Cangelosi - Nelson's star pupil on run

Davey Nelson is gone from the White Sox but the mind and feet ofJohn Cangelosi are living reminders of his stay.

Overshadowing the power of publicized fellow rookies PeteIncaviglia, Billy Jo Robidoux and Jose Canseco, the 5-7 Cangelosi isleading the American League in stolen bases. Nelson, he said, is thereason.

"He taught me patience, the importance of the first three stepsand how to read pitchers," the switch-hitting leadoff man said of theSox coach from 1982-84.

"Davey really helped me in '83 spring training. I had stolen 87bases at Appleton but I was caught 30-some times. After working withDavey, I stole 65 at Glens Falls but was caught only about 13.

"I'll never forget one thing he said: `If you have to come backto the bag standing up, you're not far enough off. You are farenough when you dive back - bang! bang!' "

Nelson, now minor league co-ordinator with the Oakland A's, saidCangelosi is his best pupil he ever had.

"I couldn't give him enough information. He listened and stayedafter me. I worked with Daryl Boston the same time, but Daryl didn'tpick it up as quickly.

"John had a great desire to play in the big leagues, so I'm nottoo surprised he's there already. He was a little bit frustrated athis size and arm but I told him, `Your speed is your forte. If youmake contact with the bat, you can make it.' It looks like he has.I'm very pleased."

THANKFUL: Nelson's demotion from Sox coach to minor leagueinstructor to no job at all remains unexplained, but the A's are sopleased with him they have him traveling with the team to aidAlfredo Griffin, Tony Phillips and Mike Davis.

Nelson holds no grudges with the Sox. "Tony (manager LaRussa)and the guys were great to me. I received a note from Tony when Itook this job. I really appreciated that."

BOWA BACKER: Should former Cubs and Phillies shortstop LarryBowa make the Hall of Fame?

The Elias Baseball Analyst makes this case for him:

"Bowa has played more games at shortstop than any player inmajor league history except Luis Aparicio. The all-time leaders:Aparicio (2,581), Bowa (2,222), Luke Appling (2,218) and RabbitMaranville (2,154). The other three are all Hall of Famers.

"Don't think these guys substantially outhit Bowa, either:Appling (.310 career average), Aparicio (.262)), Bowa (.260),Maranville (.258). Could field his position, run the bases and heplayed for winners. That's a Hall of Famer."

ONLY RIJO: Oakland's demotion of Tim Birtsas to the minors aftera 10-6 record last season leaves Jose Rijo as the only one stillaround from the three starting pitchers the Yankees gave them forRickey Henderson. Eric Plunk didn't make it out of spring training.

Called "Baby Huey" last year, Birtsas seemed to lose hisfastball when he lost 30 pounds. "I may not have lost it the rightway," he said of the weight. "Some day, I'll explain it."

LONG GONE: The Rangers are smiling over their offseason tradewith the White Sox that brought them pitcher Ed Correa and infielderScott Fletcher.

Correa allowed only three hits in a Monday victory overMilwaukee, two of them by Billy Jo Robideaux. "He has the kind ofstuff that pitchers dream about and the scary thing is, I'm sure he'sstill learning," Robideaux said.

Fletcher started out 6-for-17 while playing second base andshortstop. He had manager Bobby Valentine gushing. "He runs a littlebetter than I thought he did, he turns the double play at secondbase, he's showed me a stronger arm at shortstop than I thought hehad and I know he can play third base," said Valentine, who has beenplatooning Fletcher.

The young Rangers have another kid pitcher to go with Correa.After Jose Guzman shut down Baltimore batters, manager Earl Weaversaid, "Where did he learn how to pitch? Heaven?"

TRY AGAIN: Trying to get something going for the Padres in an11-inning game with the Dodgers, Bruce Bochy pleaded with umpire EdMontague that he was hit on the foot by a pitch.

"Sorry, I didn't see it," Montague said.

Bochy stepped back in and homered to win the game. Watching himcross the plate, Montague said, "Want me to reverse my decision?"

LOOK ME OVER: New general manager Syd Thrift of the Pirates isthe center of attention in Las Vegas, where he went to scout Padrefarmhands for a possible Rick Rhoden trade. He had receivedconflicting reports on the possibilities and wanted to see forhimself.

Ironically, Tacoma is the opponent. It's a farm of the OaklandA's, who also are seeking Rhoden.

PLAY TIME: Tigers manager Sparky Anderson remainsunpredictable. He not only is alternating converted Twins catcherDave Engle and untested farmhand Mike Laga at first base - whichdoesn't make league home run champion Darrell Evans happy - but isconverting ex-Giants catcher Matt Nokes to a left fielder in theminors. That ought to thrill Dave Collins and Larry Herndon.

HOW STRONG? Milwaukee manager George Bamberger is well known asa pitching coach. He says he may go with just a four-man rotationthis summer.

"The more you pitch, the stronger you get," Bamberger said. "Thestronger you get, the better you pitch."

And what about pitchers developing tendinitis from overwork?"Tendinitis means you got knocked around the day before," Bambergersaid.

WAKE-UP CALL: Milwaukee second baseman Jim Gantner was so lulledby the 3 hour, 27 minute boreathon between the Brewers and TexasThursday, he said, "I was dreaming, wasn't I? My wife is going toshake me awake, isn't she?"

There were 23 walks, 21 strikeouts and six wild pitches.

BENCH WORK: One of the big complaints about Dick Williams lastyear was not using the Padres' bench enough.

New manager Steve Boros is changing all that.

Sunday, Marvell Wynne came off the bench and hit two homers;Monday, Bruce Bochy hit a pinch home run; Tuesday, Garry Templetondidn't start because of flu but came in with a 12th-inning single;Wednesday, Graig Nettles hit a pinch single in the ninth.

"The way I've been managing, guys on the bench have to stayalert," Boros said. "They're afraid to go to the bathroom."

REPLACE DIVOTS: Former Cub Joe Carter, like most other players,isn't crazy about the city of Cleveland. But he's got a biggergripe: the field in Municipal Stadium, which is owned by the Browns.

The Browns have not resodded the football area and the yard-linemarks are still visible.

"If you can play on this field, you can play on any field inAmerica," Carter said. "They probably have better fields than this inRussia. They probably have better mine fields than this."

MORE WOE: Yes, Cleveland players have a way of being unhappy.Pitcher Neal Heaton is battling former Cub Don Schulze for the fourth starting position and Heaton doesn't like it.

"They brought in a guy from Minnesota (Ken Schrom) and put himin front of me," Heaton said. "They brought in a guy from Milwaukee(Tom Candiotti) and put him in front of me and they brought in a guyfrom New York (Phil Niekro) and put him in front of me. It's a slapin the face."

Maybe Heaton's 9-17 record and 4.90 ERA last year had somethingto do with it.

COMEBACK: When Dennis Leonard pitched his complete game in hisfirst game back from knee surgery, he knew the importance of it.

"I really couldn't have asked for more than this," he said."It's a very satisfying way to come back. I'm not a very goodwriter, but I couldn't have written a better script."