Hitchcock and Rijo Are Mystery Men

Sterling Hitchcock and Jose Rijo returned to the mound Wednesday.

Hitchcock, the San Diego Padre left-hander, had been away for 13 months because of reconstructive elbow surgery. He returned to pitch seven innings without a walk during an 8-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies, reestablishing his physical status and virtually ensuring that he will be traded to a contender before the July 31 nonwaiver deadline.

Rijo, the 36-year-old former Cincinnati Red right-hander, had been away since . . . well, 1995, when he left the mound in tears because of the pain in his elbow.

He had won 58 games for the Reds in a four-year span starting in 1990 but then had six elbow operations, all by Dr. James Andrews, of whom Rijo says, “My surgeries have bought him a garage full of cars.”

Rijo returned to the Dominican Republic and built his own baseball academy, which the Reds leased, but he kept thinking that he could still win in the big leagues. He recently signed a minor league contract with the Reds and made his debut with the Class-A Dayton Dragons Wednesday, pitching three innings with a fastball clocked at 86-88 mph.

He hopes to move quickly, predicting he could be back in the majors soon after the all-star break. The Reds are more cautious.

“I see what there is in the major leagues, and the pitching isn’t that good,” Rijo said of his motivation.

“I walked off the mound in tears, my arm [at] my side. That isn’t the way to leave the game. I want to do it right. I want to say goodbye . . . waving my cap to the crowd, my arm above my head.”

Hitchcock’s return was witnessed by a battery of scouts, including representatives of the Dodgers. He is making $6 million and is eligible for free agency when the season ends. The Padres are almost certain to trade him before the deadline--”He’s going to be a pretty sought-after guy,” General Manager Kevin Towers said--because the club is looking to cut an additional $3 million from a $38-million payroll that was reduced about $13 million after last year.

As a southpaw who beat Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine in 1998 postseason play, Hitchcock is an attractive possibility, but interested clubs are going to want to see him pitch again to make sure his elbow is sound.

The Dodgers, with Darren Dreifort and Andy Ashby already out for the season, are unlikely to make a serious bid for a pitcher coming off the same surgery that Dreifort will soon have for a second time and a pitcher eligible for free agency. In addition, they don’t have the high-minors prospect the Padres are likely to demand, a potential problem in any bid for a pitcher, including Hitchcock’s teammate Woody Williams.

The club most interested in Hitchcock may be the Arizona Diamondbacks, who lead the Dodgers in the West. General Manager Joe Garagiola Jr. and top scout Sandy Johnson both attended Hitchcock’s return at Qualcomm Stadium, and the Padres would probably close a deal immediately if the Diamondbacks agreed to trade first baseman Erubiel Durazo.

Hitchcock was just happy to be back, experiencing the adrenaline again.

“Tonight was something,” he said. “There’s no reason for any drug in the world when you’ve got a rush like that.”

The depth of Mark McGwire’s frustration over his slow recovery from off-season knee surgery--it won’t be 100% for another year, he said--and a 0-for-29 slump beginning the weekend were mirrored in his comments to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Thursday. The Cardinal first baseman said he was at a physical crossroads, embarrassed by his performance and suggested he might retire at the end of the season, giving up his two-year, $30-million contract extension for 2002-03.

“A lot of people don’t give a damn,” he said. “A lot of players don’t have pride. A lot of players just play for the money and they don’t care and they just go home. But I go home, and I can’t sleep. I get paid a lot of money to do what I do and I’m not doing it. I don’t want to cheat the team.”

Longtime Dodger and Angel beat writer Terry Johnson died in a car accident Wednesday night and the press box will be a little quieter and a lot less fun. T.J. could be irascible and irreverent, but his heart and hand were always there. He leaves a void much larger than that empty chair.