Et Cetera

What happens when a worker blames worries about his salary for a faltering job performance? In baseball, he wins a record payoff. Admittedly distracted by negotiations for a new contract, shortstop Cal Ripken Jr. is hitting more than 70 points below his 1991 average of .323. Still, he is a fan idol whom the Baltimore Orioles dared not let go. Last week they signed Ripken to play five more years for an average $6.1 million per. The total guaranteed value of $30.5 million tops the four-year, $28 million deal the Chicago Cubs gave second baseman Ryne Sandberg and is the richest ever.