Baseball

"Now that the trading deadline has been pushed back [from June 15 to Aug. 1], no one wants to make moves until they have to," says Ken Harrelson of the White Sox. Detroit's Bill Lajoie adds that the unusually high number of disabled players is making trades even more difficult. The Hawk would like to make a blockbuster or at least trade a pitcher (preferably Tom Seaver) for a hitter to protect Harold Baines and Greg Walker. He tried and got nowhere with the Phillies and Blue Jays. There will be some movement soon. Toronto is still dangling unhappy 35-year-old Doyle Alexander in front of the Braves, but Atlanta's Bobby Cox won't part with rookie lefthanded reliever Paul Assenmacher, who is 6 for 7 in save situations. If the Jays don't get back in the race by the end of June, they might settle for the Braves' hard-throwing but erratic righthander Duane Ward....

The Red Sox have been trying to talk the Cubs out of Bob Dernier, because they don't think Steve (Psycho) Lyons is an everyday player and because Tony Armas has fewer homers than Dennis Eckersley....

The Tigers are shopping both Chet Lemon and Dave LaPoint. The former has lost a couple of steps in center and has been plagued by a succession of minor injuries. As for the latter, the Tigers feel the American League parks are too small for him. If you don't think there's a big difference in parks between the two leagues, consider that of the 15 leading home run stadiums in this decade, 13 are in the American League....

The Yankees—with one complete-game victory—are desperately trying to find two starting pitchers, but a rival G.M. says, "There isn't anything left in their farm system that's got any value—and don't let them try to fool you with Doug Drabek or Brad Arnsberg."

...Reports continue to circulate that if the Expos don't get closer to the Mets, they will deal Andre Dawson to the Padres, then get to work on signing their other October free agent, Tim Raines, to a long-term contract....

It rankled Seattle owner George Argyros and his front office when Dick Williams said that he wanted to unload Gorman Thomas and Barry Bonnell, who would join the already departed Al Cowens and Milt Wilcox. Those moves will cost Argyros nearly $1.2 million (virtually the same amount the Dodgers swallowed when they released Terry Whitfield, Bobby Castillo, Cesar Cedeno and Bob Bailor), but Argyros knew the last thing Williams would ever be is a company man. Several Mariner veterans are unhappy with Williams and when they got back from a road trip last week, some tried to lodge their complaints with general manager Dick Balderson, which only got them in deeper trouble with the manager. When Williams found out that Peter Ladd had complained about a lack of regular work, he called the reliever in, aired him out and finished the discussion by saying, "We can get you all the innings you want at Calgary." The Mariners are trying to get catcher Bill Schroeder from the Brewers, who can afford to trade him now that B.J. Surhoff is on the horizon for '87....

With Rick Honeycutt (complete with his new knuckler) pitching well after shoulder problems, Jerry Reuss is banished to the Dodger bullpen. He is trying to find a way to get the Dodgers to start him or to trade him.

ONE DOWN, TWO TO GO

Now that Jim Frey has been replaced by Gene Michael in the Cubs' dugout, the Chicago watch will concentrate on Tony La Russa and the Bay Area watch will be on Jackie Moore in Oakland. Many feel that Tom Haller's elevation to White Sox G.M. gives him a chance to study the club and be in place if Harrelson fires La Russa. Haller has long wanted to manage. The A's have reportedly given Moore until the All-Star break to turn that club around, which might be impossible with its shaky pitching. The annual Oakland pitching woes are such that Moore had to use seven starters in seven days. Andujar, Jay Howell, Moose Haas and Dwayne Murphy have been hurt and a winless seven-game road trip ended with the appearance of Rick Langford, Doug Bair, Dave Leiper and Dave Stewart in the same evening....

"The baseball players know how I feel about this change," Dallas Green said of the Frey firing. "I'm not very happy about it. I told them in no uncertain terms they contributed greatly to it. I won't forget what he did for this organization." Frey went quietly, saying simply, "If they quit on me, shame on them." His lifelong friend, third-base coach Don Zimmer, who was also sacked, said, "I don't think God could come down here and make this team win right now."