LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES : Injured Giants Look for Second Wind Against the Cubs

CHICAGO — The only thing strong or steady here Tuesday was the wind, which chilled the teams who tonight begin a National League championship series that neither seems capable of winning.

Huddled in one Wrigley Field clubhouse were the East Division champion Chicago Cubs. You love them because they haven’t won a pennant in 44 years, or the World Series in 81 years. You love them because of their bleachers, their ivy, and that break-dancing grandfather named Harry Caray.

But do you know them?

Quick, name one of their catchers. Any of their catchers. How about the left fielder? OK, then the center fielder.

A hint: None of them, nor 14 other Cubs, have ever played on national television in October.

In the other clubhouse, dressed in turtlenecks, long johns and puffed chests, were the Western Division champion San Francisco Giants. They have just won their second division title in three years. They have the game’s most powerful 3-4 punch in Will Clark and Kevin Mitchell.

But historically, hitting does not help teams in body casts.

It was announced Tuesday that catcher Terry Kennedy has a mysterious shoulder ailment, startling news that was greeted by Giant officials with nothing more than a rolling of eyes. That is because scheduled Game 3 starter Don Robinson has a bad right knee, reliever Craig Lefferts has a not-so-mysterious shoulder ailment, and Clark is still hobbled by a bruised knee suffered in a recent collision with Dodger catcher Mike Scioscia.

Then there are Mitchell’s tender left wrist, third baseman Matt Williams’ hamstring strain, and shortstop Jose Uribe’s bruised left shoulder. These sore Giants have been administered more shots than Mitchell has hit.

Said the Giants’ leader, Clark: “I just hope we’ve got enough guys to drag out there.”

Said the Cubs’ leader, Rick Sutcliffe: “I just hope we never wake up.”

Beginning tonight in Game 1 at Wrigley Field at 5:15 p.m. (PDT), with the Cubs’ Greg Maddux (19-12) facing the Giants’ Scott Garrelts (14-5), both teams had better hope this seven-game duel is not determined by the one player who seems poised and vicious--the wind.

“There are really only two bad parks in this league for the wind,” Lefferts said. “Ours, and theirs.”

Here at Wrigley, with little notice, infield fly balls can land in the seats. At the Giants’ Candlestick Park home, with little notice, infielders can land in the seats.

“But at least here, the wind goes in one direction, and you know which direction,” Cub first baseman Mark Grace said. “There, you have to send four guys after every popup.”

Said Lefferts: “You watch, the wind will bite somebody. They are used to it, and so are we, and it doesn’t matter. Before it’s all over with, somebody will definitely get bit.”

If it happens to the Cubs, they may not feel it. After winning just nine games in spring training, worst in the league, they won eight of their first 10 regular-season games. Then, behind the unorthodox moves and inspiration of Manager Don Zimmer--he has used his cleanup hitter to suicide-squeeze bunt--the Cubs embarked on a journey during which they spent 100 days in first place, including the final two months of the season.

“Sometimes, I’ve got to touch myself to make sure I’m really here,” shortstop Shawon Dunston said.

He’s not the only one. Only six Cubs have been here before, including just three from that 1984 division championship team that beat the San Diego Padres in the first two playoff games in Wrigley Field, then lost three straight at San Diego, blowing what was then a best-of-five series.

“Guys on this team ask me all the time about how bad that was and I tell them, up until now it was the highlight of my career ,” said Sutcliffe, who with his tender shoulder apparently healed will start Game 3. “All of us have to realize, we may never be here again.”

It is that attitude that should most scare the favored Giants. From catchers Joe Girardi and rookie Rick Wrona to rookie left fielder Dwight Smith to rookie center fielder Jerome Walton, the unknown Cubs may have no idea how much they should fear.

“We might not be smart enough to get nervous,” first baseman Mark Grace said.

Walton, for example, is nursing a sore right hamstring. But he laughed when asked if he should play at less than 100%.

“Don’t matter what percent I’m at,” he said. “I’ll be there. I deserve to be there.”

Not that rookie-of-the-year favorite Walton--he hit .293 and stole 24 bases--or Smith, with a team-leading .324 average and 52 RBIs in 109 games, or even tonight’s starter Wrona, who hit .283, should have reason to worry. They will be surrounded by steady Grace, who hit .314; Andre Dawson, who hit 27 home runs, and, of course, by the quietly great second baseman Ryne Sandberg, who batted .290 and hit 30 homers.

And if things get tense, all the Cubs need to do is bring in reliever Mitch Williams, who typified this team from opening day, when, against Philadelphia, he loaded the bases in the ninth inning, then struck out the side. Of course, he doesn’t have any postseason experience either.

“That’s OK,” he said. “Even when I’m in trouble, I don’t think I’m in trouble.”

The Giants, 18 of whom have postseason experience, know when they’re in trouble.

They ended the season losing six of their final seven games and were swept by the Dodgers in a series that showed just how much Robinson and Clark were hurting.

Then came the problem with today’s scheduled starting catcher, Kennedy, an important left-handed hitter against the Cubs’ three right-handed starters in this series, Maddux, Mike Bielecki and Sutcliffe. He woke up Monday with a sore shoulder.

At first, he thought he had slept on it wrong. But it was still hurting Tuesday, enough to require a cortisone shot and much fretting.

“It’s a serious problem,” said Giant Manager Roger Craig, who was satisfied enough with Kennedy’s Tuesday workout that he will still probably start today. “Thing is, the whole world knows that maybe now he can’t throw as well, or swing at bat as well. That’s not good.”

Craig was also satisfied with a simulated game pitched Tuesday by Robinson, who has been fighting his sore knee for a month. Even though the 235-pound pitcher grunted through every delivery, it appears he will at least be able to walk to the mound for Friday’s scheduled start, following Garrelts and Rick Reuschel.

“I’ve come this far, man, I definitely want to go out there,” Robinson said.

Then there’s Clark. He shook his head when asked if his badly bruised knee, suffered a couple of weeks ago when Scioscia fell on him, was healed.

“Nope, it’s not better at all, but now is not a time to be worrying about it,” he said.

Besides, Clark noted in a touch of humility, he, despite his .333 average and 111 RBIs, and Mitchell, despite his 47 homers and 125 RBIs, aren’t the most important Giants today.

“The key to this series will be the No. 1 and 2 hitters,” he said. “They’ve got to get on for the other guys.”

For the Giants, those hitters will be Brett Butler and Robby Thompson. For the Cubs, it will be Walton and Sandberg.

Of course, Clark and his teammate think they can win, no matter what. When asked if he was eagerly anticipating an all-Bay Area World Series, Clark grinned.

“You’re forgetting something,” he said. “Oakland has to beat Toronto first.”