Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 26, 1995 TAG: 9502280028
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JACK BOGACZYK
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
Go to a game.
Virginia Tech played the earliest home date in its 102-season history Saturday, and it obviously couldn't have come soon enough for the spectators who anxiously waited for the first pitch on a sunny afternoon.
Even the teams and umpires couldn't wait. A scheduled 1 p.m. start had a first pitch at 12:58.
A crowd of about 750 showed for the opener of the seventh season at the English Field facility, which one of these years might actually be completed. They were warmed by something other than temperatures in the 40s.
The Hokies eked out a 6-5 victory over Radford (2-4), resuming a cross-county rivalry after a three-year hiatus in a crisp 2 hours, 12 minutes.
For much of the game, it was remindful of the schools' first meeting, in 1989, when future major-leaguers Phil Leftwich and Mike Williams dueled on the mound in an 11-inning Radford victory.
``This was just a great game,'' said Tech coach Chuck Hartman. ``It was well-played, especially when you consider it's February. We go up 5-0 and think it's going to be a ho-ho, then, boom, one swing and it's 5-5.''
It was a scoreless pitchers' day into the bottom of the sixth. Then the fans were treated to three homers, including Kelly Dampeer's tying grand slam in the top of the eighth.
Tech won in the bottom of that inning with textbook baseball. A walk. A sacrifice. A groundout to the right side to move up the runner. An infield single.
Fundamentals. Execution. That's what finally won a game with only 13 hits and two errors.
Dampeer's blast came off Tech relief ace Charlie Gillian, the first collegiate homer given up by the submarining right-hander who had 12 saves as a freshman last season. He blew a save, then got the victory by fanning the Radford side in the ninth.
And the only replacement players in sight were pinch hitters and relief pitchers. It was so nice to see a game, even the dastardly ``ping'' of the bat - ``That's awful,'' Hartman said during batting practice - was a sweet sound after the whining the sport has produced since last summer.
``I miss watching the game,'' said first-year Radford coach Lew Kent, who pinch hit for a future millionaire named Barry Bonds at Arizona State. ``Even seeing the clips of the replacement players at spring training on TV now is nice because it's baseball.
``I was a player. I've always been a player's guy. Now, I'm mad at both sides. Everyone arguing is making a lot of money. The squabbling has gotten old. I'm tired of it. I'm glad we're playing ball.''
Kent played as high in the minors as Class AA in the Cleveland chain. He caught at Kinston in the Carolina League. Most of his players won't even have that opportunity.
``Baseball is our hearts, our minds, our lives,'' said Dampeer, the Highlanders' star sophomore shortstop from Northside High School. ``We have guys who would give anything to play in the majors, but we play the game because we love it.
``I hate to see all of these conflicts. It brings you down. What hurts is that it's our game, the same one we're playing. It's not going to have much of an effect on us, but it hurts something we love.''
Hartman, who started his 36th season as a college head coach with his 1,070th victory, said the diamond diatribe ``is going to leave a big scar, whenever it ends.''
The Tech coach said it would be bad enough if fans had lost respect for the owners and players in the major-league mess, but what hurts most is the lost respect for the game.
``It's like having to recover from cancer, which is tough,'' Hartman said. ``It's going to take time. I figure, like they say, the doctor will get it all, eventually. When he'll get it, I don't know.''
Yes, the game is the thing.
Hartman stood there during batting practice, presciently kicking himself for not recruiting Dampeer, looking into the sunny sky with a bit of a cloudy outlook.
``We're hitting everything straight up in the air,'' he said. ``Maybe you can write we hit three home runs in BP.''
At least they were taking BP.
by CNB