Big Leagues

He is probably the only person ever named a commander of the National Order of Arts and Letters by the French Ministry of Culture who worships the memory of Boston Red Sox second baseman Bobby Doerr. He probably will be the only baseball league president ever to have called the humanities "those activities of the mind that engage the fundamental ligatures that we share, aside from acts of love; that is, language. " In A. Bartlett Giamatti, 48, the departing president of Yale who will become National League president on Jan. 1, baseball is getting an internationally known Renaissance scholar.

Baseball has weathered some turbulent times, and nothing will be so constant as continued change as the game fast-forwards into the '90s. Expansion is a virtual certainty, and the purists be damned. Baseball in the Mountain Time Zone? Major league baseball that doesn't vacate Florida at the end of spring training? That's coming, and more. And the ripple effect is likely to result in sweeping changes that will reshape the face of the game more dramatically than ever. The level of talent, already watered down, will be diluted further.

Ruben Amaro, Stanford graduate, can't find the proper words. "I can't explain it," he says, his voice cracking. "I just can't put into words what that feeling will be like. " It is no wonder. Ruben Amaro Jr.'s story has the improbable ring of bad fiction. From Phillies batboy to Phillie. From aging minor-leaguer in western Canada to major-league rookie for the home-town team. But this is real life for the 27-year-old Philadelphia native. And, barring an injury or a major trade, sometime in April, he will once again walk toward home plate at Veterans Stadium.

A half-dozen entrepreneurial Philadelphia-area women made Working Woman magazine's first annual list of the top 500 female-owned businesses in the U.S. The mag defines a business as female-owned if a woman is the largest individual stockholder or, in the case of a family business, if a female exec owns shares equal to other members of the family. That put these local businesswomen on the list: Marie Both, CEO, Wetherill Associates auto parts, Royersford. (No. 69). Betsy Cohen, chairman and CEO, Jefferson Bank, Philadelphia.

Chase Utley and Ryan Madson were in town last night to receive their Paul Owens Awards as the top player and pitcher, respectively, in the team's vastly improved minor-league system. At some point in the not-too-distant future, they both will likely find themselves in the major leagues. With what team is a question that still needs to be answered. Utley, 23, made the move from second base to third base this season while also jumping from single-A Clearwater to triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

You can always spot the rookie who just got called up. He's wearing a smile that splits his face in half. His eyes are glittering like a Broadway marquee on Saturday night. He uses words like thrilled and excited and happy. Meet Cliff Brantley, who starts for the Phillies tonight against the Cincinnati Reds - the opening act of the September tryout season. He's not merely happy. In his words, "I'm the happiest man alive. " And no wonder. Here's a 23-year-old guy who had compiled a 6-7 record in the minors this season, and suddenly Bill Dancy, his Scranton/Wilkes-Barre manager, calls him into the office and says, "Can you pitch Tuesday?"

In 1989, Steve Scarsone hit .189 at double-A Reading. The next year, playing at the single-A level, he was so uptight that he got into a shoving match when he couldn't accept a coach's criticism. Steve Scarsone sure didn't look like a candidate to reach the big leagues. But there he was last night, the Phillies' starting second baseman (which was not good news for Mickey Morandini; more on that later). Before the game, Scarsone gladly rehashed his struggling days as a minor-leaguer.

Many friends and family members are thrilled that Kevin McGerry will leave town today to begin a professional baseball career. So is a thing - a wall. On June 5, McGerry, a hard-throwing righthander out of Father Judge High (class of 1997) and St. John's University, was selected by the Oakland A's in the fourth round of the first-year player draft. While McGerry waited for Rex Gary, his Media, Pa.-based agent, to work out the contract details, he tried his best to keep his arm in shape.

Three weeks ago, a betting person could have gotten impressive odds against the chance that J.R. Phillips would be back with the Phillies for last night's game against the Cardinals. Then again, nobody expected Steve Jones to win the U.S. Open. Even by those standards, Phillips has had a strange odyssey. Acquired from the Giants May 2 for his defensive prowess at first base and his power potential, he was designated for assignment on May 28 after hitting .103 and striking out 15 times in 29 at-bats.

Lee Smith, baseball's career saves leader, still hopes to catch on with another team. "Right now, I know it's tough with teams cutting back guys, not picking up guys," said Smith, who refused Kansas City's request that he go to the minors. "I thought I'd see if I could get with another ballclub before I made my decision on the Triple A thing. I'm not weighing too close toward it, I know. " Smith, who saved 478 games for eight teams, was asked by Royals manager Tony Muser to accept an assignment to Triple A Omaha.