Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, August 20, 1995 TAG: 9508210089
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-11 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
John Giudice of the Salem Avalanche was several shades of miserable.
A throbbing shoulder and stiff hip had him down, but pain he can take. Being confined to the dugout when everybody else is playing baseball is agony of an altogether more insidious and debilitating sort.
``I go nuts on the bench,'' he said. ``I can't stand it.''
Giudice should have thought of that before he tried to pass through the outfield wall at Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium in a section where there was no door. Giudice was more interested in the fly ball he was pursuing than the consequences of a full-speed collision with a wall unprotected by padding.
Guess that taught him.
``Never,'' he said. ``I've already run into one fence in high school that left three scars on my face. My glove went over the fence with the ball in it for a home run. I went to the hospital, then came back in time to ask them if I could get back into the game.''
That's the sort of outfield recklessness people will pay to see. Anybody can appreciate a guy who plays hard.
And most fans can appreciate an arm like the one Giudice has. The Salem right fielder possesses what is widely considered one of the two or three best among outfielders in the Carolina League.
``I've always had a pretty strong arm,'' said the 6-foot-1, 201-pound native of New Britain, Conn. ``It got even stronger after I had elbow surgery my freshman year in college.''
That would have been at NCAA Division III power Eastern Connecticut, where Giudice played three years before being selected in the 20th round of the 1993 draft.
``There was no doubt I'd sign,'' he said. ``It's been my dream to play [professional] baseball since I was little.''
Giudice was expected to rejoin the Avalanche lineup this weekend. The team needs him as it strives to stay afloat in the Southern Division's second-half race. When Giudice hit the wall, he was batting .261 with seven home runs and 48 runs batted in. Giudice hit the first home run by a Salem player in the new ballpark.
Giudice greeted that with unabashed joy, but that's just the way he plays.
``I'm very emotional,'' he said. ``Maybe I need to learn to control my emotions a little more. I've given a lot of at-bats away this year.''
He's also given up his body. Don't expect that to change.
LEGAL WRANGLING: Kelvin Bowles, the Avalanche's owner, reiterated during the past week that he intends to pursue legal action on trademark-infringement grounds against the NHL's Colorado Avalanche.
It appears as though he will have a fight on his hands.
``We have not been served with any legal papers as yet, although we have corresponded several times with Mr. Bowles' lawyer,'' said Richard Zahnd, senior vice president and general counsel of NHL Enterprises. ``We think their position is totally without merit. If they sue, we intend to vigorously defend it.''
Zahnd said the NHL was aware of the Salem Avalanche's existence, but went ahead with approval of the new name for the former Quebec Nordiques because of numerous instances of name duplication, apparently without ill commercial effect, between teams in major and minor sports leagues - and even among teams that are considered major-league franchises.
He cited as examples the Montreal Canadiens (hockey) and Vancouver Canadians (Class AAA baseball); the Dallas Stars (hockey) and Huntsville Stars (AA baseball); the Winnipeg Jets (hockey) and New York Jets (football); the Phoenix Cardinals (football) and St.Louis Cardinals (baseball); and the New York Giants (football) and San Francisco Giants (baseball).
ROLLING ROCKS: A bunch of strong arms are propelling the Wilmington Blue Rocks to the second-half title in the Carolina League's Northern Division.
When we say a bunch, we mean it. The Rocks have gone to a six-man rotation, moving right-hander Bart Evans into the mix with left-handerJose Rosado, right-hander Javier Gamboa, right-hander Phil Grundy, left-hander Glendon Rusch and right-hander Tim Byrdak.
The two hottest starters are Rusch and Byrdak. Rusch had a streak of 18 shutout innings going into the weekend, and Byrdak (10-4) had won seven consecutive decisions. Rusch already has a 28-inning scoreless streak this season.
The Rocks also have been given a boost by the addition of right-hander Neil Atkinson, who arrived from Class AA Wichita about a week ago. Atkinson, who learned a screwball from former big-leaguer Mike Marshall, had two saves and had given up one earned run in 13 innings through Thursday.
SHORT STUFF: Roanoke's Barry Shelton, who played at West Virginia State before signing with the Chicago White Sox this summer, was among the NAIA leaders in five statistical categories this year: RBI per game (1.565, first) home runs per game (.409, second), hits per game (1.75, tied for second), doubles per game (.455, tied for third) and batting average (.440, tied for 11th). ... Phil Leftwich, the former Radford University right-hander who is rehabilitating an injured shoulder with Class AAA Vancouver, and his wife, Ann, are expecting triplets in November. ... Those who wonder how Prince William could sink from 37-33 and a first-half Northern Division title in the Carolina League to last place, 17 games out in this half, might consider a couple of prominent losses to the Cannons since the break. Call-ups took Jeff Abbott (.348, 47 RBI) and left-hander Tom Fordham (9-0, 2.04 ERA).
by CNB