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

DATE: TUESDAY, June 21, 1994                   TAG: 9406240021
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV1   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: By RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

PULASKI STILL HAS A SHOT AT A TEAM

There is a chance - a very slim one - that Pulaski, which lost its minor league team in 1992, could be back in the league next year.

Sunday was more than just opening day for the Appalachian League's 10 teams. It was the deadline for Pulaski and Beckley, W.Va., to officially declare intentions of joining the league in 1995. That deadline passed, however, with each town lacking a couple of major requirements for joining the league - Pulaski doesn't have an affiliation with a big league club and Beckley doesn't have a ballpark.

As the Boston Red Sox consider whether to move one of their rookie league clubs to Pulaski's aging Calfee Park next season, the Appalachian League is expected to push back the deadline for gaining membership for next season.

"Things are still on hold," said Bill Halstead, the league's president. "I've talked to a director or two" from the league's board, and they're in agreement that the deadline should be pushed back.

Halstead said the Red Sox are the only team that has expressed interest in coming to Pulaski. The town was expected to gain an affiliation with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but the Pirates bailed out last spring because of the financial strains of fielding a rookie league club.

If the Red Sox make a commitment to Pulaski, which was home to the Atlanta Braves' Appalachian League club from 1982-1992, it's possible it won't come until late in the baseball season.

"They've told me they might be interested," said Halstead. "They're dickering around now."

The longer the Red Sox wait, the more pressure it puts on Pulaski to complete nearly $100,000 in improvements to Calfee Park, which must meet building specifications spelled out in the Professional Baseball Agreement.

Those improvements include the construction of a new clubhouse and an upgrade in the lighting system. Town officials have stated their willingness to refurbish Calfee, but they won't do so until they know for certain that the town is getting a team. The longer the wait, the less likely it becomes that Pulaski will be ready for a team in 1995.

"It isn't looking good," said Halstead, "but it's not impossible yet."

Beckley missed the weekend deadline as well. Beckley has an affiliation with the Chicago White Sox, but the town is lagging in its efforts to raise money for a ballpark. If Beckley falls through as a prospective league member, then Greeneville, Tenn., could enter the picture, Halstead said. Greeneville doesn't have a ballpark, either, but Halstead has been told the town has the financial means to build one quickly.

"They're dying to get in," Halstead said.