Mitch finds niche // Phillies wild about ex-Cub Williams

What happened in Philadelphia last week couldn't have been worsefor Cubs management had the devil himself written the script.

Just two seasons after being an important part of a Cubsdivision champion with 36 saves, Mitch Williams looked like he hadsold his soul.

He won two consecutive games for the Philadelphia Phillies andwatched his former bullpen self-destruct.

Williams has been revived with the Phillies. He has saved 22games in 27 tries and has won six others.

He has left a bullpen that needs resuscitation. It has saved 33games and blown 17 others.

Where would the Cubs be if they still had Williams?

"I can't even speculate, and I wouldn't even attempt to,"Williams said. "I'm a Phillie, not a Cub anymore. Talk to Mr. Freyand ask him that question."

Jim Frey, the Cubs' general manager and the man who tradedWilliams to the Phillies, wasn't biting.

"Trading Mitch wasn't the problem," Frey said. "Having DaveSmith not healthy has been the problem. I am not going to sayanything (bad) about Mitch."

At the time, it seemed Williams had outlived his Cubs welcomeand usefulness, just as he had with the Texas Rangers.

When Williams and then-manager Don Zimmer exchanged insults inthe newspapers, it was clear Zimmer not only didn't want him around,he had little confidence in Williams' ability. Williams saved just16 games last season, and it had become open warfare betweenmanagement and him.

"I pitched and did the job I was brought to Chicago to do,"Williams said of his 1989 season. "I was hurt (strained knee) in1990, and I felt I never got the opportunity again. I knew I wasn'twashed up. I knew if I got an opportunity to do the job, I would doit.

"If they want to put the blame for '90 on me, fine. I have noproblem with that. But I'm doing everything now like I did in '89.I'm calling my pitches and letting the chips fall where they may.Over here (in Philadelphia), I don't have to worry about coming outof the game and hear about how I should have thrown a curveball ifsomeone hits a fastball."

Williams is back to throwing fastballs and falling off the moundtoward third base. It is working again, so he is happy. So are thePhillies.

"Mitch is Mitch, I'm telling you," Phillies manager Jim Fregosisaid, shaking his head. "What more can you say? He's done a heckuvajob. He does it ugly sometimes, but . . . "

The Cubs aren't happy with the ugliness that has happened sofar.

Signed as a free agent during the offseason, Smith, 36, battledshoulder problems early and knee problems later. In between, hesaved nine consecutive games.

But Smith has blown five of 21 save opportunities. PaulAssenmacher, who was forced to replace Smith, has blown seven of 18save opportunities. Les Lancaster, a perennial setup man, has blownone of three save opportunities.

All told, the Cubs have lost 20 games in the other team's lastat-bat.

"The one thing that keeps a team on a pretty steady route isthat when you get a lead late, you win the game," Frey said. "Thatpart of the game we haven't done well enough to threaten Pittsburgh.

"What we really need is three outs (in the ninth inning). We'veblown leads in the eighth and ninth innings in unusually highnumbers. If we could have maintained a 70 to 75 percent average (ofsaves), we would be right up there (with Pittsburgh) - everythingelse being exactly the way it is."

Frey's theory is that if the Cubs had saved 39 of their 50opportunities (78 percent), their deficit would not be as glaring.In fact, four of the blown saves were against the Pirates.

"It's been a struggle for our ballclub," Frey said. "We haven'thad that one 75 or 80 percent guy (in the bullpen). It's put astrain on our ballclub."

And Williams has a smirk on his face in Philadelphia.

"I'm not bitter toward the Cubs, just one person," he said. "Isaid when they fired Zim that they fired the wrong man, and I stillbelieve that."

Frey accepts the criticism. He said there was no criticism whenWilliams was traded for young pitchers Chuck McElroy and Bob Scanlan.Both pitchers are still with the Cubs, and McElroy has been animportant part of the bullpen.

"Anybody who clearly says that (the trade) was not the rightthing to do wouldn't be telling how he really felt at the time," Freysaid. "I understand the media stating how the Cubs shouldn't have(traded Williams), but I remember what everybody said when we gotDave Smith."

They said Smith had saved 23 or more games for six consecutiveseasons; he induced grounders; his earned-run averages had not beenhigher than 2.73 in seven seasons; and he could handle 50 to 65games.

"And we needed inventory," Frey said. "We needed a left-hander(McElroy) and a potential starter (Scanlan)."

But now the Cubs are having a devil of a time justifying themove.