They Look More Like Short-Timers

Two National League shortstops, Barry Larkin of the Cincinnati Reds and Mark Grudzielanek of the Montreal Expos, are being widely shopped. Larkin doesn’t want it to appear that he’s bailing out, and the Reds don’t want it to appear that they’re dumping a Cincinnati institution, but egos aside, Larkin, 34, wants to play for a winner and knows the clock is ticking in Cincinnati.

“I want to win and they aren’t going to win until it’s too late for me,” Larkin said. Unfortunately, the Reds are asking for three top prospects in return and Larkin doesn’t appear headed for Los Angeles or San Diego, despite the rumors.

Grudzielanek wants out of Montreal badly. He threw his bat in frustration after a recent strikeout, almost nailing Chris Widger in the on-deck circle, prompting Widger to say that if Grudzielanek is that unhappy, “let him play somewhere else.”

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The San Francisco Giants will be operating for at least two weeks without second baseman Jeff Kent, who went on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday after straining his right knee Tuesday night, absorbing a high and seemingly illegal rolling slide from Seattle Mariner shortstop Alex Rodriguez.

“I don’t question Rodriguez’s style of play, but that play was definitely questionable,” Kent said. “I’ve never been hit so high or so late. I think he would know better than to go so high. It’s like throwing a high fastball to a hitter. It can damage a guy’s career.”

Orel Hershiser wasted little time in relaying the Giants’ discontent. He hit Rodriguez in the back with his first pitch to the Mariner shortstop in the first inning of the ensuing game. Rodriguez denied taking a cheap shot at Kent but took one at Hershiser, saying “he doesn’t throw hard enough” to have hurt him.

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The loss of Kent deprives the Giants of their cleanup hitter and Barry Bonds of important protection, but Bonds told Bay Area reporters that Kent “isn’t Frank Thomas or Albert Belle,” and didn’t want to hear about it.

“You’re losing a good player, but I get tired of that talk, someone is supposed to be my life saver,” he said. “Just give me my respect as a player. I’m upset he’s out of the lineup because we’ve been playing good baseball and one of our key players is out.

“That’s what I’m upset about, not because anyone was protecting me.”

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Coming off recent series against the San Diego Padres and Giants (before the loss of Kent), Red Manager Jack McKeon cited San Diego’s veteran composition and provided this analysis: “We played the Padres early in the year and thought they were the best team in the league. Now they look like they are tired and worn down, like it’s already September, while the Giants look fresh and good to me.”

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Tom Lasorda remains a Dodger vice president, but baseball people say he’s spending more time at the ear of New York Met Manager and longtime pal Bobby Valentine. The Mets, incidentally, are thinking of asking catcher Todd Hundley, working out in Florida while he recovers from reconstructive elbow surgery, to try left field in what remains a potentially combustible lineup situation since the acquisition of catcher Mike Piazza. The Mets are working on a long-term deal with Piazza and won’t risk alienating him by asking the former Dodger to switch positions.