ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, April 22, 1996 TAG: 9604230166
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
JOHN BURKE TAKES THE HILL as the Salem Avalanche returns from a road trip to face the Kinston Indians.
Not that Salem Avalanche pitching has been particularly wobbly, but the addition of another arm judged worthy of spending a No.1 draft choice on could never hurt.
When the Avalanche returns to Salem Memorial Stadium for the first time in a week tonight, it will send newly-acquired fireballing right-hander John Burke to the mound to face the Kinston Indians. Burke, the Colorado Rockies top draft choice in 1992, is in Salem on a rehabilitation assignment after starting the season at Class AAA Colorado Springs.
``He just needs to get some innings in,'' Salem manager Bill McGuire said Sunday by phone from Frederick, Md., where the Avalanche concluded a three-game Carolina League series with the Keys. ``He had some personal stuff he had to get straightened out and now he's back ready to go.
``I don't know what he had to do and I don't care to; that's his business. I know John - he's a personal friend of mine - and if he had to go home, whatever it was was legit.''
So is Burke, a 6-foot-4, 215-pounder out of the University of Florida who was the first of a series of pitchers taken in the first round by the Rockies and the first-ever Colorado draft choice. Burke was followed by last season's Avalanche ace, Jamey Wright, in 1993 and lefty Doug Million, a member of the current staff, in 1994.
Burke began to show some of his considerable stuff last year at Colorado Springs, when he went 7-1 with a 4.55 earned run average.
``He's a quality pitcher who will pitch in the major leagues one day,'' McGuire said. ``But make no mistake, he's not here [with Salem] just to get in a few innings and then go on. He'll start here [today] and Saturday and he will be expected to dominate. If he does not - and there is no reason to think that will happen - then he'll be here for three starts or as long as it does take him to dominate.''
Burke's arsenal includes a 95-mph fastball, a diabolical curve, and a big-league changeup. Right shoulder problems slowed him in 1995.
There's been nothing wrong with Salem pitching until Saturday night when the Avalanche blew a six-run lead and lost 8-6 to Frederick.
``That was the first bad pitching outing of the year,'' McGuire said. ``One bad outing in 16 games - I'll take that any time.''
Elsewhere on the team, outfielder Pookie Jones was on a seven-game hitting streak after starting the year 6-for-47. During the streak, which ended Sunday, he was 8-for-47 (.286). Outfielder Ronnie Hall has shown signs of snapping out of his offensive doldrums as well.
Burke will face Kinston right-hander Teddy Warricker tonight and the series will continue with Million facing left-hander Noe Najera on Tuesday, Brent Crowther taking on Kinston lefty David Caldwell on Wednesday, and Mike Vavrek pitching against the Indians' John Zubiri on Thursday.
LENGTH: Medium: 59 lines KEYWORDS: BASEBALLby CNB