Ripken, Orioles Still At Impasse In Extension Talks

Cal Ripken and Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos may be the two most dogged, stubborn competitors in Baltimore, which is why the future Hall of Famer’s contract negotiations may prove fruitless.

Ripken wants a three-year extension, the Orioles are offering two years and an option for a third, and they’ve been entrenched in these positions for almost two weeks. One side or the other is going to have to make a major concession to get this deal done and prevent Ripken from becoming a free agent.

Ripken wants a deal that would pay him around $7 million annually through the year 2000, when Ripken will be 40. The Orioles want protection against the possibility that Ripken, who turns 37 in August, won’t age in a such a manner that his skills erode dramatically.

But no matter what happens in negotiations, Angelos said Friday, the discussions won’t affect Ripken’s consecutive-games streak, which stands at 2,316. No way, no how, Angelos insisted, after being asked if a break in negotiations would change the relationship between Ripken and the team this summer.

“That streak has been extremely important to baseball,” Angelos said, “and there is no way it will end for that reason, for anything other than baseball-related reasons.

“If it did, that would be entirely out of spite, and we absolutely will not do that.”

Lasorda won’t manage again

Tom Lasorda, wary and tired of all the speculation, said he will remain retired and has no aspirations to manage again.

“I’m retired, it’s that simple,” Lasorda said Saturday in a telephone interview from Japan. “I’m not going to manage again.

“I want everybody to know I have managed my last game.”

Lasorda, 69, who is on a scouting and goodwill trip for the Los Angeles Dodgers, said that although he is healthy and feeling strong, he’s content to remain as vice president of the Dodgers.

“I’m not soliciting a job. I’ve never solicited for a job,” said Lasorda, the former Spokane Indians manager who retired July 29, 1996, after nearly 20 years as Dodgers manager. “I don’t want anybody to think that I want to manage again.”

Lasorda’s decision to stay retired could greatly enhance his chances of being voted into the Hall of Fame. The Veterans Committee convenes Wednesday in Tampa and will vote on this year’s candidates.

Wild Thing under control

Mitch Williams made his debut for the Kansas City Royals, pitching 1-2/3 innings and picking off two runners Saturday in a 6-4 exhibition loss to the Houston Astros at Haines City, Fla.

Williams, who pitched for Spokane in 1982, gave up one run, two hits and a walk. The left-handed reliever, known as the Wild Thing, did not pitch in the majors last season.

Japanese pitcher debuts

Barry Bonds had an RBI triple and Mark Lewis drove in three runs as San Francisco took an 11-9 victory in an exhibition at Scottsdale, Ariz., that marked the debut of Anaheim pitcher Shigetoshi Hasegawa.

Hasegawa, who spent the past six seasons with the Orix Blue Wave of Japan’s Pacific League, allowed a run on consecutive doubles while pitching two innings for the Angels. He struck out two.

Thanks, Boss

New Houston manager Larry Dierker had a compassionate response after backup shortstop Ricky Gutierrez fractured a thumb, an injury that will sideline him for 10 weeks.

“Ricky’s an important guy,” Dierker said, “but it’s not like (Jeff) Bagwell’s hurt.”

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