Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, May 20, 1995 TAG: 9505220032
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JACK BOGACZYK
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
Radford University's only major leaguer would have preferred blowing out some candles in the Windy City. Instead, he heard the off-key crooning of fellow alums over a luncheon surprise cake at Muse Hall.
The Angels pitcher simply hopes to return to California before the end of the season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery in early March for torn cartilage in the front and back of his right shoulder.
Idled by the players' strike and now his recovering right arm, Leftwich is about as antsy as one would expect from a pitcher trying to come back from a year that was painful for more reasons than a 5-10 record and 5.68 ERA.
``The last month and a half last season,'' Leftwich said, ``just about every start I thought it would be my last. That's how much it hurt.''
Finishing a two-day stay at Radford as an ambassador for the school's athletic fund-raising efforts, Leftwich said he had hoped to avoid surgery with rest. If something good was to emerge from the strike last Aug.12, his pitching arm could have been it.
``I figured rest and rehab might do it,'' said the dark-haired Lynchburg native. ``I shut it down completely. I didn't try to throw until late January ... and when I did, I couldn't throw it 20 feet.''
What's so frustrating for the tall right-hander is that he knows the opportunity to regain his spot in the starting rotation is there on a club that can contend in a mediocre American League West.
Behind Chuck Finley and Mark Langston, the trio of Shawn Boskie, Scott Sanderson and Brian Anderson is stop-gap at best. But the strike has hurt Leftwich more than just financially.
``It happens with everybody who gets hurt and has surgery,'' Leftwich said. ``You're out of their sight and you wonder where you stand. You're on the back burner, and you have to pitch your way back into a place.''
The strike that shortened last season by seven weeks and delayed this season's opener has only lengthened Leftwich's absence. He's working in extended spring training with the Angels' youngsters in Arizona.
By the time the strike had ended with still no settlement in sight, Leftwich lost about $60,000 in salary and licensing fees. In only his second year in the majors and earning $140,000, Leftwich found the timing of the strike wasn't great for him, but he agreed - and still does - with that walk.
``I really believe we were right in what we did,'' said Leftwich, who was the Angels' second-round draft pick in 1990 after his junior year for the Highlanders. ``I think the owners treated us very unfairly.
``I think if people knew and understood all of the issues, and there are many, then if they were in our shoes, 99 of 100 of them would have done the same thing the same way.
``Sure, the game is hurt, if nothing short of giving away free tickets now is going to bring people back. We started the season right with the start of the NBA and hockey playoffs. That didn't help. What we need is some good pennant races, some well-played baseball, to bring it back.''
What Leftwich needs is patience and pitching to return to a role he grabbed on July 28, 1993, when he moved to the majors from Triple A and showed he could pitch in the bigs (4-6, 3.79 ERA in 12 starts) only four years after he retired his last Big South Conference hitter.
He still owns 13 career and eight season records at a place where he started with a $1,000 scholarship after pitching Brookville High to the 1987 Group AA state championship.
He said it didn't seem so long ago that he was pitching for the Highlanders. It does seem like more than nine months since he was pitching for the Angels.
by CNB