a hard time understanding what strategy is involved in the American League. Not to take anything away from Cito, but I don’t see how you can have a manager of the year in the AL. I mean, with his lineup, what changes do you have to make?

“When (Oakland Manager) Tony La Russa won it, I have to believe that if anyone had the time, they could manage those Oakland teams.”

*

Andersen has been working on a book about the season, and it will be released this winter.

More than 400 pages have been sent to the printer, Andersen said, but they still are working on a title.

“It might be, ‘You Can Only Be Young Once, but You Can Be Immature Forever,’ “Andersen said. “It’s hard to come up with a title because I don’t think you can compare this to any baseball book, maybe to ‘Apocalypse Now,’ but nothing in sports.

“There will be a lot of insight, but no dirt, I promise you that. Maybe controversy sells better, but this will be my own best seller.”

*

Blue Jay leadoff hitter Rickey Henderson, who recently signed a contract to be represented by Los Angeles agent Dennis Gilbert in the free-agent market, says he wouldn’t be surprised if he returns to the New York Yankees.

“New York has the advantage,” he said, “because they know what Rickey can do. Rickey was made for New York. They know I’m a good story--good or bad.”