Round Figures Interest Coleman

[bernieh]

[i:085ee39d03]by Rick Hummel
originally printed: The Sporting News, March 17, 1986[/i:085ee39d03]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - One of the traditional barometers by which good hitters are judged is 200 hits.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Vince Coleman figures that if he can cut down his strikeouts, he can raise his total from 170 to 200 hits. But he has another 200 in mind - 200 stolen bases.

Rickey Henderson's 130 are the major league record, but Coleman doesn't consider 200 steals impossible. "I have a legitimate chance," he said.

Coleman, who stole 110 bases in 135 attempts as a rookie in 1985, based his theory on two factors. The first is that if he can cut his total of 115 strikeouts in half, he could be on base at least 30 more times than a year ago.

And he added, "If I have a chance to steal one base, it's two. I am a threat to steal third."

Few players have been as successful at stealing third as Coleman was last year. He was successful on 26 of 31 tries at stealing third, and he said he found it easier to steal than second.

"You can get a large lead, and you have momentum going to third," Coleman said. "The pitcher has to spin to pick me off. I have more than enough time to get back."

Coleman's approach to his craft is similar to that of former Cards great Lou Brock, who stole more bases than any players in history.

"I have an arrogant attitude," he said. "You have to have that. I feel that every time I get an opportunity to steal a base, I'll be going. I'm not saying I'm going to attempt 200, but if I attempt 50, I feel I'll be safe 50 times."

Coleman and the Cardinals were about $200,000 apart in contract talks this spring before the club renewed his pact for an estimated $160,000. Coleman and his agent, Richie Bry, had been seeking a package, including incentives, that would have paid him around $400,000 if all the incentives were reached. The Cardinals were countering with a package that could have paid Coleman nearly $250,000, including incentives for being named Most Valuable Player, winning a Gold Glove, being selected for the All-Star Game and games played.

General Manager Dal Maxvill said he decided to renew Coleman's contract once he decided "that no matter what numbers I threw out there, they would not be accepted."

Coleman, the National League Rookie of the Year in 1985, was upset.

"It's almost like a slap in the face," he said. "I wasn't asking for the world - no $1 million. They could have treated me better than they did. I was Rookie of the Year, and I should have been compensated like a Rookie of the Year. I thought they could have recognized me for my services.

"I want to try to be one of the best ever," Coleman said. "I'm never going to say I'm satisfied. Now that I'm the left fielder, that doesn't mean I can sit back and relax. That's not my makeup. I want to be the best left fielder in the game of baseball. I can't be the best outfielder, because we've got Willie McGee."

[Proverbial Psalms]

In hindsight he had a better chance of 200K's than he did for 200 SB's...