McGwire Says It’s Time They Drew the Line

The St. Louis Cardinals stepped to the firing line, selecting former Florida State outfielder J.D. Drew with the fifth pick in the first round of Tuesday’s draft, knowing Drew and agent Scott Boras still are seeking the $11-million package the Philadelphia Phillies refused to pay.

The spiraling bonuses being paid unproven amateurs rankles Cardinal first baseman Mark McGwire, among others.

“I really hope [Drew] means what he says when he says he wants to play the game of baseball,” McGwire said in Los Angeles this week. “If someone wants to play and is fiddling over $11 million, that shows he doesn’t want to play very much. I’m from the old school--that you’ve got to prove yourself in the big leagues and that’s where you make your money.” Drew is in his second summer with the independent St. Paul Saints.

McGwire, who received a $145,000 bonus as a first-round selection of the Oakland A’s in 1984, said baseball should have a $250,000 draft cap. “Take it or leave it,” McGwire said. “Make your money in the big leagues, boys. It’s absolutely ridiculous what some of these young kids are getting. They don’t even know what it takes to be a big league ballplayer.

“I hope things work out between us and Drew. I guess we’ll have to see how badly he wants to play. He’s burned some bridges, let’s face it.”

Of Drew, Cardinal General Manager Walt Jocketty said: “He may be the best player to come out of the last two or three drafts. He has a chance to be a franchise player. Sometimes, you have to take a risk to succeed. It’s a gutsy move, but our ownership is behind us 100%. It’s a baseball decision, not a money decision.”

The Cardinals also took a Boras client, Stanford pitcher Chad Hutchinson, in the second round of this year’s draft, and came to terms with a touted Boras client, high school pitcher Rich Ankiel, on a record $2.5-million bonus last year after Ankiel dropped to the second round when many clubs backed off because of his representation by the oft-contentious Boras and his commitment to attend Miami.

The gamble seems to have paid off. Ankiel is currently dominating in the Class-A Carolina League and the Cardinals have even considered jumping him to their injury-riddled rotation.

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Orel Hershiser, 39, became the oldest pitcher to win NL pitcher-of-the-month honors after going 5-0 with a 0.86 ERA in May.

The award was a 1975 spinoff of an earlier player-of-the-month award that Warren Spahn won in 1958 at 40.

“I’m really glad Danny Darwin is on our team,” said Hershiser, referring to his 42-year-old San Francisco Giant teammate. “As long as he’s successful, I can look forward to a long-term extension.”

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Another former Dodger, Lenny Harris, has one position left to play, that of catcher.

Harris has now played in the majors at every other position, having made an impressive pitching debut last Monday in San Francisco, when he worked a perfect eighth inning as his Cincinnati Reds were being slaughtered, 16-3. He even struck out Brent Mayne on three pitches, although he hadn’t pitched since 1983, when he was in high school.

“I tried to keep my game face on and not laugh, but it was hard,” Harris said.

Manager Jack McKeon said Harris will be given the opportunity to catch if the situation arises.