THE MARSHALL PLAN STALLS (AGAIN)

The Dodgers finally had to disable outfielder Mike Marshall after
cortisone shots and exercises failed to relieve his back spasms.
Even with the pain, Marshall had 18 homers and 48 RBIs. . . . That
keeps intact Marshall's unenviable streak of missing considerable
time in each of his four big league seasons. Last year he had an
appendectomy. The year before that he underwent surgery for the
removal of a nerve in his foot. In 1983 he was beaned by Jeff Reardon
the first week of the season and later missed games after colliding
with infielder Duane Kuiper of San Francisco. Typical of the Dodgers'
frustrating season, Jose Gonzalez, who replaced Marshall, reported
with a pulled hamstring. . . . Last December Pittsburgh left
outfielder Bobby Bonilla off its 40-man roster, and the White Sox
drafted him for $50,000. Last week the Pirates reacquired Bonilla for
fireballing Jose DeLeon, 10-35 over the last three years. So in
effect, they admitted they should have protected Bonilla in the first
place. The original decision was made by Joe Brown, but current
Pittsburgh G.M. Syd Thrift has long liked Bonilla. Bobby played
amateur baseball in Europe with one of Thrift's sons, Jim, and it was
Thrift who recommended to then assistant scouting director Branch
Rickey III that the Pirates draft Bonilla. . . . When the Cardinals'
Todd Worrell gained his 20th save on Sunday, he was only three away
from the rookie record set by Doug Corbett of Minnesota in 1980. ''He
should be the Rookie of the Year, hands down,'' says Herzog. . . . In
the purge that sent Alan Wiggins, Mike Young and Floyd Rayford to the
minors, the Orioles brought 27-year-old Tom Dodd in for a look as a
third baseman-DH. Dodd, who had retired two years ago, had 28 homers
and 100 RBIs in 400 at bats at Charlotte. Wiggins probably won't be
back in an Oriole uniform again unless he hits .400 at Rochester,
although eating a $2.4 million contract over three years will be
tough for Baltimore. . . . One National League pitching coach
suggests that ''since no umpires try to stop pitchers from scuffing
up the balls, every pitcher will be doing it within two years.''

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(R) TOPPS CHEWING GUM INC. Happy 44th birthday to Cleon Jones.