Alou Is Taking a Risk With the Ace of Giants’ Rotation

The one-hitter that Jason Schmidt threw against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday slipped under the radar of Randy Johnson’s perfect game against the Atlanta Braves the same day.

Maybe that was a good thing. Maybe the response to the decision by San Francisco Giant Manager Felipe Alou to allow his ace to throw 144 pitches even though the no-hitter was lost in the middle innings would have been louder and more critical if Johnson hadn’t stolen the spotlight.

Schmidt, after all, had elbow surgery during the winter and almost opened the season on the disabled list because of recurring soreness.

In addition, he had thrown 123 and 122 pitches in his previous two starts, running his three-game total to 389.

That’s a staggering total in an era when complete games are almost an endangered species, but then the Giants have been facing early extinction from the National League West race.

Several scouts and general managers, when contacted about the 144 pitches, expressed similar thoughts, saying they respected Alou but questioned whether a pitcher coming off elbow problems should be allowed to throw that many in May, particularly when the pitcher is the most valuable member of a thin rotation.

The real test comes today when Schmidt returns to the mound against the Montreal Expos in Puerto Rico.

In the meantime, Giant trainer Stan Conte scoffed at the concern, telling Bay Area reporters that Schmidt is conditioned to throwing that many pitches -- “How can a marathoner run 26 miles? He builds up to it,” he said.

Conte said he actually told Alou that the only drawback to letting Schmidt continue was potential criticism from the media, “and that’s not a reason to take a pitcher out.”

The final word is yet to be written.

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As Derek Jeter traveled through Anaheim with the New York Yankees, the baggage from his worst start seemed to be wearing him down. The Yankee shortstop has endured an 0-for-32 skid in April and a one-for-19 slump in May.

The .314 career hitter is batting .190 and he was in no mood to talk about it or analyze it while visiting the Hub of Happiness.

“I can’t change anything that has happened so far and I can’t keep adding it up,” Jeter said in a dismissive tone. “I mean, at some point you have to say ‘forget it’ and move on, because you can’t have it back.

“At some point you have to say, ‘Who cares what you’re hitting?’ The goal is to win, so if you’re not helping offensively, then find a way to contribute on defense.

“It’s a long season.”

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The mantra coming out of the relocation committee after the meeting of major league owners in New York on Wednesday and Thursday was that none of the candidates vying to become the new home of the Montreal Expos had been eliminated, nor was the committee leaning in any direction.

The reality is this: The only thing that will derail the Expos’ transfer to Washington is concern by Commissioner Bud Selig that a Washington team would negatively affect the Baltimore Orioles--a concern Oriole owner Peter Angelos has raised on several occasions. The problem Selig faces in his commitment to move the Expos by next season is that there are no viable alternatives.

A site in Northern Virginia may be the most intriguing, but there are significant hurdles, including the absence of an interim facility.

Meantime, the Expos are enduring another painful season of wretched travel accompanied by an unanticipated barrage of losses.

“It’s time to get this debacle over,” catcher Brian Schneider said as the Expos began another “homestand” in Puerto Rico.

“We just want one owner, one city. We want to be treated the same as every other team.”

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His disappointing performance in 2003 was generally attributed to the shoulder injury that ultimately required surgery and the overall ineptitude of the Dodger offense.

Should Shawn Green’s similarly disappointing 2004 effort -- .219 average, seven homers, 18 runs batted in -- be dismissed as the result of his distracting move to first base?

At $15 million this year and $16 million next year, one thing is certain:

Instead of snapping at and stepping out on reporters, as he has done on the Dodger trip, it’s time for Green to step up.

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Workhorses

The leaders in each league in pitches thrown, with average thrown per game (through Saturday’s games):

*--* NATIONAL LEAGUE Pitcher, Team P Avg. Livan Hernandez, MTL 1,095 109.5 Jason Marquis, STL 955 106.1 Roy Oswalt, HOU 954 106.0 Randy Johnson, AZ 954 106.0 Brad Penny, FLA 947 105.2 AMERICAN LEAGUE Pitcher, Team P Avg Roy Halladay, TOR 1,081 108.1 Victor Zambrano, TB 1,062 106.2 Mark Buehrle, CHI 1,046 104.6 Pedro Martinez, BOS 1,024 113.8 Curt Schilling, BOS 1,017 113.0

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