Whiten’s Arm Is Surpassed Only by His Bat

St. Louis outfielder Mark Whiten was being praised recently for his long-ball bat as well as his throwing arm.

In Busch Stadium, a yellow seat in the upper deck has a black marker on it. That’s where Whiten’s blast landed last August, one of only 11 upper-deck homers at the stadium in 25 years.

Pirate coach Rich Donnelly said: “Thing is, he could throw one up there, too.”

Wrote Pittsburgh columnist Gene Collier: “(Whiten’s) arm moves people to statements that flaunt local blasphemy ordinances.”

Said Pirate coach Tommy Sandt: “If (Roberto) Clemente had a better arm than his, I’d like to have seen it. I mean, how good can you throw it?”

Donnelly: “We were in St. Petersburg in spring training, and he went into the corner for a ball and made a 300-foot throw, no hops, and nailed Carlos Garcia at third.

“He eggs you on. He’ll lope after a ball to see if he can get you to run, picks it up . . . and bam, you’re dead.”

Said Cardinal coach Red Schoendienst, a onetime contemporary of Clemente’s: “As far as arm strength goes . . . it’s a tough call between Clemente and Whiten.”

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Trivia time: What was Willie Mays’ salary in 1973, when he retired from baseball?

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It worked once: The last time the Pittsburgh Steelers signed a player who had never played college football, he wound up in the Pro Bowl. He was guard Carlton Haselrig, a college wrestler who was their 12th choice in 1989.

They tried it again this week, signing free agent Elbert Ellis, a 6-foot-5, 218-pound hurdler from the University of Pittsburgh. He hasn’t played football since the eighth grade.

In a workout, the Steelers said, Ellis ran a 4.38-second 40-yard dash, did a 10-foot-5 standing long jump and caught every ball thrown to him.

“He’s a longshot, but the kid is big, fast and a good-looking athlete,” said the Steelers’ Tom Donohoe, director of football operations.

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Trivia answer: $180,000.

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Quotebook: Ralph Kiner, New York Met announcer: “(Bobby) Bonilla has struck out three times in the game--and he’s one for two.”