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

DATE: SUNDAY, April 2, 1995                   TAG: 9504040014
SECTION: B-9                    PAGE: SPORTS   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MARK BULLOCK STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

SALEM MANAGER KNOWS HIS WAY AROUND

Hayes managed Winston-Salem in 1992 while in the Chicago Cubs' organization, so this will be his second tour of duty in the league.

This will be Hayes' eighth season as a manager. He guided the Geneva Cubs to a 51-26 record and a first-place finish in the Class A New York-Penn League in 1990 and spent six seasons in the Cubs' organization before joining the Colorado Rockies in 1994.

Hayes, 37, is a former catcher who had brief stints in the major leagues with the Cubs in 1980 and '81. He follows this team from Visalia, Calif., where he managed the Central Valley Rockies to a 65-71 record and a fourth-place finish in the Class A California League last season.

Aware of Salem's recent stretch of futility, Hayes said he believes the Avalanche will be a competitive team.

``Our job is to teach these kids how to play,'' Hayes said from Colorado's spring-training camp in Tucson, Ariz. ``At the same time, we want to develop a winning attitude. We want to win as many games as we can. You can breed a lot of success from winning teams.''

Hayes said his managing style is subtle.

``I like to let the players run the game,'' he said. Hayes likes to play ``aggressive baseball,'' but let the game take its course until he finds ``a spot where I can make a difference.''

He said pitching should be a strength of the Avalanche, because Colorado is ``rich in pitching throughout the organization.''

Hayes lived in Maryland until he was 7 and is looking forward to moving back to this area. ``I think it will be a fun summer,'' he said.

Only about ``five or six'' players on the Avalanche's roster will have played for Central Valley last season, Hayes said. The majority of the players will be moving up from Asheville, N.C., the Rockies' team in the Class A South Atlantic League.

Getting the most out of those players could determine Salem's success in the win-loss column.

``I'm confident in my abilities,'' Hayes said. ``Part of this business is knowing which buttons to push with each player to get them to reach their potential.''

As for the uncertainty fans may be feeling about a new affiliation and a new team, Hayes compared it to when he left the Cubs to join the Rockies.

``There were new players and new opportunities, and that's the way the fans should see it,'' he said. ``We're excited about playing in a new ballpark, and I think the fans will really enjoy what they see this year.

``I'm not going out on a limb, but I think we'll be very competitive.''

Joining Hayes as the Avalanche's hitting instructor and bench coach will be Tony Torchia, who brings more than 30 years of professional baseball experience to Salem. Torchia was the Carolina League's manager of the year with Winston-Salem in 1976. He managed the Asheville Tourists last season.

The pitching coach will be former major-leaguer Billy Champion.