Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, February 15, 1991 TAG: 9102150132
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: From Associated Press reports
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
National League Cy Young Award winner Doug Drabek broke Joyner's mark on Thursday with the first $3 million award in arbitration history. Raymond Goetz, who heard the case on Wednesday in Chicago, picked the right-hander's request of $3,335,000 instead of the team's offer of $2.3 million.
"Salaries are going up a lot, but people don't complain about movies stars making [big] money; they still go to the movies," Drabek, 28, said. "We're in the entertainment business, just like movie stars and rock stars. You have to go where the market is and adjust yourself to the changes."
On another busy day in the salary market, Fred McGriff and the San Diego Padres formally announced their $15.25 million, four-year deal, which gives him the fifth-best salary in baseball. If the Padres exercise their 1995 option, McGriff would get $19 million over five years.
Left-hander Chuck Finley, who had been scheduled for a hearing, tripled his salary when the California Angels settled at $2.5 million, a $1.7 million raise.
Right-handed pitcher Jeff Robinson and the Baltimore Orioles agreed to terms on a one-year contract worth $575,000, a $165,000 raise. He was the only remaining Oriole eligible for arbitration. With the Detroit Tigers last year, Robinson was 10-9 with a 5.96 ERA.
Third baseman Leo Gomez of Class AAA Rochester, the Baltimore organization's player of the year last season, also agreed to terms with the Orioles.
The Orioles announced they have invited left-handed pitcher Mike Flanagan to spring training as a non-roster player. Flanagan is fourth on the club's career victory list with 139. Flanagan played last year for the Toronto Blue Jays.
In other settlements, outfielder Kevin Romine and Boston agreed to $355,000, a $95,000 raise.; right-hander Willie Fraser and Toronto settled at $750,000, a $340,000 raise; right-hander Mark Portugal and Houston agreed to $705,000, a $488,000 raise; and shortstop Kevin Elster and the New York Mets agreed at $625,000, a raise of $365,000.
Los Angeles infielder Lenny Harris, not yet eligible for arbitration, agreed to $315,000, a $170,000 raise.
Players and owners have split eight cases decided by arbitrators, and 27 players remain scheduled for hearings.
Only last Saturday, Joyner won a $2.1 million salary, breaking the previous record of $1,975,000, set by Mattingly in 1987.
In other baseball:
Former Oakland slugger Reggie Jackson has joined the Athletics as a part-time coach. Jackson, who also will serve as a part-time television analyst for the team, will have general coaching duties. Last week, Jackson was hired as an analyst on Athletics SportsChannel cable television broadcasts.
Jose Canseco was clocked at 104 mph while driving his red Porsche in Miami last week, earning the Oakland outfielder yet another speeding ticket.
"I don't think it was a big deal to him," said Florida Highway Patrol trooper Rafael Lola, who gave Canseco the ticket on Feb. 6.
In an 18-month span in 1989 and 1990, Canseco was ticketed four times for speeding and running a red light and was arrested in San Francisco for illegal possession of a pistol.
Keywords:
BASEBALL
by CNB