Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 23, 1994 TAG: 9407210002
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Long
He's been in a pickle from the start, running around like a base runner caught in a rundown that won't end. It's been that kind of year for the New River Valley Yankees, the local American Legion ball club.
And the season just began last weekend.
Evans, the manager of the team sponsored by Post 68 out of Narrows, had more headaches in the preseason than most guys have all summer.
The Yankees had trouble finding a place to play. There was no place to practice. There were conflicts with the end of the school year, which was pushed into mid-June in most localities because of the harsh winter and overlapped the beginning of the season. The team played its first games without the services of some of its best players, who took off for the beach after school ended.
"We've already had to cancel five ball games," said Evans, who is in his seventh year of managing the American Legion team.
The season was to have begun last Saturday at Blacksburg High School, but the Yankees' opponent, the Tri-County squad of Carroll, Galax and Wythe counties, lost one of its nine available players to an injury during the game. The Yankees could have taken a forfeit.
"We could've, but didn't," said Evans. "We want to play. Forfeits won't help us."
The next day, the Yankees looked good in splitting a doubleheader with Roanoke North, which is made up mostly of William Byrd and Lord Botetourt players.
The area from which the Yankees draw their players stretches from the hills of Giles County and over the state line into Peterstown, W.Va., all the way through Montgomery and Floyd counties and Radford.
Yet, the team has had trouble finding one plot of land in that vast frontier on which to play its games. The Yankees, a squad with players from many different hometowns, are a team without a home.
For six seasons, the team had played its home games at Virginia Tech's ballpark, English Field. This spring it was determined that the field needed major repairs - thanks to the harsh winter months - and would be unsuitable for baseball this summer. Two weeks before the scheduled start of the season, Evans was still searching for a ballpark.
"If I had known Tech would drop us at the end, we'd have worked on getting another field," he said.
Tech Assistant Athletic Director Don Perry said the school's field has needed work for years, but there was never any time to do it because the school was allowing games to be played there during the summer. The icy conditions of January and February took their toll on the sod, leaving the field with patches of dead grass and sunken spots.
Perry said he let Evans know as soon as possible that the field wouldn't be useable.
"Maybe it was a communication problem," Perry said. "They were assuming they'd be able to use the field, but that wasn't possible this year. We've been able to let them use the field for several years, but in doing so we couldn't rebuild in the summer. That's our only dead time [to do the work]. The field looked really bad in the spring."
All told, it was an unfortunate misunderstanding. Perry said he understood the team's plight and has tried to help.
"I called everywhere in the world to find a place for them to play," said Perry. "I told them I'd help any way I could. The kids really need a place to play. We [at Tech] will try to do everything within reason to help them out."
There are many ball fields in the area suitable for American Legion play. Trouble is, those places are already loaded with Little League, Pony League and tee-ball games. Fortunately, it appears the team will be able to play most of its weekend games at Blacksburg High School. Radford University's Dedmon Center Park may be available on a limited basis, but that field, like Tech's, is undergoing summertime refurbishing.
In the meantime, the team also needs a place to practice.
"I tell you, I'm awful disheartened about not having a field," Evans said.
The team could also use financial help. In addition to the Narrows post - which takes care of most of the team's expenses - the team receives financial help from the Blacksburg and Christiansburg American Legion posts. It takes about $3,500 to get the team through a season.
The good news is that the team appears to be a good one, if it only gets the chance to play. Blacksburg's Brian Smith pitched a fine ball game in a 4-2 win over Roanoke North to gain a doubleheader split Sunday. Bradley Hudgins of Riner smacked a home run in his first-ever American Legion at-bat.
Ryan Brittle of Radford is a fine catcher and had a good season at the plate during last year's American Legion season. Other good offensive players are Christiansburg outfielder Denny Self, who is away on vacation this week, outfielder Mark Franklin of Radford, first baseman/catcher Peter Bucklin of Floyd and infielders Wayne Caldwell and Travis White of Blacksburg.
Peterstown's Leon Hopkins, who has led the team in hitting for two years, has moved from shortstop to centerfield and should continue to be an offensive threat.
"I believe things are going to work out," said Evans, who has hinted at this possibly being his last year as coach. "If we can ever find us a field."
by CNB