THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, August 17, 1994 TAG: 9408170549
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 93 lines
The Tides appear likely to finish second in attendance in the International League, which would be the best finish ever for a team once thought to have a poor fan following.
The Tides have attracted 451,106 fans in 58 dates, an average of 7,777 per game. Ottawa leads the league at 8,683 and Columbus is third at 7,473.
Norfolk is slightly behind last season's pace, when the Tides drew 542,040 in 68 dates, averaged 7,971 and finished fourth in the league. But officials are pleased nonetheless.
Last season the Tides attracted record crowds in part because of the novelty of their new downtown stadium, Harbor Park. Once the novelty wore off, officials feared attendance might plummet.
Instead, it's nearly kept pace with last season in spite of sporadic rains in July and August that kept many fans away.
At the current rate the Tides will surpass the 500,000 mark in their final homestand Sept. 1-3 against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
That's more than double the average attendance at Met Park in the 1980s and early 1990s, when the Tidewater Tides usually finished near the bottom of the league in attendance.
It's worth noting that the numbers from years past are misleadingly low. Prior to last season, the Tides were among only a handful of teams that announced actual attendance rather than paid attendance.
Even so, Tides manager Bobby Valentine says the players notice the stands are often full.
``The players would rather play in front of people. ... and they are proud of the stadium and of the community support,'' he said.
``But I think they're a little embarassed that they're not in first place with the fans coming out and supporting them like they have this season.''
How are the two first-place teams drawing? West Division leader Charlotte, a city attempting to land major league baseball, is sixth at 5,700 per game. East Division leader Pawtucket is seventh at 5,368.
Others: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, 7,065; Richmond, 6,958; Rochester, 5,180; Syracuse, 4,678; Toledo, 3,821.
MEDIA SPOTLIGHT: Tonight's contest with Columbus is the first of three Tides contests in a row to be televised.
SportsChannel in New York and Home Team Sports in Hampton Roads are doing tonight's game. WTKR-TV is televising Thursday's game in Richmond. And Friday the Tides are on national TV when Atlanta superstation WTBS broadcasts the Norfolk-Richmond game.
However, unlike the 1981 baseball strike, when the Tides bathed in the glory national media attention, most of the nation's media seem to be focusing elsewhere.
WWOR, the New York station that broadcasts the Mets, has told Tides general manager Dave Rosenfield it won't be coming to Norfolk. Neither will the Mets' radio network.
In 1981 the Tides were often seen on ESPN and other cable networks. Why not this year?
Rosenfield says one reason is the way ESPN approached the International League - ESPN didn't want to pay any rights fees.
``We told them to take a hike,'' Rosenfield said.
NO ROA: Joe Roa was the first to call home when it was announced Friday's game would be telecast by WTBS. Roa was signed by the Braves in 1989 and played three years in Atlanta's farm system before being traded to the Mets. And he was scheduled to pitch Friday in Richmond.
Unlike many of the Tides, he's never played in the major leagues and has never pitched on national television.
Alas, the pitching rotation was changed to make way for Jason Jacome, who was optioned to Norfolk from the Mets just prior to the strike. Jacome is pitching Friday. Roa will throw Saturday at home against Richmond in a game that isn't on TV.
``That's the way it's kind of been going for me this year. I've been a little too late,'' Roa said.
GAME WINNER: As Jeromy Burnitz was stroking his game-winning home run in the bottom of the ninth of Monday's victory over Columbus, his father was calling the Harbor Park press box to find out how his son had fared.
``He's got two hits,'' said Shon Sbarra, Tides director of media relations, who then added: ``Game winner. He just hit the game winner over the rightfield fence.''
It took several minutes for Sbarra to convince Mr. Burnitz that he wasn't kidding. ILLUSTRATION: Charts
Box Score
Attendance
Standings
Team Statistics
For copy of charts, see microfilm
by CNB