ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Former Orioles right-hander Ben McDonald has an interesting explanation for why he chose to make his latest comeback attempt with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
He received queries from a number of clubs -- including the Orioles -- who were interested in gambling on his continuing recovery from extensive shoulder surgery, but he bypassed several contenders in favor of the second-year expansion Devil Rays because they probably won't be in the pennant race come late summer.
It makes sense, in a funny sort of way. McDonald is expected to complete his rehabilitation program sometime in midsummer, so he wanted to be in a position to work his way back into a major-league rotation. The Devil Rays, who aren't expected to finish higher than fourth in the tough American League East, almost certainly will be able to accommodate him, while a contending team probably would not be willing to experiment with him in the midst of a playoff race.
"Don't get me wrong, I hope we're right there in August," McDonald said, "but if we're not in the thing, I'll be able to get some work in. Ultimately, the recovery from this kind of surgery is up to two years, so if I'm able to [make a complete comeback], it will be next year."
The Devil Rays signed him to a one-year deal with an option for next season. He gets a nominal salary this year, but would receive $5.5 million for the 2000 season if he re-establishes himself as a front-line starter during the second half of this season. He isn't making any predictions, but he has been making normal progress in a slow -- and sometimes painful -- rehab program under the supervision of orthopedic specialists Lewis Yocum and James Andrews.
"It's one of those things that you don't really know until you go through the process," he said. "They haven't seen anything that says it's not going to work, but you just have to wait and see. I think I've still got some good years left in me if I'm healthy, but I'll know by July or August whether I'm going to continue to pitch or whether it's time to go home and find something else to do."
This isn't the way it was supposed to go for one of the most highly prized college pitching prospects in baseball history. McDonald was the No. 1 draft choice in 1989 and appeared to be on the way to a terrific major-league career, but elbow problems hampered him in 1991 and the shoulder started to go bad a couple of years later.
He eventually left the Orioles to sign with the Milwaukee Brewers and last year was under contract to the Cleveland Indians, but has not pitched in a regular-season game since the first half of the 1997 season.
There were whispers in Baltimore that his arm was already used up by the time he got to the major leagues. There also was reason to believe that he was mishandled by the club during the spring of 1991, when an over-extended exhibition outing apparently led to a half-season of elbow problems. But McDonald doesn't blame anyone for his injury problems and he doesn't seem to have any regrets.
"People ask me, 'Do you think you were overused in high school or at LSU?' " he said. "I don't know, but I wouldn't change anything. I'm pretty happy with the way [my life] has gone to this point."
He could go home right now and live quite comfortably, but McDonald still wants to make good on his tremendous potential, or at least go home knowing that he did everything in his power to use his baseball talent.
"From a financial standpoint, I've been fortunate enough to save my money and invest it well, so it's not like I would have to go home and get a job," he said, "but you can only hunt and fish so much."
Pub Date: 3/15/99