The New Boss Will Watch Them Like A Hawk

If the first days on his new job as the White Sox executive vice-president of baseball operations were any indication, Ken Harrelson will create many headlines. The Hawk, who two decades ago turned baseball on to the joys of batting gloves, replaced Roland Hemond, who was kicked upstairs. Co-owners Eddie Einhorn and Jerry Reinsdorf talked to a number of people in the organization, looking for suggestions for reversing the White Sox' slide since their smashing '83 season. Harrelson was the only one to submit a "blueprint" for the team's future. They liked the blueprint so much, they hired him. Here's what he wants to do:

?Hire Billy Martin if the Yankees fire him. "Billy is the best manager in baseball on a one-year contract. He's the only guy in the league I think is a better manager than Tony La Russa." La Russa may not stay anyway. His pitching coach, Dave Duncan, and his hitting coach, Mike Lum, could be gone.

?Re-sign Carlton Fisk, 37, move him to left and put Joel Skinner, 24, behind the plate, with Fisk making guest appearances as the catcher.

?Hire a relief-pitching coach and have him work out of the pen. "He could talk about situations that might come up. He would also be trying to get the most out of mediocrity, which is most of what you've got behind the 30-save stud [ Bob James]."

?Trade Tom Seaver to either the Mets or Yankees. Seaver has expressed a strong desire to return to New York, and Harrelson would like to accommodate him. "If I have to take a little of the worst of the deal, I'll probably be the first guy to do it. New York is where he belongs."