THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 16, 1996 TAG: 9606160170
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 78 lines
Joe Crawford has returned and the experiment was a success.
Six weeks ago the lefthander was sent to Double-A Binghamton to try his hand as a starting pitcher. After seven starts, Crawford was 5-1 with a 1.45 earned run average, including a no-hitter in his first start in Binghamton May 5.
Crawford, who was promoted Friday, will start for the Tides today when Norfolk faces Scranton/Wilkes-Barre at Harbor Park at 1:15 p.m.
``I'd been a closer, a set-up man, a middle reliever and a situational pitcher against lefties,'' said Crawford, 26. ``Starting was the only thing I hadn't tried.''
With Bill Pulsipher sidelined by elbow surgery, Crawford is the only lefthanded starter in either New York or Norfolk and filled Robert Person's vacancy in the starting rotation after Person was called up by the Mets last week.
It's been a strange season for Crawford, who began it in the Boston Red Sox camp as a Rule V acquisition. When he didn't make the Red Sox, the Mets had the option of reacquiring Crawford and did so. After a month with the Tides in which he pitched only eight innings, he was shipped to Binghamton.
``Joe Crawford should be very proud of himself,'' Tides manager Bobby Valentine said. ``He went from a major league camp to Double-A with only a few relief appearances in between. A lot of guys would fold their tent and feel sorry for themselves. And with switching roles, there was a built-in excuse for failure.
``He exceeded all expectations to get back here before the All-Star break.''
Crawford's biggest fear when he was asked to be a starter was that he would experience ``dead arm'' from too much action too soon. But after the no-hitter, he pitched three shutout innings against the New York Mets in the Tides' annual exhibition game on just three days of rest.
``I kept thinking, `I just threw 97 pitches three days ago. Am I going to be able to do this?' '' Crawford said. ``But the arm felt fine and I discovered that on the fourth day after a start I felt fine.''
Crawford had been reminded by more than a few people that he is one of the few lefthanded starters in the Mets organization. But he is also aware that he is not on the Mets' 40-man roster and that a move would have to be made if they wanted to call him up this season.
``I'm here and I want to do well here,'' he said. ``I want to give myself the opportunity in the offseason to move up, whether it's with the Mets or some other organization. One thing's for sure: It's good to be back here.''
POSTER DAY: Since it's Sunday, the Tides will be giving away another poster today, this time of catcher Alberto Castillo to the first 5,000 fans at the park.
Have you ever wondered why Castillo rifles the ball back to the pitcher's mound?
Sometimes it's just because Castillo likes to have fun behind the plate, claiming ``I'm an excitable guy.''
Other times, it's because he wants to get a pitcher's attention.
``Sometimes if we get behind in the count against a hitter, I want them to give me a good pitch,'' Castillo said. ``Sometimes I do it just to wake them up.''
There's a third reason as well.
``I like it when they have to take their hand out of their glove and rub their hand,'' Castillo grinned.
TIDAL WAVES: Pitcher Bob MacDonald has cleared major league waivers and will accept assignment by the Mets to join the Tides, although the Tides are uncertain whether MacDonald will make it to Norfolk for today's game. ... Wednesday's businessperson's special against Syracuse at 12:15 p.m. is the last weekday afternoon home game for the Tides this season. They will play one more Sunday day game - June 30 - before their Sunday games move to 6:15 starts for the remainder of the season. That June 30 game against Ottawa will start at 12:15, rather than the normal 1:15, because Ottawa has an early flight back home for a Monday afternoon game on Canada Day. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Joe Crawford has gone from Boston to the Tides to Double-A to the
Tides. by CNB