Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, May 26, 1993                   TAG: 9305260312
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

'IT GOES AGAINST THE INTENT OF THE LAW'

"To me, it goes against the intent of the law," Lazzaro said in reaction to news that a 14-year-old batboy for the Savannah (Ga.) Cardinals had to be fired because of child labor laws.

"These laws came about to stop kids who were working long hours back years ago in the factories and mills to help their families. I hardly think you can compare a job at the ballpark, which is a dream come true for some kids, to 16-hour days in the factory under child slavery conditions."

The U.S. Department of Labor forced the South Atlantic League team to fire 14-year-old Tommy McCoy because children younger than 16 are not allowed to work past 7 p.m. before June 1 and not after 9 p.m. between June 1 and Sept. 6.

"There's no victim here. We're not exploiting children," Savannah general manager Ric Sisler said. "We're trying to give a young man the experience of a lifetime. I just find this whole thing absurd. It's like cutting away a piece of Americana."

Daniel Bremer, district director for the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division in Atlanta, said he couldn't comment on the Cardinals' situation because the investigation was ongoing. But he did indicate a crackdown might be forthcoming.

"We've had actions with baseball teams before concerning child labor laws and the major league teams are in compliance with the law," he said. "Like any other business, if something comes up that alerts us to a problem with child labor, we get on it right away."

Unlike some Carolina League teams, the Bucs won't be running into problems with their batboys.

"The National Association of Baseball Clubs sent out a memo two years ago warning about this," Lazzaro said. "We were aware of the law and we made the necessary changes."

As a result, Salem's two batboys, Brian "Shaggy" Kiser of Salem and Chris Walker of Roanoke, are both 16. Kiser is a Glenvar High sophomore and Walker a 10th grader at William Fleming.

Lazzaro said that finding batboys such as Kiser and Walker who are of age won't be easy.

"They're the exception," he said.

The reason is that many boys that age are no longer interested in that sort of work. Batboys retrieve bats from the plate during games, keep the umpires supplied with baseballs, help the groundskeepers and run general clubhouse errands.

"It's the kind of job that most 16 or 17 year olds don't want," Lazzaro said. "But it's perfect for kids who are 10, 11 and 12 who still have stars in their eyes. Older kids would rather work in concessions so they can make more money."

Batboys in Salem and elsewhere are paid by the game. Lazzaro said he pays comparable rates to other clubs, but he would not divulge an exact amount.

"It's not much."

Walker, for one, applied in Salem for a vendor's job.

"But this is the job they gave me," he said. "It's a good job, though. It gives you flexibility in case you try to find another job. You can work both."

Kiser has worked as a batboy for three years; Walker for two. Both were held to the federal guidelines when they were underage, Lazzaro said.

"It was a handicap to us last year because we only had one batboy who was of age [Tim Arbogast] and he had to work both sides of the plate by himself."

The job has its advantages, Kiser said.

"I like it," he said. "After I get to the park and get my work done, I can play catch with the ballplayers and hang around the clubhouse. Getting to know the ballplayers is the best part. You get to know the players from other teams, too.

"Twenty years from now, if one of these guys starts breaking some of Nolan Ryan's records, you can say, `I worked with him.' "

Salem is covered now with Kiser and Walker, but Lazzaro said he plans to hire younger boys - probably two more - when school ends. Then they would work into a batboy rotation, with Kiser and Walker moving to vending when needed. The younger boys (or girls) would still have to be on their way home by 9 p.m.

While Lazzaro has sympathy for the suddenly unemployed Savannah batboy, he does not share the same sentiments for the young man's bosses.

"I can't say I'm totally sympathetic with the Savannah ballclub," he said. "They know the rules and those are the rules."

The Associated Press contributed some information to this story.