THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 25, 1994 TAG: 9408250757
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines
Twenty-four years after he left Norfolk on a rocket to the big leagues, Ken Singleton has been sent back to Triple-A.
A member of the Montreal Expos' broadcast team, and part of the all-time Tides team selected by fans last year, Singleton will be at Harbor Park this week to do radio work for the Tides-Ottawa Lynx series.
Singleton and his partner, Dave Van Horne, have followed the Lynx since the players' strike started, and plan to stick it out through the International League playoffs should Ottawa advance. Montreal's French-speaking broadcast crew also is following the Lynx.
They will be in and out of Norfolk in a hurry, which is sort of how Singleton treated the town his first time through. A top Mets prospect, Singleton turned up as a Tidewater Tide in 1970. He christened then-new Met Park by blasting the first home run on opening night, one of 17 Singleton homers in just 64 games.
When he was summoned to the Mets in June, Singleton was batting .388 and had 46 RBIs in 219 at-bats.
``I was having a great year, got called up and never came back,'' said Singleton, who lives in Lutherville, Md.
``If they're not going to play major-league ball, I'd rather be home,'' Singleton said. ``But since we're signed up to do these games and they're paying us anyway, I don't mind doing them. This gives me a chance to look at minor-league ball again, too.''
He hasn't been all that impressed with what he's seen, but Singleton admits he's been spoiled.
``I've seen a few guys who have a chance,'' he said. ``I've seen some, but you've got to remember I've been watching the Expos all year and they've won 74 games.
``There are some good everyday position players, but not as many as you would think. I'm talking about guys who will be able to play when they get there.''
Montreal has plenty of those, and is seemingly well-stocked again down below. The Expos' Double-A team in Harrisburg and the Mets' Binghamton team are two of the best at that classification. It simply reflects Montreal's superb management from top to bottom.
``Montreal's got five guys making real money and the rest of them are fairly low,'' Singleton said. ``They have half the payroll the Braves have, maybe less than half, certainly less than half of the Yankees.''
``It's the way our team has to operate as opposed to the larger markets. It's a well-run franchise. I wish the rest of them could do it. Then maybe they wouldn't have this problem they have now.''
ADD EXPOS RADIO: Van Horne did R-Braves games from 1966-68 and applied for the Tides job for the '69 season. He was turned down - and shortly thereafter joined the Expos for their initial season.
QUICK COMEBACK: Check that note about shortstop Aaron Ledesma being lost for the season with a sore shoulder. Ledesma said he hopes to be in the lineup tonight for the first time since Aug. 8.
Ledesma was expected to be out two weeks, or the balance of the season, after he was diagnosed with a rotator cuff tendon strain Aug. 18. But five days off and a couple days of light tossing has restored his arm strength, he said. ILLUSTRATION: Charts
Box Score
Paid Attendance
Standings
Team Statistics
For copy of charts, see microfilm
by CNB