Inside: Baseball

NO MORE DOUBTS

When the California Angels hosted the Equitable Old-Timers' All-Star Game at Anaheim Stadium on July 9, rookie lefthander Jim Abbott was the player that all the veterans wanted to meet. Warren Spahn came into the Angel clubhouse two nights before the game to introduce himself to Abbott. And on the morning of the Old-Timers' Game, a group of Hall of Famers arrived early to see him. Bobby Doerr brought a baseball for Abbott to sign. Ernie Banks asked Abbott if he could have his picture taken with him. "This is incredible," Abbott said.

California manager Doug Rader disagreed. "He may be the most remarkable individual I've ever known in baseball," said Rader. "Beside it all, he's just a red-blooded kid who's one of the guys in the clubhouse. It's been wearing at times. He's had to answer some of the dumbest, most undignified questions I've ever heard, but he's handled everything with dignity and grace. And he's one helluva pitcher."

Keep in mind, too, that Abbott has exhibited this maturity despite having no minor league experience. The last six pitchers to go from college directly to the majors—Mike Adamson (Orioles), Steve Dunning (Indians), Pete Broberg (Senators), Burt Hooton (Cubs), Dick Ruthven (Phillies) and Eddie Bane (Twins)—had a combined career record of 345-392, and only Hooton had a lifetime winning percentage over .500.

But Abbott, who was 8-5 at week's end, has simply been the best rookie starter in baseball. His pitching coach, Marcel Lachemann, says, "All the questions about him have pretty much been put aside. Some people worried that he couldn't field bunts. But he's been doing that all his life, and he's good on them. They worried that he'd get killed on a ball through the middle. If there's anything he has trouble with, it's the ball hit sharply through the box, but a lot of pitchers have that problem. They said he couldn't hold runners on. He had trouble early on, but he's learned a slide step, and he's getting better all the time. Most important, he has proved he has quality major league stuff—a great breaking ball, pitches inside to righthanders—and he seems to throw his best pitches when he's in jams."

Abbott is self-effacing about all the compliments he has received. "Dealing with the adjustments to the major leagues while dealing with the attention has been made easier because the players, manager and coaches have accepted me as one of the guys from the outset," he says. "No one got worried when I didn't win my first couple of starts. No one panicked when I had an off day. I happened to come to the right situation."

As the right pitcher and the right person.

STARS ON THE BLOCK

Blue Jay president Paul Beeston is among those in the Toronto organization who are ready to unload outfielder George Bell because of his recent outbursts. First, Bell told the Blue Jay fans to "kiss my butt." Then he insulted the working people who criticize him by saying that "I make two million dollars a year, and I don't have to go to work at 6 a.m." The Jays would like to trade Bell for a right-handed power hitter, but so far they haven't had any luck.

The Braves, meanwhile, tried to interest the Mariners in a trade for centerfielder Dale Murphy. One of Atlanta's selling points was that by returning to the Pacific Northwest—Murphy grew up in Portland. Ore.—he might come out of the season-long slump in which he has been mired.