Hershiser Is More Than Class-A Guy

SAN BERNARDINO —  A dual sense of nostalgia and reverence was in the air as the crowd, a bit larger than usual, began to gather down the left-field line near the bullpen at The Ranch Tuesday.

Fans, clutching their trading cards, baseballs and books, were waiting, hoping to get glance, let alone an autograph, of Orel Hershiser on his way to pregame warmups. Not your usual day for the Dodger veteran pitcher.

What were those beer batters?

And musical chairs for burgers?

Hershiser pitching in a Class-A baseball game for the San Bernardino Stampede against the Lancaster JetHawks in a race for the California League South Division title?

For one night at least, Hershiser, a former Cy Young Award winner and World Series most valuable player, was as much a part of minor league baseball here as the fan-friendly promotions of cheap suds and free food.

“It wasn’t that much of a distraction or that much different,” Hershiser said after his appearance, his son Jordan at his side. “Other than the continuous ads and slogans between pitches.

“I’m still trying to figure out what exactly the beer batter is. I know the crowd got a little bit extra razzed whenever he came up and wanted me to strike him out.”

He may not have struck out the JetHawk player designated as the beer batter (whenever that hitter strikes out, beers are offered at a reduced price to fans), but the Dodger veteran had a quality outing nonetheless.

Hershiser, who volunteered to be temporarily demoted to solve a numbers problem with the Dodger roster, went six innings and gave up an unearned run on four hits. He also walked one and struck out two in his 71 pitches, 49 of which were strikes.

He did not get a decision in the Stampede’s 2-1 victory over the JetHawks, a Class-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, after coming out with the score tied, 1-1, in front of a crowd of 3,853, seven short of a season high.

“It was awesome just to go out there and compete,” Hershiser said. “You don’t realize how fun it is to just play until you go out there and do it.”

He had not pitched in a game since giving up a game-ending grand slam to the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Damian Miller at Bank One Ballpark on May 9.

Hershiser, who signed a one-year contract as a free agent with a club option for a second season on Dec. 17, 1999, was expected to be a spot starter this year but won a spot in the rotation in spring training.

After being bumped to the bullpen, he struggled mightily.

Consider: Hershiser is 1-1 with an 8.76 earned-run average as a starter, 0-1 with a 15.18 ERA in four relief appearances, 1-2 with a 10.70 ERA overall.

And with the Dodgers committed to developing the still-winless rookie, Eric Gagne, and the surprising Carlos Perez doing just enough to stick around, Hershiser, who has a future in Dodger management, opted for the move to get some work in.

Stampede Manager Dino Ebel was only too happy to accommodate Hershiser, who had made only one other venture to the minors as a big leaguer.

“When you’re out in the field, playing behind him, you want to shine for a guy like that,” said Ebel, an infielder who played in the Dodger system and with Hershiser at Bakersfield, San Antonio and Albuquerque during his May, 1991, rehabilitation stint after right shoulder surgery. “When you get a guy like that, with all his knowledge and experience, the guys feed off that. It’s exciting for our ballclub. He’s just a class act. He’s still playing for the name on the front of the jersey rather than the name on the back.”

Hershiser, 41, made a noticeable and immediate impact in the young Stampede clubhouse.

Lance Caraccioli, 22, a left-handed starter from Walker, La., is 6-0 with a 3.88 ERA and a rising pitching prospect. But Tuesday, he was a fan again.

“Here’s a guy who’s been playing in the big leagues for two-thirds of my existence,” said Caraccioli, who said he was going to call home and have his mother overnight mail his Hershiser trading cards to him so he can get them autographed. “He’s where we want to be. So it’s nice to have him here and hear what he has to say.”

On the same day Hershiser was making his major league debut for the Dodgers, Sept. 1, 1983, his catcher Tuesday night, John Hernandez, was celebrating his fourth birthday.

“It just means we’re both old,” said Stampede hitting coach Jack Clark, the former Cardinal who beat the Dodgers in the 1985 National League championship series. “It’s always nice to have somebody around who you battled personally and knows what it’s like at that level.”

Hershiser will remain with the Dodgers and only join the Stampede on days he’s scheduled to pitch, however.

Good Start

A look at Orel Hershiser’s pitching numbers Tuesday night:

* Innings: 6

* Unearned runs: 1

* Hits: 4

* Walks: 1

* Strikeouts: 2

* Pitches: 71

* Strikes: 49