Carlton might slide by in AL for a while

Can Steve Carlton still pitch?

The National League man thought for a moment, then answered:

"In the American League."

Why there, and not in the NL?

"In the National League, they're laying off his slider. In theAmerican, they haven't seen it. They'll swing at it, for a while."

He was talking about the famous Carlton hard slider that looksto the hitter like a fastball that will nick the corner of the plate,before it breaks out of the strike zone and leaves him swingingfoolishly. That is, it breaks out of the strike zone on one ofSteve's good days, when he is throwing hard. Other days, it justlays over the plate like a fat pheasant on the first day of huntingseason.

I went to Wrigley Field yesterday in search of answers to theCarlton question, because it became apparent "Lefty" would pausebriefly in his downhill slide and model a White Sox uniform beforeretiring for good and awaiting election to Cooperstown.

I talked to Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates, men who have seenCarlton in his prime and the way he is now. Because most playersdon't like to talk about the shortcomings of opponents, I tradedanonymity for frankness. The testimony was mixed.

"Not throwing good at all," said a Cub who has watched Carlton for many years. "He's lost the velocity. There's no bite on hisslider. He can't strike anybody out with it any more." Another Cubsaid neither fastball nor slider were thrown with the old zip whenthe Cubs hammered Carlton June 16 in Wrigley Field. Both had to beeffective for Carlton to win, he said.

A Cub official said Steve's "fastball" had been clocked at 80m.p.h. his last time out with San Francisco, before the Giants talkedhim into "retiring" so they could fill his spot on the roster with ayounger pitcher. However, a Pittsburgh coach said the speed had beena respectable 86 and 87 July 26, the last time the Pirates saw Lefty,"but he can't do that consistently any more. He shut Pittsburgh outfor seven innings that day and beat them.

Four Cub hitters who have faced him many times felt Carltonstill could pitch, but two added qualifications. Steve's mechanicswere messed up when the Phillies released him June 26, one Cub said. "If he gets his mechanics back, he can still pitch." Anotherwondered if Carlton's rotator cuff, a problem last year, was entirelysound. ("He can pitch if he's healthy.")

When the story broke the Sox were serious about picking up boththe 41-year-old Carlton and 37-year-old George Foster, just dumped bythe New York Mets, a clever headline writer on this newspaper taggedthe news: "Sox explore fossil fuel." Indeed, it is easy to jump tothe conclusion Ken "Hawk" Harrelson has abandoned the youth movementof recent weeks and is trying to rub dry old bones together and starta fire in the remainder of 1986.

The "Hawk" wouldn't talk about these signings yesterday, becausewaivers wouldn't clear on these geezers until today and Detroit alsowas interested in Foster. But someone in the Sox hierarchy insistedthis sudden reverence for age was deceiving. "Have you looked at ourDL lately?" he asked, indicating Harrelson was just trying to survivethe recent decimation of his team by injuries.

To be sure, with Greg Walker, Bob James and Neil Allen disabled,it is time to patch the ship with any driftwood that floats by. Only the cheeriest optimistwould say the Sox remain in the championship race in the AL West, butneither California nor Texas is the 1927 Yankees, so they might stillmake it interesting if Carlton and Foster have enough breath left tofog a mirror. More realistically, the signing of these codgers wouldgive the appearance the Sox management had not thrown in the towel,and might lure curiosity seekers and paleontologists to Comiskey Parkin the weeks remaining. The Sox still have young pitchers of promise on their AAA roster inBuffalo. Bringing them up would seem more in tune with a youthmovement than signing Carlton. But Harrelson would rather let themripen for 1987. Though he promoted Bob Thigpen from AA Birmingham inthis emergency, he prefers not to serve youngsters to major leaguehitters before their time.

At the same time, Harrelson reportedly was using some of hispitching prospects to bait his hook for a deal with Montreal forAndre Dawson. A Dawson deal would make more sense than the signingof Carlton or Foster, though Andre, too, is getting long in the toothat 32. Dawson remains an excellent player and could supply punch theSox have missed since the decline of Greg Luzinski and Ron Kittle.Andre could restore badly needed star quality the Sox now lack.

Dawson's bum knee would last longer on Chicago's real grass thanon Montreal's artificial turf. Who would be squeezed out of the Soxoutfield? Harold Baines may be the best right fielder in the game,and that is Dawson's position. Daryl Boston or John Cangelosi wouldhave to make room.

The imminent arrival of Carlton and maybe Foster raises thequestion again of whether athletes know when they are through. Oneveteran Cub told me he was sure Carlton still could pitch, becauseSteve himself said so. He would be too proud, this Cub theorized, tomake a fool of himself and try to stay around beyond his time.

I don't believe that. Most athletes have to be told when it istime to go. The Phillies and Giants have tried to tell Carlton.Since Pete Rose is his own manager, it has remained for him to lookinto the mirror and tell himself. At 45, that truth is dawning onhim.

The numbers are there to be read, Carlton's 5.89 earned-runaverage and Rose's .204 batting average. I doubt any of us want tosee this pair linger on stage until they are hooted off. We'd rathertheir images live brightly in our memories as they were, two of thevery best who ever played.