March  15, 1992, Metro Edition

SECTION: Sports; Sid Hartman; Pg. 2C
LENGTH:  1415  words
HEADLINE: Erickson is sharp, needs to keep it up
BYLINE: Sid Hartman; Staff Writer
DATELINE: Fort Myers, Fla.

 BODY:
   If the Twins are going to contend this season, it is imperative that Scott Erickson perform as he did last season, when he was 20-8 with a 3.18 ERA and was runner-up to Roger Clemens for the Cy Young Award.

    Erickson won 12 straight games but then went on the disabled list the first two weeks of July. He came back to pitch well in Game 6 of the World Series, but he wasn't the same dominant pitcher he had been before his arm injury.

    In fact, Erickson almost didn't get a chance to pitch Game 6 of the Series. Jack Morris wanted to pitch that game and tried to sell manager Tom Kelly on that.  "I think T.K. had trust in me. I know in the papers he was quoted as saying he didn't know who was going to pitch the sixth game," Erickson said. "But in Atlanta he had asked me if I was ready to pitch the sixth game. I told him I would be ready, to just trust me."

    In blanking the Cardinals for four innings on two hits Saturday, the righthander looked like the Erickson of early last season. Erickson has pitched seven scoreless innings, giving up four hits.  "I was relaxed and just tried to throw strikes and not walk anybody," he said yesterday. "I wasn't trying to throw hard."

    Erickson was reminded about how black and blue his arm was above and below the elbow after he left Game 6 with a 3-2 lead in the seventh inning.  "It wasn't that bad," he said. "What I want to do is to forget about last year."

    Erickson said he did a few new drills in the offseason to strengthen his forearm.  "My arm feels strong this spring," he said.  "I want to start out fresh this season."

Kelly and pitching coach Dick Such said one reason that Erickson wasn't as effective toward the end of last season was that he wasn't the 90 miles-per-hour pitcher he had been during his streak.  "I think I can throw harder than 84 to 85," he said, "and I'm sure I will prove that I am right."

    The Cardinals had nothing but praise for Erickson, who mixed his pitches and showed the confidence he had during the 12-game winning streak.