Slammed from Both Sides

It was opening-day drama at its sweetest.

Cool shadows slicing the thick green infield, pitcher in the sun, hitter in the shade, rumbling in the stands.

Scoreless tie, bases booked, league’s best power hitter at the plate, one of its best power pitchers on the mound.

The manager stalks out of the dugout, across the infield, meets the pitcher. The rumble becomes a roar.

And for Dodger fans, this was the drama. Right there, right then.

Not the ensuing grand slam by Mark McGwire off Ramon Martinez. Not the river city eruption that followed, shaking Busch Stadium as McGwire shook his fist, giving the Cardinals a 4-0 lead that became a 6-0 victory Tuesday.

The drama was that little meeting at the mound before all that, Bill Russell and Martinez, a manager staring down a pitcher, the Southland wondering.

Is the manager going to take the pitcher out?

McGwire’s power is not the question. During the next six months, he could well hit 61 more balls like the one he sent looping into the left-field seats.

The question was, should McGwire be allowed to hit this first one off Martinez?

The answer is yes. If you want this crossroads Dodger season to start with some sense of stability, yes.

The Dodgers lost a game nobody will remember in a month--opening days are as enduring as haircuts. But by sticking with his starter in the fifth inning of a scoreless tie, Russell sent a message to his players that could last the season.

The boss will not panic. The boss will not cut and run. The boss will not play for a tie.

The boss will not, under any circumstances, allow his No. 1 starter to walk to the bench after only 86 pitches and no runs allowed while a middle reliever faces the next Roger Maris.

The players didn’t hear this last year. The feeling that the boss was playing scared turned September into a one long cower.

The players are hearing it now.

Not to mention, it was simple common sense. Martinez had been in jams all day, but he had survived each one, and is the sort of pitcher who only gets stronger.

“I thought, ‘If he gets McGwire out, he lasts all the way through the ninth inning,’ ” said the Cardinals’ Brian Jordan. “I mean, Martinez is one of the best pitchers in the league. Nobody over here thought he was coming out.”

Ray Lankford reached third base with one out in the second inning, but Martinez retired Ron Gant and Gary Gaetti--on a strikeout--to strand him.

McGwire lined a leadoff double into the left-field corner in the fourth inning. But three battles later--all Martinez victories--McGwire was still standing there.

“I didn’t even think of taking him out,” Russell said. “He had been pitching fine, he’s my guy.”

For all of you who were screaming into your TV sets when Russell did not yank Martinez, and he promptly gave up the first opening-day grand slam in the Cardinals’ 107-year history, answer this:

How much louder would you be screaming if McGwire had homered immediately after Martinez had been replaced by . . . Darren Hall?

Opening day was typical in that Russell, sitting on a rickety chair because of the Dodgers new ownership, will be examined often this summer. This is both appropriate and expected.

Sometimes, though, the problem will not be with the move, but the player. And this is one of those times because, although Martinez’s previously injured shoulder appears fine, his confidence may still be rehabbing.

Shake off the McGwire-induced goose bumps and one might agree that the game was not lost on the home run, but on a bigger Martinez mistake to the previous batter.

With two out, first base open and Delino DeShields batting, Martinez worked him to a 1-2 count--then threw two consecutive balls.

With the crowd standing and screaming, with the count full, with the mere suspicion that McGwire would be soon hitting--he is bigger here than the doggone Arch--Martinez threw a pitch he should not soon forget.

A silly little change-up. Floating harmlessly into the dirt. Allowing DeShields, doubtlessly dreading a fastball, to jog happily to first base.

If you lose to DeShields with impending doom on deck, you should want to lose with your best stuff. At least, that’s what Martinez’s bosses think.

“In that case, you want to come after him with your very best pitch,” said Goose Gregson, Dodger pitching coach. “We will talk to Ramon about that later.”

If Martinez gives him the same answer he gave reporters, it will be an interesting discussion.

“That was a good pitch,” he said of the change-up. “I was throwing that pitch for a strike. Three and two, it doesn’t matter, I can throw it for a strike.”

Funny, but there was a time when Martinez would rather walk off the mound than throw anything but a full-count fastball to a hitter like DeShields. Perhaps that will also be part of their discussion.

In all, it was an interesting first afternoon, filled with the sort of theater and intrigue that makes one embrace baseball’s return.

Even if Rupert Murdoch or other Fox officials apparently haven’t figured this out yet.

Uh, guys, your new baseball team played its first game here Tuesday and none of you showed up. Uh, guys? Remember? Your new team?