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The option year: Incentive vs. pressure read about the guys who have good years in their free-agent year. You don't bear very much about the guys who don't, and there are many more of them. 'Tinrfngis Important in this game, but I don't think it has anything to do with the effort you put out," Sutcliffe said. "You can't go out there and try extra hard because it's your free agent year and think that's going to help you." Garland will be remembered as a pitcher who seized the moment, going from 2-5 in 1974 to 20-7 in 1978 and the $2 million over 10 years from the Indians. Garland is not so sure people will remember him simply as a man who took advantafle of the opportunity. "TUb l̂l̂ MGsorilwd is goingtobetooini more as one of the busts of the free agent system." , Two seasons later, Garland had serious arm problems, a 2-3 record, an BRA of 7.89. He had surgery, tried rehabilitation in the minors and got out of baseball in 1981. He is now the second-year coach at Aquinas Junior College in Nashville, Tenn. "I was given the big contract, and two years later, I was out and never could come back," Garland said. "In a lot of people's minds, I was a fluke. In my mind, I wasn't. It was something I had no control over. It s not something I went out and tried to do, hurt my arm and just fall back on the money." Garland said his 20-win season was a gamble. It was, perhaps, more like Russian roulette. He was playing out his option, a risky venture for a pitcher with modest numbers the previous two seasons. But Garland remembered something he heard on the way up, scouts, managers and bird dogs whispering, "Have one big season, a 20-game season, and dust off some space in the bank vault for your money." (Geny Dulac Is a sportawilter for The Pittsburgh Press.) ByGcrqrDulac Soippa Howard News Service Detroit manager Sparky Anderson says, "Just give me 25 guys on the last year of their contract and I'D win the pennant everyyear." Wayne Garland remembers the uncertainty of it all. "roe 2-5 season In 1974. Three more victories the following season. Unemployment was sitting there, staring at him, a season away. "You're taking a chance, a risk more so than anything else, playing out your option," Garland said. "God forbid something would have happened and I would have got hurt. Then you're going to be left high and dry." Garland went into the final year of his contract with the Baltimore Orioles worrying about stability and security. He came out of It with a 28-7 record, a 2.88 earned run average, and a $2 million contract from the Cleveland Indians. Maybe Anderson was right. "It probably made me a little more aware of what I was doing because your contract is running out and you're trying to go out and have the best year you can," Garland said. "Really, you're Just trying to be on top of your game and hope things will work out. It's only natural It's going to give you more bargaining power." Is playing out the final year of a contract added Incentive for players to do well? Or does It create too much added pressure? "Anytime a guy is on his last year, he's going to be giving every ounce he's got," Anderson said, insisting his remark was not meant to be negative. "If he doesn't give every ounce in that last year, something is wrong." Anderson said he made the remark because a reporter asked him about Tigers outfielder Kirk Gibson, having a good season in his option year. "I said he's going to have a helluva year because this year Is a challenge to him. I meant It as a challenge to a player. Put the true great athlete In a position where he fights for his life and--ooh--you're going to see something. You're going to see the best of him." Not everyone agreed. "You Just want to keep the atmosphere relaxed," Pirates third baseman BUI Madlock said. "You try not to change anything. If you go out and start thinking about what you're doing, you start dung things ftmt mat natural." in liH, the final year of his contract, Madlock did what comes natural. He led the National League with J41, then signed a five-year contract, plus an option year. This year be receives $768,886 plus bonus and Ineertlve dames. There are other examples: Chicago Cuba pitcher Rick Sutcliffe, in his final contract year last season, was 18-1 with the NL East champions and won the Cy Young Award. He signed again with the Cubs for 19.5 million over five years. . Pirates first Jason Thompson had SI home runs, 181 runs batted in and a .284 average In 1882, then slped a five-year contract, plus an option, paying 8758,808 this season. Lee Lacy signed a four-year, $2.4 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles after enjoying his best season, .321 with 12 home runs and 70 RBI. He had been a utility man at Pittsburgh. "You're aware of it, sure, but once you get on the mound It doesn't have anything to do with it," said Sutcliffe. "I can't see myself trying any harderlastyear than I havethls year or any other year. I think you Was Ty Cobb a good guy? Gambler East's Terry Hovseth watts for a pitch during Wednes­ day's McHenry Men's 12-inch League all-star flame. Hovseth and his teammates will (ace Greg's Never Inn Monday night in the first game of the league's playoff series at Knox Park. 12" playoffs slated vision will take center stage, as River Shannon and Huemamrs Wa­ ter Conditioning face off at 8:30 p.m., followed by a 7:15 game be­ tween Gambler West and Lakeside Inn-River Shannon. The survivors will square off at 8 p.m. with the winner meeting Western titlist Rusty Nail Inn beginning Wednes­ day, Aug. 21 in a best-of-three series. The best-of-five championship se­ ries will begin Monday, Aug. 28, and conclude Wednesday, Aug. 28. McHENRY - The McHenry Men's 12-inch League will begin its post-season playoffs Monday night at 8:30 p.m. at Knox Park. The first round will see eight teams battling it out In four one- game series. Monday, the Eastern Division playoffs will pit Gambler East against Greg's Never Inn at 8:30, with Fox Hole Tap facing Brake Parts at 7:15. The two winners will then do battle In the 8 p.m. game, with the survivor of that contest meeting Eastern champ Jack's SnackShop-McHenry Ofl in a best- of-three league semifinal, which be­ gins Monday, Aug. 19. Wednesday nljmt, the Western Di- Carter HRys paceMets DPI sports writer NEW YORK - After clearing the wall a few times before the game, Gary Carter decided to save some of those potent batting practice swingi for the Chicago Cube. The Mets' catcher, who wowed Shea Stadium's early arrivers with two awesome pre-game drives, wal­ loped a pair of two-run homers when it counted Sunday to send New York into first place in the NL East with a 6-2 triumph over the Cube. In fact, Carter felt so good in totting practice he decided not to take as many swings in the cage as he usually does. "That's right, I just felt so good," be said. "I was in a groove, I just felt very comfortable and relaxed today. It's really a nice feeling when you can go up to the plate that Kay, to just be able to see the pitch and let It happen." What happened was the Mets, who have won seven straight and 13 of 15 contests, were able to grab a one-game lead oter St Louis.