THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
                 Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 1, 1994                    TAG: 9406010640 
SECTION: SPORTS                     PAGE: C3    EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: 940601                                 LENGTH: Medium 

GUNDERSON HOPES HE'S FOUND A HOME WITH METS

He hasn't been so lucky lately. The beginning of the last two baseball seasons has found Gunderson cast aside by one organization, before finding new life with the Mets.

{REST} A year ago, the 28-year-old lefthander was cut loose by the Seattle Mariners' Triple-A club in Calgary after a couple weeks. This April, Gunderson planned on starting the season in Las Vegas, the San Diego Padres' Triple-A outpost. But on the day training camp broke, Gunderson was released.

Each time, the Mets have offered Gunderson a ticket out of his springtime in Portland that he was only too happy to accept.

On his way to Norfolk last year, Gunderson stopped off in Binghamton for a Double-A stint before making six appearances late in the season with the Tides. This season, after a month off, the Mets plucked him off the free-agent pile again, though Gunderson said they made no effort to re-sign him over the winter.

They let him pitch three times in Class-A St. Lucie before sending him back to the Tides, where his presence was much appreciated last Sunday. Gunderson fired a three-hit, seven-inning shutout against Ottawa to snap the Tides' six-game losing streak.

He'll pitch out of the bullpen, and start occasionally. Gunderson, who has pitched in the majors with the Giants and Mariners, hopes he does it all well enough to be sure he has a baseball home next April, preferably with the Mets.

``This is a good organization,'' Gunderson said. ``I'd definitely like to stay with one team.''

COMEBACK BEGINS: Injured reliever Kenny Greer threw from a mound Tuesday for the first time since his elbow surgery April 19. Greer said he worked about six minutes at about 50 percent effort and reported no twinges in his arm.

WOE COLUMBUS: It's a rare down year, or at least an extended slow start, for the Clippers. They entered Tuesday's game with losses in 13 of their last 18 games.

This is how good the Clippers have gone in the '90s, however: With their 10-16 mark in May before Tuesday, the Clippers suffered their first full losing month since April of 1990, when they were 12-13.

ON DECK: The Tides close their homestand tonight against Columbus at 7:15. Joe Roa (3-2, 3.81) will pitch for the Tides vs. Kirt Ojala (5-2, 2.98). by CNB