Players Back But Crowds Slack At Ballparks

Ken Griffey Jr., Barry Bonds, Jose Canseco, Cal Ripken and Dave Winfield put the buzz back in the ballparks. So did a renewed feud between the San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies.

Free tickets helped put the fans back in the stands. The Baltimore Orioles were on the field for the first time this spring and the Toronto Blue Jays were on the radio for the first time this year.

Spring training games sure looked different Thursday with the return of the real big leaguers. The crowds looked different, too - a former strikebreaker was among those cheering - although not all of them were bigger than before.

But, even though there was no booing at exhibition games, all was not well.

Fans making their way into Municipal Stadium in West Palm Beach, Fla., saw a clear reminder that there is not yet labor peace in baseball. Outside the game between Atlanta and Montreal, 11 umpires set up a picket line.

Umpires, locked out by owners since Dec. 31, also formed a picket line in Phoenix for the game between Oakland and the Chicago Cubs. Negotiators for the sides met Thursday in Philadelphia without much progress. Opening day is April 25.

Fashion un-statement

Replacement fashion is a dud so far.

The souvenir shop at Municipal Stadium, spring home of the Atlanta Braves and Montreal Expos, is selling uniform jerseys worn by Expos replacement players earlier this spring. The price is $100.

Selling, however, might not be the right word.

Only one jersey has been purchased in one week since they went on sale. It once was worn by replacement player Howard Farmer and is destined for an exhibit in Montreal.

Dodger fans are no-shows

The end of the tourist season and the start of the real spring-training season coincided at Dodgertown at Vero Beach, Fla., and the result was thousands of empty seats.

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ opener against the Florida Marlins drew a polite but subdued crowd of 1,788. That’s less than the average of 2,117 for replacement games at Vero Beach, and much less than the Dodgers’ spring average of 5,845 in 1994.

Fan animosity created by the baseball strike remains, and most of the town’s winter tourists are gone. For those reasons, Holman Stadium was only one-quarter full, and nearly empty by the ninth inning.

“I’m not surprised, because of the time of year,” Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda said. “If this was a month ago, I would be, but not now.”

Griffey wannabes?

Tim Raines has had his two sons, Tim Jr. and Andre, hanging around the White Sox clubhouse. Tim Jr. is hitting .350 and is the only freshman on the Seminole High School baseball team. Will Raines hang around long enough to be able to play in a major-league game with his son, a la the Griffeys of Seattle? “Oh yeah,” Raines said. “I’ll be around. I’ll probably be playing in a wheelchair, though.”

Free-agent campers

Roster of players who have attended the free-agent camp in Homestead, Fla., with their 1994 team and new team, if any:

Pitchers: - Luis Aquino, Florida; Tim Belcher, Detroit; Mike Bielecki, Atlanta, California; Steve Curry, minors; Cris Carpenter, Texas, St. Louis; John Dopson, California; Paul Gibson, N.Y. Yankees; Erik Hanson, Cincinnati, Boston; Greg W. Harris, Colorado, Minnesota; Shawn Hillegas, minors; Jay Howell, Texas; Craig Lefferts, California; Derek Lilliquist, Cleveland; Mike Maddux, N.Y. Mets, Pittsburgh; Dave Otto, Cubs; Scott Sanderson, White Sox, California; Dave Stewart, Toronto, Oakland; x-Todd Stottlemyre, Toronto, Colorado; Bobby Witt, Oakland, Florida

Catchers: Benito Santiago, Florida; Nelson Santovenia, minors; Mickey Tettleton, Detroit, Texas

Infielders: Mariano Duncan, Philadelphia, Philadelphia; Scott Fletcher, Boston; Tom Foley, Pittsburgh; Ricky Jordan, Philadelphia; Dave Magadan, Florida, Houston; Jody Reed, Milwaukee; Luis Rivera, N.Y. Mets,; Chris Sabo, Baltimore, White Sox; Randy Velarde, N.Y. Yankees, N.Y. Yankees

Outfielders: Darryl Boston, N.Y. Yankees; Vince Coleman, Kansas City; Doug Dascenzo, minors; Mike Devereaux, Baltimore, White Sox; Mike Felder, Seattle; Dave Gallagher, Atlanta, Philadelphia; Howard Johnson, Colorado, Cubs; Felix Jose, Kansas City; Candy Maldonado, Cleveland, Toronto; Lloyd McClendon, Pittsburgh; Dan Pasqua, White Sox; Dan Peltier, minors.; Dwight Smith, Baltimore, Atlanta; Lonnie Smith, Baltimore; Andy Van Slyke, Pittsburgh; Glenn Wilson, minors.