Friday, November 12, 1999

A class act is dismissed

By BOB ELLIOTT -- Toronto Sun

  LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. -- Gord Ash always told Pat Hentgen not to believe trade speculation when he read his name in the paper.

 The Blue Jays president and general manager promised Hentgen he would call if rumours ever were more than just that.

 At about 3 p.m. Wednesday, Ash made that call to Hentgen's Michigan home, informing the eight-year veteran a trade was about to happen.

 Hentgen, one of the best to wear a Blue Jays uniform, and left-handed reliever Paul Spoljaric were sent to the St. Louis Cardinals for three players as the annual general managers meeting ended yesterday.

 In return, the Jays obtained lefty reliever Lance Painter, catcher Alberto Castillo and minor-league pitcher Matt DeWitt in deal which amounts to nothing more than a salary dump.

 Hentgen will earn $6 million US in 2000 and the Cardinals have an option for 2001 at $6 million US, including a $600,000 buyout.

 Would it have made any difference to fans if Hentgen was dealt for an everyday player? Probably not.

 "These deals are hard enough to make and this was the toughest I have ever made," Ash said. "But we feel like we have some things in place that will allow us to make some other moves. This allows us to make that next step."

 In other words, it frees up some cash and allows the Jays to sign some players.

 Ash left these meetings with talks continuing with the Indians, the Mets and the Yankees.

 If trading Hentgen allows the Jays to add outfielder Alex Ramirez and third baseman Travis Fryman from the Indians, then perhaps it is a means to an end. We shall see.

 Ash realizes he will take a major public-relations beating as a result of moving two of Toronto's better players this past week -- Shawn Green to the Dodgers and Hentgen to the Cards.

 "It's not exactly like we were World Series champions," Ash said. "We are not exactly breaking up a winning combination."

 Moving Hentgen may open the door for subsequent moves. However, that should be secondary on a day when a 14-year career comes to an end for a career Jay.

 "I remember in 1986 when (scout) Don Welke brought Pat into (former GM) Pat Gillick's office to sign him," Ash said. "Hentgen never took anything for granted. He was always very humble and very appreciative. No one represented the organization better than Pat Hentgen."

 If Hentgen had a bad start, which happened with more regularity the past couple of seasons, he was always there to face the television lights and the note pads.

 A fifth-round draft selection in 1986, Hentgen made every start as if it was his final one.

 "I was a 17-year-old punk when I came to the organization and they taught me how to play," Hentgen said during a conference call. "I have three all-star rings and two World Series rings. I felt really fortunate to have played in Toronto.

 "I never let the trade talk bother me."

 Which isn't quite true, as Hentgen led all Blue Jays in asking reporters about trade rumours.

 He said his favourite memory as a Blue Jay was Joe Carter's dramatic home run to win the 1993 World Series against the Phillies at the SkyDome.

 It is typical Hentgen didn't pick Game 3 of that World Series, when a headline in a Philadelphia paper read "Danny Jackson vs. Pat Who?"

 Hentgen simply went out and allowed one run in six innings of a 10-3 victory. That he didn't pick his 183-game iron-man streak (1993 to Sept. 10, 1998) or when he won the 1996 Cy Young Award speaks volumes.

 My favourite memory of Hentgen -- aside from watching him pitch so brilliantly and enthusiastically -- was early in the 1996 season at Yankee Stadium. Hentgen had just signed a multi-year deal, making him a very rich man.

 Then-manager Cito Gaston sat on the dugout bench while writers sat across from him. Batting practice ended and players rushed by between the writers and Gaston.

 Only one -- Hentgen -- said "Excuse me."

 After Hentgen walked past, Gaston said: "There goes a guy who will never be changed by the amount of money he earns."

 Gaston was right -- Hentgen was a class act all the way.

Friday, November 12, 1999

Next start: St. Louis

Hentgen, Spoljaric shuffled off to Cards, but the dealing's far from done

By BOB ELLIOTT -- Toronto Sun

  LAGUNA NIGUEL,Calif. -- From one flock of birds to another.

 The Blue Jays shipped right-hander Pat Hentgen and left-handed reliever Paul Spoljaric to the St. Louis Cardinals for left-handed reliever Lance Painter, catcher Alberto Castillo and minor-league pitcher Matt DeWitt as the annual general managers meetings ended yesterday.

 "I have no bad feelings, whether it be business, personality or overall performance -- the Jays thought it was the right move," Hentgen, an eight-year veteran, said during a conference call. "The fans were awesome but players come and players go."

 Players such as John Mayberry, Willie Upshaw, Fred McGriff, Ernie Whitt and Hentgen may come and go but they are not forgotten.

 Detroit general manager Randy Smith expressed interest last week in Hentgen, a Michigan native. But the Tigers balked when the Jays asked for catcher Robert Fick and lefty C.J. Nitkowski.

 Toronto president and general manager Gord Ash leaves the California meetings with the groundwork laid in trade talks with the following clubs:

 - Cleveland -- Indians general manager John Hart thought he had San Diego right-hander Andy Ashby to himself and was surprised to see Ashby dealt to Philadelphia late Wednesday. When members of the Blue Jays party returned from dinner that night and were told Ashby was going to Philadelphia, there were pumped fists in the air.

 Hart losing out on Ashby means the Jays now can dangle lefty David Wells in front of the Indians and try to get 30-year-old third baseman Travis Fryman in return.

 Last season, Fryman was on the injured list twice with a knee injury and appeared in 85 games. He hit .255, with 10 homers and 48 RBIs.

 Until the injury-shortened season, Fryman had averaged 20-25 homers, 80-90 RBIs and a .290 average. He is signed for the next three seasons at an average of $5.71 million US ($5.55 million in 2000, $5.75 million in 2001, $5.825 million in 2002 with a $6 million option in 2003).

 Wells has two years and $16.66 million US remaining on his contract with the Jays.

 - The Yankees -- Owner George Steinbrenner is interested in bringing Wells back. His baseball people are not. The Jays are looking for a package that would include reliever Ramiro Mendoza, minor-league infielder Alfonso Soriano and first baseman Nick Johnson.

 - The Mets -- Toronto asked for right-handers Octavio Dotel and Masato Yoshi, centre fielder Roger Cedeno, outfielder Jay Payton and a prospect in exchange for first baseman Carlos Delgado and Wells.

 Two things will impact talks with the Mets.

 First, indications are free-agent first baseman John Olerud will go to Seattle, which creates a need for Delgado. Secondly, the Mets want to keep Cedeno as a bargaining chip as they try to acquire centre fielder Ken Griffey from Seattle.

 The Cardinals, meanwhile, got the man they were looking for.

 "We had looked at Pat for a long time and we were interested in him all year," St. Louis general manager Walt Jocketty said. "He improves our rotation. We have Hentgen, Kent Bottenfield, Rich Ankiel, Jose Jimenez and we are still looking for a fifth."

 Hentgen says he is healthy after elbow problems slightly curtailed his velocity.

 "Unfortunately, business takes over," Hentgen said. "I am excited and looking forward to playing in a great baseball city like St. Louis."

Fregosi had my bags packed early in season, Hentgen says

But righthander admits: `I owe the Blue Jays alot'

By Geoff Baker
Toronto Star Sports Reporter

Few people on the planet knew with more certainty than Pat Hentgen that his Blue Jays days were over.

He'd had several months before yesterday's trade to get used to the idea of leaving Toronto after it became apparent that new manager Jim Fregosi was not his biggest fan.

``I know that Jim has his own view on things and obviously I wasn't part of it,'' Hentgen said. ``Those things happen and, like I said, life goes on. Obviously, Jim felt I wasn't in the plans for the year 2000 and that's as simple as I can put it.''

Hentgen likely would not have made it back for a 15th season in Toronto's organization even if he and Fregosi had been close. A $6.5 million (U.S.) contract for next season was more than the Jays could absorb for a pitcher with a 23-23 record the past two years.

Team president and general manager Gord Ash inadvertently tipped off reporters yesterday about just how foregone a conclusion Hentgen's trade was.

Ash said the $5 million less in salary the team will pay to the three incoming St. Louis Cardinals players was not an actual saving that could be added to any contract offers to Carlos Delgado.

That would suggest the team had already budgeted for Hentgen's departure some time ago.

Even the way Fregosi took the ball from him when bringing in a relief pitcher suggested to Hentgen he was already gone.

``Obviously, 14 years is a long time to be with one organization,'' Hentgen said. ``I was a 17-year-old punk walking in there. But they taught me how to play the game and I owe the Blue Jays organization a lot.

``It was just a great, great time there. Three all-star rings and two Word Series rings in eight years there. So, I just feel real fortunate in my time spent there.''

Not to mention his 1996 Cy Young Award in a 20-win season that saw him lead the American League with 265 innings pitched.

Hentgen gave all he had when out on the field. Some people around baseball insist Hentgen gave too much and has little left.

On a rainy September morning in Boston, Hentgen knew his next two starts would be his final ones for Toronto. He stared out the window of a dark hotel room as he tried to piece together thoughts about his time with the Jays.

The words did not come easy.

Nor would they flow any quicker after his final SkyDome start four days later. Hentgen left holding a 7-5 lead with one out in the seventh and got a standing ovation from 34,253 fans.

``When I walked off the mound that day in Toronto, the way they were cheering for me...it was very emotional for me,'' he said. ``I knew that it could be and might be my last game there as a Blue Jay.''

Hentgen's final Blue Jays outing was a mix of triumph and despair.

He held the Cleveland Indians scoreless for eight innings at Jacobs Field just hours after flying in from Michigan, where his father had undergone emergency surgery for a cancerous growth in his back.

He'd also learned that day that longtime friend and mentor Mel Queen was one of five coaches fired by the Blue Jays.

A two-run homer by Alex Ramirez in the ninth blew Hentgen's shutout bid, but he still left a winner.

Hentgen was running on sheer willpower by that point and broke down in tears during post-game interviews.

Hentgen heads to pitching starved St. Louis looking to re-establish that staff and perhaps his career as well.

``You can't predict what's going to happen in 2000,'' Hentgen said. ``All I know is you're going to get an effort from me every fifth day.''

Former Cy Young winner Hentgen, Spoljaric join Cards
Mike Eisenbath Of The Post-Dispatch


Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan has a reputation for helping once-successful veteran pitchers rediscover their winning form. He picked up a new student Thursday when the Cardinals acquired righthander Pat Hentgen from the Toronto Blue Jays.

Consider the trade a gamble as Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty tries to build a competitive rotation this offseason.

"Pat has a lot of experience," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. "He knows himself. 'Dunc' will look at him and maybe fine-tune what (Hentgen) does best, but I think he knows how to pitch."

Hentgen, who had spent his entire career in the Blue Jays organization, won the American League Cy Young Award in 1996 and was among the more popular athletes in Toronto. He could match that popularity in St. Louis if he can anchor the Cardinals staff. But that will require something of a turnaround because he has a 23-23 record and a 4.96 earned-run average the past two seasons.

"Once the season starts, you're only one-fifth of the rotation," Hentgen said of his new status as the Cardinals' ace. "You need all five guys bearing down, keeping their team in the game. You need all five to get to the postseason."

Along with Hentgen, who turns 31 on Saturday, the Cardinals obtained lefthanded pitcher Paul Spoljaric. In return, they sent lefthanded reliever Lance Painter, reserve catcher Alberto Castillo and righthanded pitching prospect Matt DeWitt to the Jays.

"All my buddies in the National League have told me St. Louis is a great place to play," Hentgen said. "I hope I can go there and do the job."

Hentgen, a native of the Detroit area, won the honor as the AL's top pitcher in 1996 after compiling a 20-10 record and a 3.22 ERA. He has an excellent fastball and curveball, with a decent slider.

Drafted in the fifth round in 1986, Hentgen has developed a reputation as a tenacious competitor and a workhorse. Since the beginning of the 1993 season, he has a 100-74 record and has averaged 213 innings per season. He topped the 260-inning mark in the 1996 and '97 seasons, when he had a total of 19 complete games. The only missed starts he had during that span were due to shoulder tendinitis near the end of the 1998 season.

"He's a warrior," said La Russa, who has a clear memory of Hentgen pitching against his Oakland Athletics in the mid-'90s. "He reminds me of (Todd) Stottlemyre, the way he goes out there. When he takes the mound, you know you're getting everything he has. He was in the upper echelon of the league then."

Hentgen said his problems of the past two seasons related directly to the shoulder soreness he began experiencing at the beginning of 1998. He didn't acknowledge the problem until late in the season and didn't begin a strengthening program until that winter.

Last season, Hentgen went 11-12 with a 4.79 ERA in 34 starts. The Blue Jays have had him on the trade market the past couple of years in part because of the dip in his performance but also to clear some room on their payroll. He has two years remaining on his contract, which pays him $6.6 million per season.

"This was a very difficult trade for me," Blue Jays general manager Gord Ash said. "Pat has been in the organization a number of years, and I had somewhat of a personal relationship with him. These deals are hard to make, but we feel we have some other things we can do to bring us additional pitching."

The deal marks the fifth time the Cardinals have added a former Cy Young winner to their staff. But of the four previous pitchers -- Bruce Sutter, Fernando Valenzuela, Rick Sutcliffe and Dennis Eckersley -- only Sutter arrived near his prime, and he was a reliever.

Spoljaric, 29, started this season as a candidate for Philadelphia's rotation but then was sent back to Toronto, where he began his pro career and enjoyed success out of the bullpen. He worked in 42 games for the Jays, including five as a starter, and went 2-5 with a 6.26 ERA.

The Cardinals hope Spoljaric can ease some of the sting of losing Painter, 32, who was the club's lefthanded relief specialist. He went 4-5 with a 4.83 ERA in 56 games this season, his third with the Cardinals, but had a 3.04 ERA and allowed only 23 baserunners in 31 games after the All-Star Game. Lefthanded batters had a .222 average against him.

"The Cardinals treated me very well, and I appreciate everything they did for me," Painter said. "I'm sad to leave. But I look at the biggest need we had, and it was starting pitching.

"I just wish I could be around to be a part of the staff when things come together."

Castillo, 29, appeared to be a career minor-leaguer until the Cardinals took him from the Phillies in the Rule 5 draft last offseason. He spent the entire year in the big leagues for the first time in his 13 pro seasons and finished with a .263 average and 31 runs batted in for 93 games.

DeWitt, 22, loomed as one of the top young Cardinals pitching prospects, even though he had a less-than-inspiring 31-37 record and an ERA above 4.00 in five seasons in their farm system. The hard-throwing righthander went 9-8 with a 4.43 ERA last summer at Class AA Arkansas.