BASEBALL / ROSS NEWHAN : Some Baseball Officials Frown at Owners’ Curve on Meetings

Baseball’s winter meetings begin today in Atlanta with major league owners and general managers conspicuous by their absence.

Only farm and scouting directors, along with business and public relations executives, will attend the annual minor league convention.

Conceding, as interim Commissioner Bud Selig put it, that the meetings had become nothing more than a “free-agent signing circus,” the owners will gather Jan. 17-19 at Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

The general managers, who met in Florida in November, were instructed by their owners to skip Atlanta.

“We have enormous problems, but the circus atmosphere took the focus away from what we have to do,” Selig said of recent winter meetings. “Between signings and meetings with agents, it was hard to get any business done. The distractions were endless.”

The clubs spent $280 million on free agents during last year’s feeding frenzy in Louisville, Ky. No one forced them to do that, but the owners have always required protection from themselves.

Many suspect that is why they have pulled out of the meetings, trying to hold down the market by defusing the impact of a mob of agents.

The always skeptical players’ union worries that all of this smells like collusion, but Selig cited the dozen or so free-agent signings since the season ended and said it would be foolish to think that the absence of the meetings would have any economic impact.

“I mean, (the signings) won’t come all at one time in the one place, but we’ve had some already and there’ll be others, I’m sure,” he said.

Nevertheless, Philadelphia General Manager Lee Thomas, having already dealt Mitch Williams, termed the pullout a major mistake.

“It’s a week of free publicity and we’re throwing it away,” he said.

Selig said the publicity angle was considered but added: “We’ve been making news with trades and player signings as we’ve gone along this winter, and now we’re going to make news in January that we didn’t before, so it’s kind of a standoff.”

News in January?

Selig said he was referring to the owners’ meeting and the possibility of a commissioner nominee and agreement among the owners on revenue sharing.

Possibility is the operative word there.

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The Dodgers held an introductory news conference for second baseman Delino DeShields on Wednesday as indications surfaced that they have also moved into the third base market.

General Manager Fred Claire continued to insist it’s not a high priority position, citing the availability of Tim Wallach, Dave Hansen, Cory Snyder and Mike Busch, coming off a big season at Albuquerque, but a source said Claire has also discussed a possible deal for Ken Caminiti of the Houston Astros.

The Astros are looking to make room for Phil Nevin, their No. 1 draft choice of 1992, and would apparently move Caminiti for a right-handed hitting outfielder with major league or “can’t-miss” credentials. “The matchup doesn’t seem to work,” the source said of the Dodger interest and Astro needs, “but I wouldn’t just dismiss it either.”

Caminiti, of course, has received a major endorsement from former Houston manager Art Howe, now scouting for the Dodgers and currently in the Dominican Republic appraising Busch, who at 25 hit 22 homers and drove in 70 runs in triple A.

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DeShields, who will switch from uniform No. 4 to No. 14 because Duke Snider’s No. 4 has been retired by the Dodgers, said the reality of his trade won’t sink in until he wears his Dodger uniform for the first time.

However, he said the only thing he would miss about Montreal is the fellowship among players with whom he came up through the Expos’ system.

“There are some bonds that will be tough to break, but this is a much better situation for me,” he said, referring to the national recognition that has often escaped young players such as Marquis Grissom and Larry Walker in Montreal. “I know my best baseball is ahead of me,” he said, adding that at 24 he no longer considers himself a young player.

He said he is prepared to maintain the leadership role he assumed in Montreal and hopes to provide a steadying influence for Jose Offerman, just as veteran Spike Owen did for him in Montreal.

DeShields is a student of the Negro League and wears his stirrups high in tribute to the stars of that era, but Wednesday was the first chance he had to meet one when he was introduced to Sammy Haynes during the news conference. Haynes saluted DeShields for the attention and respect he has given the Negro League players.

Said DeShields of his uniform style: “I won’t have a chance to meet a lot of them, so this is my way of saying thank you for making all this possible.”

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Eric Goldschmidt, who represents Darryl Strawberry, said he expects Strawberry to remain with the Dodgers next season but “only the Dodgers know for sure.”

“It’s totally up to the club, but from a business standpoint I would think they’d put him out there and let him earn his money,” Goldschmidt said of Strawberry, who will make $8 million in 1994 and ’95.

“The main thing is he hasn’t been out there for a year and a half,” Goldschmidt said of Strawberry’s back problems. “You also have to take the money into consideration. A lot of high-priced players are becoming victims of the market. It’s part of the business. Darryl understands that. Once he plays again and regains his previous form, he’ll be in demand again.”

Strawberry, who was married last week to Charisse Simons and is expecting a baby in March, apologized again about his “let it burn” comment during the recent firestorms and said he plans to contact the Red Cross or some other agency to see how he can become active in community and fire relief.