ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, June 23, 1996 TAG: 9606240135
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-5 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: BASEBALL
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR.
Despite an outcome many considered unsatisfying, last Tuesday's Carolina League-California League All-Star Game appears to be the start of a tradition.
That wouldn't be a bad idea, according to one who was there.
``It's probably one of the best things that can happen to a player,'' said Salem Avalanche shortstop Kyle Houser, who started for the Carolina League squad in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
While many in the crowd of 6,671 at the Epicenter (the sparkling home of the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes) may have been disappointed the game was called after 11 innings with the score tied at 2, there was little quibbling with the matchup.
In fact, with the talent exhibited on both sides, a tie may have been the only possible outcome.
``There's some good talent in both leagues,'' said Houser, who went 0-for-3 but assisted on a pair of double plays and cleanly handled his other two chances in the field. ``Theirs seems to be more of a hitter's league and ours is more of a pitching league. I wish we had gotten a winner out of it. Maybe next year we can take some extra pitchers.''
The leagues will resume the rivalry next year at Durham Athletic Park, then will play in Lake Elsinore, Calif., in 1998. The game attracted wide media attention and was televised live in several of both leagues' markets. Home Team Sports carried the game in Virginia.
``There were so many things going on, the game was almost secondary,'' Houser said. ``It's really just a showcase of talent. We just tried to have fun.''
It showed. The game wasn't bad, either.
SNOWBALLS: In one of his last hurrahs as a member of the Asheville Tourists, new Avalanche third baseman Tal Light hit three homers and drove in nine runs in a 14-9 victory over Hickory on June 7 to tie for the most RBI in a minor-league game this season. ... Salem reliever Patrick ``Truck'' McClinton has gone a month without giving up a run. In seven appearances since May 14, McClinton has pitched 13 innings, giving up eight hits, walking three and fanning 12. ... Mike Vavrek had given up five or more runs in his past three starts before the weekend. In those games, Vavrek surrendered 18 hits and 17 runs (16 earned) in 14 innings. ... Salem pitchers Neil Garrett and Sean Murphy were reassigned to Asheville. ... Since returning from a two-week layoff because of a stomach illness, Elvis Pena was batting .340 (16-for-47).
WE KNEW 'EM WHEN: Steve Bernhardt, recently called up by Class AA New Haven, had played two games at second base for the Ravens heading into the weekend and was 1-for-4 with one RBI. ... In his first game back with New Haven after a weeklong stint with Salem, second baseman Keith Grunewald went 5-for-5 with a double, two triples and two RBI in an 11-8 victory over Bowie on June 12. ... Vicente Garcia had three sacrifice bunts in a June 10 game against Bowie.
AROUND THE CAROLINA LEAGUE: It's a good thing the Durham Bulls won the Southern Division first-half title, because their second-half chances were dealt a severe blow with the loss of their four best players.
Outfielder Andruw Jones, first baseman Ron Wright, third baseman Wes Helms and pitcher Damian Moss - all Carolina League All-Stars - were called up to Class AA Greenville (S.C.) immediately after the All-Star game.
Jones, Wright and Helms constituted the heart of the Bulls' order and were the league's top three home run hitters, led by Wright's 20. At the time of the call-ups, Wright also led the league with 62 RBI, Helms was second in the league with a .322 batting average and Jones, Baseball America's minor-league player of the year in 1995, was batting .313 with 17 homers and 43 RBI. Moss had a league-high nine victories, was third with a 2.25 ERA and second with 89 strikeouts. ...
Frederick's David Dellucci, who led the league with a .327 average, was called up to Class AA Bowie (Md.). ... The All-Star game cost Kinston a pitcher. Right-hander Jaret Wright sustained a broken jaw when Durham's Ron Wright accidentally hit him with a bat and will miss two months of action. ... Pitching in Winston-Salem's cozy Ernie Shore Field has long been a hazardous chore. Note that Warthogs hurlers Clint Koppe, Cedric Allen and Chris Murphy had each given up 10 home runs, tied for most in the league, heading into the weekend. ...
When Durham's Moss pitched to Kinston catcher Mike Moyle in the All-Star game, it gave the Carolina League an All-Australian battery.
KENDALL FLAMING: If the overachieving Pittsburgh Pirates stay close to the top of the National League's mediocre Central Division, look for former Salem Buccaneer Jason Kendall to become an NL rookie of the year contender.
The Pirates catcher went into the weekend batting .292 with 25 RBI and was hitting .369 with runners in scoring position. While he has had some rough moments defensively (his eight errors were tied for the most among NL catchers), he had thrown out 20 runners (out of 74 attempts for a respectable 27 percent caught-stealing rate), the second-highest total in the league.
LENGTH: Medium: 90 lines ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC: Chart: Avalanche statisticsby CNB