Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, September 7, 1995 TAG: 9509070041
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Somebody called last Friday night ``the night that baseball arrived in the Roanoke Valley.'' It was a night in which the Avalanche went head-to-head with the opening night of public high school football games and still drew 3,546 customers.
Bowles wanted no part of that one.
``I wouldn't say that,'' he said. ``But what I do think that it shows is that there is a hard core of baseball fans here for whom the football was a difficult second choice. It would have been a difficult choice for me.''
The Avalanche started at 6 p.m. so as not to compete with the 7:30 start of the Salem-R.E. Lee of Staunton game across the parking lot at Salem Stadium. The home side of the Salem High stands was reportedly full by the end of the first quarter.
Not too far away, Cave Spring was at Northside, Heritage was invading Victory Stadium for a game with William Fleming, and William Byrd had a substantial audience for a game with Lynchburg Christian.
``That we did as well as we did was a surprise,'' Bowles said. ``Even the major leagues are reluctant to go up against Friday night high school football. High school football is a very big deal.''
HELP WANTED: The Avalanche will be adding to its sales force soon, further indication of the strength of business these days.
``We anticipate needing help in telemarketing [season-ticket sales] and group sales, and advertising sales,'' general manager Sam Lazzaro said. ``We're growing in all those areas. We've already decided to add people, and the only question now is whether it's one, two or three. We'll meet and decide that in a week or so.''
FINAL TOUCHES: The last phase of the Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium construction job will stretch into winter.
By then, City of Salem crews should be done with the building that will house the business office/souvenir building.
``We're looking at plans now and want to start as soon as we can,'' Salem mayor Jim Taliaferro said. ``We need to have it under roof by winter.''
Elsewhere in the stadium, most of the rest of what needs to be done falls under the contract with J.M. Turner & Co., Inc. This includes completion of the two stairway towers on either end of the grandstand, installation of glass for the facades of the stairway towers, completion of the picnic area and handicapped ramp and installation of the rest of the handrails.
``In two weeks, all we'll be waiting on is the handrails,'' Turner president Lee Wilhelm said. ``We're looking to be out of there in early October.''
WRONG NUMBER: Salem was playing its last game of the year with the Wilmington Blue Rocks last week. It was not an important game. Salem had been eliminated from Carolina League Southern Division contention the previous day, and the Blue Rocks had clinched the Northern Division days previous.
Wilmington was leading 1-0 in the fourth inning, and Tim Byrdak was pitching to the Avalanche when Rocks radio announcer Jim Rosenhaus decided to liven things up. He picked up the Memorial Stadium pressbox telephone and dialed the Wilmington bullpen.
``Get [Chris] Connolly up,'' he growled.
Shortly thereafter, Rosenhaus was aghast when the former Radford University left-hander from Lynchburg rose from his seat.
Byrdak was in the midst of a no-hitter.
Rosenhaus dialed up the bullpen again.
``You knew I was kidding, right?''
by CNB