ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, February 17, 1997 TAG: 9702190033
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS AND STAFF REPORTS
Nothing special is planned if Roberto Alomar plays in Baltimore's March 17 exhibition game, the first Orioles game umpire John Hirschbeck is scheduled to work this year.
Alomar spit in Hirschbeck's face during a game in Toronto on the final weekend of the 1996 season, and AL president Gene Budig suspended the second baseman for five games, a penalty to be served at the start of this season. Umpires, upset at what they perceived as a lenient penalty, attempted to strike during the postseason but were stopped by a federal judge.
``Robbie and the Orioles are trying to put this behind us,'' Baltimore assistant general manager Kevin Malone said Sunday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. ``He apologized and is looking ahead. We feel both Robbie and John Hirschbeck are professionals. They have dealt with the situation and it is over.''
Malone said Alomar's playing schedule won't be altered to avoid Hirschbeck.
``Eventually, they will both be on the field again at the same time,'' Malone said. ``They are both professionals who have said they want to put the incident behind them. So, why don't we let them? When the time comes that they are on the field together again, I expect they will both do their jobs without incident.''
In other baseball news:
RED SOX: Former Virginia Tech pitcher Mike Williams agreed to a minor-league contract with Boston, following seven years in the Philadelphia Phillies' organization.
Williams, a 28-year-old from Giles County, was 6-14 with a 5.44 ERA last season for the Phillies, who did not offer salary arbitration. He is 13-25 with a 4.87 ERA in parts of five major-league seasons with Philadelphia, which selected him in the 14th round of the 1990 amateur draft following his junior season at Tech.
Meanwhile, clubs remained unbeaten in arbitration this year when Boston pitcher Aaron Sele lost his case Sunday but still got a raise of nearly 200 percent.
Arbitrator Anthony Sinicropi sided with the Red Sox's offer of $1,126,000 rather than Sele's request for $1.4 million. Sele was paid $380,000 last season when he was 7-11 with a 5.32 ERA.
The Sele decision was the third in a row in favor of teams with four cases pending.
BLUE JAYS: It pays to keep Roger Clemens happy. Just watch.
Two months after Toronto signed Clemens and Carlos Delgado allowed the three-time AL Cy Young winner to keep No.21 with his new team, Clemens presented Delgado with a Presidential Rolex on Sunday, the opening day of Blue Jays workouts.
``Just something to show my appreciation,'' Clemens said in Dunedin, Fla.
Delgado switched to No.25 this season. After Clemens gave him the timepiece, other teammates had ideas.
``A few players approached me and said they had good numbers, too,'' said Clemens, who signed a $23.75 million, three-year deal with the Jays.
YANKEES: Turf toe likely will keep David Wells from making his first scheduled appearance on the pitcher's mound for New York. The Yankees starter, already slowed by a broken left hand following a bar fight, has been slowed since hurting his left big toe 10 days ago while working out.
``If it doesn't feel good, I won't force it,'' Wells said in Tampa, Fla. ``Hopefully I can go Tuesday.''
Wells, signed as a free agent for $13.5 million over three years, has been playing catch in the outfield. The eight-year major-leaguer was 11-14 with a 5.14 ERA last season.
LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. Blue Jays pitcher Roger Clemens looks for a littleby CNBshade Sunday in Dunedin, Fla. Clemens rewarded Toronto teammate
Carlos Delgado with a Rolex watch for giving Clemens his No. 21.