New Aaron Award Might Be Better Off Without Write Stuff

The Hank Aaron Award, unveiled Thursday night during ceremonies in Atlanta to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Aaron’s 715th home run, breaking Babe Ruth’s record, seems a fitting and lasting tribute to the man and his legacy. It will be presented each year to the best all-around hitter in each league.

The questions are: How will that be determined and who will determine it?

This year, the award will be based on the combined numbers of hits, home runs and runs batted in. Albert Belle would have won it in the American League last year and Sammy Sosa in the National, according to those criteria.

Major league baseball would like it determined in the future on a more subjective basis and has had discussions with the Baseball Writers Assn. of America to appoint a committee of writers to vote on the award, as the BBWAA does for the most valuable player, Cy Young, rookie of the year and manager of the year.

Those are recognized as the BBWAA’s own awards and the most esteemed in a congested award field. Would the Hank Aaron Award compromise the MVP, if presented by the BBWAA?

“We’ve had informal talks with baseball and taken it on an informal basis to some of our members, and the feedback has been mostly negative [regarding BBWAA involvement],” said Jack O’Connell of the Hartford Courant, executive secretary of the BBWAA.

“Most of the guys I’ve talked to are concerned about the commercial tie-in with Country Time lemonade [sponsor of the award] and compromising the MVP. I don’t think the Aaron Award in itself would do that, but I also don’t think we should be in the business of selling lemonade.”

BBWAA members will probably discuss their involvement during the annual All-Star game meeting and vote on their involvement during the annual World Series meeting.

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Keeping score: The Pittsburgh Pirates, in an event many in baseball thought they would never see, broke ground Wednesday for their $228-million, 38,000-seat ballpark, intimacy personified. It is scheduled to open in 2001, a year before the Padres’ new park in San Diego.

The Seattle Mariners’ new park opens immediately after the All-Star game in July, and Detroit, Houston, Milwaukee and San Francisco all move into new parks next year.

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Ageless: In the New York Mets’ opening three-game series against the Florida Marlins, Rickey Henderson reached base by hit or walk nine times, doubled three times, homered twice, stole a base, drove in four runs and scored five.

“I just hope I’m still walking when I’m 40 years old,” Met catcher Mike Piazza said in admiration of Henderson but a body blow to anyone who has passed that plateau. “If anyone can carry you from the leadoff spot, Rickey can.”

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The Padres now appear to be stuck with the $12.4 million remaining on the final two years of reliever Randy Myers’ contract.

Confirming San Diego’s suspicions throughout the spring that he was ailing, a suspicion based on his reduced velocity, Myers finally acknowledged that he had a shoulder problem and was put on the season-opening disabled list for the first time in his career. The Padres had been hopeful of trading the left-hander and had dropped insurance coverage.

The injury is believed to be only a strain, but it compounds his high salary and makes Myers, claimed off waivers last August primarily to keep him away from the Atlanta Braves, who insist they were not going to claim him, almost impossible to deal.