M’S Game: Firemen All Around
Spring training
Something funny’s going on in baseball when the pitchers and hitters are moonlighting as firefighters.
Almost lost in the Seattle Mariners’ 7-3, 10-inning victory over the San Diego Padres before a crowd of 1,060 was one at-bat: Guy Sularz pinch-hitting in the second inning against Seattle starter Dave Graybill.
Last year, they were teammates on a men’s senior league team in Phoenix. And both are in camp as replacement players while keeping their jobs as area firefighters, Sularz in Phoenix and Graybill in Glendale.
Sularz, 39, wasn’t in the lineup because of a strained elbow and didn’t expect to face Graybill, 32. But he gave his teammates a scouting report.
“He throws hard,” Sularz said. “I told them to sit on the fastball.”
Sularz, who appeared with the San Francisco Giants from 1980-83, was called off the bench early to hit for Padres pitcher Rick Lysander with runners on first and second, and he got a fastball. It was down and in, however, and Sularz grounded weakly to second base to end the inning.”I’m just rushing. I’m excited out there, rushing. It’s just keeping the ball down. If I keep the ball down, I’m effective. If I get it up, anybody can hit it.”Graybill pitched two scoreless innings but was long gone by the time Duane Page picked up the victory with his own pair of scoreless innings of relief.
The Padres had a 3-1 lead in the eighth, but Troy Rusk tied it with a two-run home run against Ray Chadwick. The Mariners (2-1) won it with a four-run 10th.
Greg Page (0-1) allowed a solo home run by former Washington State University standout Terrel Hansen, an RBI double by Scot Sealy and a two-run homer by Joaquin Contreras.
The Padres remained winless, including one tie, after three games.
Ex-Indians goats
Rodney McCray, a former Spokane Indians outfielder who once ran through a fence after a fly ball and became a permanent sports blooper show highlight, misjudged a drive by Montreal’s Matt Rundels that drove in two runs as the Expos defeated Atlanta 5-4 at West Palm Beach, Fla.
McCray’s misplay came after an error by first baseman Greg Sparks, also a former Spokane player, allowed an Expos run.
Bidder tries again
John J. Rigas has made another pitch for the Pittsburgh Pirates, offering to absorb some of the team’s 1995 debt until he is formally approved as the owner.
Rigas’ latest offer - his fourth since being selected 3 months ago as the favored buyer by Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy - drew a lukewarm response from the current 10 owners, according to sources close to the talks in Bradenton, Fla.
The Pirates’ owners basically have agreed upon Rigas’ offer of $25.15 million in cash for their stock and $60 million to cover the team’s accumulated debt. Rigas would also assume responsibility for $27 million - a $20 million loan and $7 million interest - owed the city Urban Redevelopment Authority under its 1985 loan to the team.