Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, May 18, 1995 TAG: 9505180017
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PEARISBURG LENGTH: Medium
Everybody knows the type. Stephens is the kid, carefree to the point of recklessness, who long since should have been the target of a homicide attempt by an authority figure driven to the brink. The only thing that saves our flawed but endearing hero time and again is that everybody's so fond of him.
It does no damage to his cause, too, that he knows his way around a baseball diamond and a basketball floor. A good bat and pitching delivery are bonuses that further attach him to teammates, coaches and the ticket-buying public.
Even with all that, there are certain inescapable facts.
``He's a flake,'' said Floyd County coach Skip Bishop, a veteran observer of high school personality types.
Not that anybody seems to mind the weirdness much.
``How'd you score that?'' Stephens said conspiratorially to the keeper of the Spartans book, Karen McCoy, between innings of a recent victory over Christiansburg. The play that had furrowed first baseman Stephens' brow was a low throw from shortstop that skipped by first to allow the runner to reach safely.
``E-6 [error on the shortstop],'' McCoy said.
Visibly relieved, Stephens then allowed, ``I should have had it.''
``I'm glad to know that,'' McCoy zinged back. ``Next time, I'll be sure you get the error.''
Given that baseball is the ultimate conversationalist's game, then it's the perfect recreation for Stephens. The young man likes to chat.
``He's a good-natured kid and he takes a nice approach to the game,'' Bishop said. ``After we beat them 10-7, he says to me after the game, `You know, coach, we would have beat you if you hadn't have scored those six runs in that inning.''
Well, yes. And Giles wouldn't have gone 13-4 without Stephens' .412/6 home run/27 RBI bat or his pitching record of 6-1/2.48 earned run average.
Have you figured out that he's left-handed yet?
That's another character study straight out of Central Casting: the flaky lefty.
For exhibit A, refer to the most recent Giles game against Radford. Stephens, the scheduled starting pitcher, didn't check to see whether he had his glove before the bus ride to Radford. Of course he didn't.
And of course Giles coach Bruce Frazier almost went into meltdown.
Regaining a semblance of composure, he sat Stephens down on the bench and wouldn't let him get up.
Certainly, it was an excellent time for Stephens, a junior, to privately review such concepts as responsibility and being organized. At some point, we may find out whether he used this time wisely.
From the Giles team's perspective, Stephens might have been better deployed somewhere else.
``When he's on, he's the best pitcher in the Three Rivers District,'' Floyd County's Bishop said. ``When he's not on ... ''
Floyd County has seen both sides. The first time, Stephens handcuffed the Buffs on an eight-strikeout one-hitter. The second time, there was his responsibility for that six-run inning.
The central problem is one you might expect from a hard-throwing, somewhat flaky youngster - control. In 48 innings, he's walked 53 batters. He has struck out 73, but no matter how you slice it, he's throwing a lot of pitches, raising anxiety levels in the Spartans dugout.
Giles relies on Stephens, but the Spartans haven't lived and died with him. Guys like rifle-arm shortstop Raypheal Milton (.333, five home runs, 16 hits, 11 walks, 23 runs), right fielder Kevin Minnick (.306), and slick-fielding third baseman Michael McCoy have been stout, too.
``I play better when the score is close,'' Stephens said.
Stephens does what he can to make sure the score isn't close. Against Auburn, he hit two homers in a game. At Fort Chiswell, it was three.
``My cousin [Jason Burnett] plays for Fort Chiswell,'' Stephens said. ``I wanted to show him something.''
The 6-foot Stephens showed everybody something where he turned out to be one of the better players on the basketball team last winter. Afterward, he qualified for a junior team that will play on the International Sports Tour of Aruba.
``It'll be just like a vacation,'' Stephens said.
According to some accounts, Stephens is capable of being on vacation without ever leaving Giles County.
by CNB