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

DATE: THURSDAY, March 2, 1995                   TAG: 9503030081
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

REPLACEMENT ERA DAWNS

Jose Peguero had a new career, a new position and a new number on his back. And, like all his teammates, he was about to have a somewhat infamous place in baseball history.

Peguero was to officially become a replacement player Wednesday night when he batted cleanup and played first base in the California Angels' exhibition game against Arizona State University.

The game marked the start of baseball's Replacement Era. It was to be the first game involving players wearing major-league uniforms since the strike began Aug. 12.

The Angels' lineup for the opening exhibition game of 1995 looked like this: Demond Smith, cf; Joseph Urso, 2b; Greg Shockey, rf; Peguero, 1b; Tim Cunningham, dh; Tyrone Boykin, lf; Kevin Davis, ss; Doug Davis, c; Lance Robbins, 3b, and Steve Peck, p.

When California opened its exhibition season last year against the Colorado Rockies, the lineup was: Chad Curtis, cf; Jim Edmonds, lf; Tim Salmon, rf; Bo Jackson, dh; J.T. Snow, 1b; Damion Easley, 3b; Torey Lovullo, 2b; Chris Turner, c; Gary DiSarcina, ss, and Mark Langston, p.

Each member of this year's lineup has the chance to make $115,000 this season as a replacement player. The starters last year had average earnings of $672,700 in 1994 - not including incentive bonuses.

``It's obviously different because it's not the major-league players, but it's who we have to work with right now,'' Angels manager Marcel Lachemann said of his replacement players. ``They've made a commitment to something that's very difficult to do. From that standpoint, you have to respect that.''

Arizona State coach Pat Murphy said before the game that he'd received several crank calls in recent days warning him not to play the Angels.

``They say all sorts of things - `Don't play. If you play you're a scab, you're a part of the problem,''' said Murphy, who had no idea who made the calls to his answering machine.

A few miles north in Scottsdale, owners and players were negotiating. Down the road in Phoenix, the union was meeting with minor-leaguers.

At Tempe Diablo Stadium, about 2,100 tickets had been sold - and 100 media credentials issued - by afternoon. About 2,200 tickets were sold for last year's charity game between the Angels and Arizona State.

by CNB