Mike Port

Your average conversation with Angel General Manager Mike Port usually requires a pocket thesaurus or perhaps an interpreter. You find yourself wanting to ask for a dictionary timeout, for directions to the English language. You nod a lot, feigning comprehension, while secretly wishing for a speedy return to the planet Earth. This spring, when faced with the possibility of losing whiz kids Wally Joyner and Kirk McCaskill to contract disputes, Port responded in typical fashion.

FRED HANEY (1960-68): Haney selected future Angels All-Stars Jim Fregosi and pitcher Dean Chance. DICK WALSH (1968-71): Best known for firing Bill Rigney, at the time, the only manager the Angels had ever had. HARRY DALTON (1971-77): Acquired Nolan Ryan from the New York Mets. BUZZIE BAVASI (1977-84): Led the Angels into free agency, signing a multitude of big names. MIKE PORT (1984-91): Was GM for heartbreaking 1986 ALCS against Red Sox. DAN O'BRIEN (1991-93)

Mike Port, former Angel general manager, was named assistant general manager of the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday. In the newly created position, Port, 47, will work for Lou Gorman, senior vice president and general manager. Port, who will start next week when the Red Sox begin spring training at their new home in Ft. Myers, Fla., was executive vice president and general manager of the Angels from late 1984 into 1991.

Former Angel general manager Mike Port, now the Boston Red Sox vice president of baseball operations, was in stable but critical condition in the cardiac care unit of Boston's Beth-Israel Deaconess Medical Center on Sunday after a heart attack Saturday afternoon.

They say you can judge a man by what he eats. Mike Port, general manager of the Angels, likes quarter-pound hamburgers from a famous fast-food chain. He devours them plain. When it comes to his burger, Port is unyielding. No pickles, no mustard, no lettuce. No kidding. Port runs a baseball team with the same flair. When it comes to his players, Port also is unyielding. No long-term contracts, no bonuses, no compromises. No bidding.

Mike Port succeeded Buzzie Bavasi as general manager of the Angels Sept. 1, 1984. Port discussed several issues, including free agency and his methods of negotiating with free agents, in a recent interview. Here are some of his responses to questions asked by Dean Hill of The Times' special sections department.

Still shaken by Bob Boone's bolt-and-jolt defection to the Kansas City Royals, Angel owner Gene Autry said Friday that the 41-year-old catcher "cost himself a lot of money" by not contacting the Angels before agreeing to play elsewhere. "He should have called me first," Autry said. "Hell, yes. If he had, we wouldn't be talking about this today. "We were going to give him a raise. . . . We were talking about the $1-million range. After all, he did have a good season, his best year with the bat."

The infield of Mike Port's dreams--all home-grown, aged 26 or under, and averaging $304,000 in annual salary--is finally ready to set up around the horn in 1988. At first base is Wally Joyner, 25, back in the gates after 217 RBIs in his first two Angel seasons and chomping at the bit to make a run at arbitration. At second base is Mark McLemore, 23, regarded so highly as a prospect by the Angels that they moved a career .288 hitter to left field to make room for him.

FRED HANEY (1960-68): Haney selected future Angels All-Stars Jim Fregosi and pitcher Dean Chance. DICK WALSH (1968-71): Best known for firing Bill Rigney, at the time, the only manager the Angels had ever had. HARRY DALTON (1971-77): Acquired Nolan Ryan from the New York Mets. BUZZIE BAVASI (1977-84): Led the Angels into free agency, signing a multitude of big names. MIKE PORT (1984-91): Was GM for heartbreaking 1986 ALCS against Red Sox. DAN O'BRIEN (1991-93)

Well, the winter meetings have passed and Angel General Manager Bill Stoneman, who must be part grizzly bear, was in hibernation. Certainly, the rest of the American League West must be quaking in their boots with the recent signings of Tim Belcher and Pat Rapp. Stoneman's refusal to spend the money that was saved by not signing Chuck Finley or Jim Edmonds leaves me to long for the days of Mike Port and Bill Bavasi. Yes, they were terrible general managers but at least they made an effort to improve the team.

The old general manager of the Angels is the new assistant general manager of the Boston Red Sox, so your quest for an interview begins with a phone call to the Red Sox' spring-training complex in Fort Myers, Fla. "Is Mike Port in?" you ask the woman manning the phones. "Who?" "Mike Port." "Who's that?" "You just hired him last week as your assistant general manager." "I'm sorry, I don't know who this person is." News apparently travels slowly in Fort Myers.

Mike Port, former Angel general manager, was named assistant general manager of the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday. In the newly created position, Port, 47, will work for Lou Gorman, senior vice president and general manager. Port, who will start next week when the Red Sox begin spring training at their new home in Ft. Myers, Fla., was executive vice president and general manager of the Angels from late 1984 into 1991.

R eading between the datelines. . . . BOSTON--Red Sox General Manager Lou Gorman says he hopes to hire Mike Port as the team's assistant general manager. Reportedly, Gorman was immensely impressed with Port's resume, which read, in part: "1. Decided to replace Rod Carew with Wally Joyner after the 1985 season. "2. Did not decide to replace Wally Joyner with Lee Stevens after the 1991 season. "3. Oversaw the development of Bryan Harvey. "4.

Not quite two years ago, when he was general manager of the Angels, Mike Port was appointed to a committee assigned to evaluate winter baseball leagues. Now, he's the president of one. "I'm sure there's some people who say, 'Mike Port couldn't run one club. How can he run six?' " Port said. "But here we are. We started with not even a box of paper clips and within a space of four, five months, we have a league opening."

The aging Daves, Winfield and Parker, will probably be gone from Anaheim within a year or two. Hopefully, Doug Rader and Mike Port will precede them. BRIAN YOUNG Los Angeles

Former Angel General Manager Mike Port will head a sports consulting firm from his San Clemente home. Port will work on special projects and will assist teams in presenting salary arbitration cases.