Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, March 2, 1991                   TAG: 9103020197
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B1   EDITION: STATE 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: SARASOTA, FLA.                                LENGTH: Medium

WHITT DOESN'T WORRY

There used to be a time when Whitt couldn't bear the thought of a summer without baseball. Now, he no longer cringes at the prospect of being called into the manager's office to be told he won't be accompanying the team back north.

Whitt, 38, is a non-roster player who has been granted a shot at making the Baltimore Orioles. Sure, he'd love to stick around, but it's hardly a life-or-death proposition.

"If things fall into place, I'll be here," he said. "But it's a win-win situation. If I don't make it, I'll just go home and play with the kids and play some golf."

In an age where arbitration, huge salaries and holdouts dominate the headlines, Whitt is a throwback to the good old days when a player got a kick out of simply playing the game.

"For the last 12 or 13 years I've been able to put money away for retirement," he said. "So I'm not here for the money; it's just the opportunity to continue to play."

Whitt has always loved playing baseball, and proved it by enduring 471 games in the minor leagues before he finally got a shot with the Boston Red Sox on Sept. 21, 1976. He hit a homer in that game, the first of his 134 in the majors.

Later that year, Whitt was selected by Toronto in the expansion draft. Then, in 1977, he became the last Blue Jay cut at spring training.

But he returned to play parts of the next two seasons before finally establishing himself in 1980, when he played in 106 games. He stayed with the Blue Jays through 1989, and only Lloyd Moseby has more games in a Toronto uniform than Whitt's 1,218.

Whitt was traded to Atlanta last year and was caught on opening day. But he suffered a dislocated thumb in a collision at the plate on May 28, and spent the next two months on the disabled list.

After batting .172 in 67 games with Atlanta, Whitt opted to join the Orioles. He came to camp on a tryout basis without a contract.

His competition: two relative youngsters, 29-year-old Bob Melvin and Chris Hoiles, 26. Whitt doesn't expect to show up both of them, but he is hopeful that manager Frank Robinson might decide to keep all three.

"I think my chances are good," he said. "