Philadelphia Inquirer - June 8, 1980

Insurance eases pain for owners

By Allen Lewis, On Baseball

When a team signs a player to a long-term, multi-million dollar guaranteed contract, and the player suffers an injury that ends his career, it isn't necessarily a financial calamity for the club.

When the best players' salaries escalated from $125,000 to $1 million in the 1970s, owners began to protect themselves by taking out insurance in case they had to pay a player who could no longer perform. Generally, the insured were high-bracket players with no history of physical problems.

Although the Phillies declined to be specific about what insurance they have on their players, club president Ruly Carpenter did say, "In some cases we do, and some we don't. We do insure some contracts, but not for the full amount. And there is a lot of fine print involved when particular players have certain ailments, such as a history of arm trouble or knee problems. Then the premiums start getting pretty high."

One documented case of a player insured through Lloyd's of London is San Diego pitcher Rick Wise. Wise, 34, a former Phillie, signed a five-year contract before this season that pays him $300,000 this year and $350,000 in each of the next four years. He is not insured for 1980, but, if he is permanently disabled and unable to pitch after this season, Lloyd's would have to pay the San Diego club a lump sum of $1,270,463. That policy cost the Padres $57,239.

The Padres would then pay Wise or has estate his salary each year, investing the remainder to make up the difference between the $1.4 million and the $1.27 million.

When Angels outfielder Lyman Bostock was shot and killed late in the 1P78 season, the insurance claim was Approximately $1.8 million, most of which went to pay off the contractual liability to his estate.

Premiums for pitchers run about 10 times those for other players. If a pitcher can't pitch, he's finished, but Cartton Fisk, who can't catch because of arm trouble, may be able to play first base or serve as a designated hitter.

NOTES: Manager Dick Williams is asking for a five-year contract, but the Expos are balking at the length…. Ex-Phil Alan Bannister, who has played three outfield positions, shortstop, second base and third base on a more or less regular basis for the White Sox, is a frustrated young man. Although his defense isn't good enough for the infield, and his arm is suspect, he feels he could make a real contribution in left field. But he doesn't think manager Tony LaRussa agrees. "I have to play every day, and I'm not going to (with the Sox)," said Bannister, who is capable of stealing 30 ormore bases a season. "For five years, I've done everything they've asked; me to do here – including help other players who are going to beat me out of a job – and kept my mouth shut. But there's no route for me any more. It's a dead end."... Jose Morales of the Twins is the only active non-pitcher who has played more than 500 major league games without stealing a base. Braves Bob Horner is 0-for-over-200 games.... One thing Brewers manager George Bamberger and his interim replacement, Bob Rodgers, don't agree on is the worth of complete games. Says Bamberger, "I want a pitcher to be proud of working nine innings. That way, if he's in a tough situation in the seventh or eighth, he'll have the guts to work out of it. He'll develop the confidence (that) he can relieve himself."

The answer to last week's Trivia Question: Stan Bahnsen of the 1972 White Sox and Gaylord Perry of the 1978 Padres each won 21 games while pitching only five complete games, the fewest in history for a 20-game winner. Ronald Patton of Coatesville was first with the correct answer.

This week's question: Name the only National League player in this century to get more than 150 runs and 150 runs batted in during the same season.