Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 13, 1991 TAG: 9103130021
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: The New York Times
DATELINE: CLEARWATER, FLA. LENGTH: Medium
The sound that Jim Palmer heard while warming up for the Orioles on Monday was not romantic; it was climactic. It was the pop of a hamstring, and it ended the unlikely comeback attempt of the 45-year-old Hall of Famer.
Palmer, who pitched two innings of Baltimore's exhibition game against Boston on Monday, told manager Frank Robinson of his decision at breakfast Tuesday morning and prepared to resume his career as a color commentator for the Orioles' televised games.
"I had breakfast with Frank this morning," Palmer told reporters at the team's training complex in Sarasota. "He said, `Are you sure?' I said, `No, I'm not, but my leg is.'
"I felt something pop when I was warming up yesterday. I tore the hamstring. I would like to have played this out the whole way, but if you can't push off your right leg, you can't pitch."
Palmer mentioned the hamstring problem after pitching Monday and said he didn't know if he could attribute his poor effort to the ailment or his age.
Whichever it was, his first game against major-leaguers since May 1984 was not an impressive start in what was to have been a full-spring attempt at becoming baseball's first player to play again after being elected to the Hall of Fame.
In the game against the Red Sox, Palmer wasn't impressive with velocity or control.
"If I hadn't hurt my leg, I would've looked at yesterday as a building block," he said. "I've had the tightness since November. . . . I guess you would exacerbate the problem throwing.
"If it was the other leg, it would be difficult but not impossible. But you can't, with marginal stuff at best, go out and get major-league hitters out."
Palmer was a 20-game winner eight times in a nine-year period.
by CNB