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

DATE: MONDAY, June 13, 1994                    TAG: 9406130204 
SECTION: SPORTS                     PAGE: C3    EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: 940613                                 LENGTH: Medium

WALKER'S SOLID 3-INNING STINT GIVES TIDES RELIEF

{LEAD} Among the heavy sighs and thrown-in-frustration bats and gloves on a losing team, you find your silver linings where you can. For Tides manager Bobby Valentine on Sunday, reliever Pete Walker's solid three innings were just that.

Rebounding from an elbow injury suffered in spring training, Walker, who entered with a 12.79 earned-run average, went three innings, gave up two hits and struck out four to keep the Tides close in their 4-3 loss.

{REST} ``A breakthrough day. Definitely the bright spot of the day,'' Valentine said. ``He's still behind and he's playing catchup. He's been going in there and trying to make every pitch a perfect pitch. Today he just let it happen. It looked like it was a lot easier for him.''

WHO'S THAT CATCHER? Another way that Triple-A just isn't the majors - Valentine, a manager in the majors for eight seasons, grabbed a catcher's mitt and warmed up reliever Mike Cook before the ninth inning while Brook Fordyce, who had just made the third out, donned his gear.

Nobody was really available, and ``somebody had to do it,'' said Valentine who caught three pitches before Fordyce was ready. There were no passed balls and, more importantly, no broken noses.

COMPARISON SHOPPING: Alan Zinter, the Mets' former No. 1 draft pick who was traded from the Tides to Toledo for Rico Brogna in spring training, was 1-for-3 Sunday and 2-for-11 for the weekend series.

A Triple-A rookie, Zinter is batting .227 with nine home runs and 30 RBIs. Brogna, a Triple-A veteran, is hitting .262 with 12 home runs and 35 RBIs for the Tides.

MIRACLE METS GATHER: The 1969 ``Miracle Mets'' will hold a banquet, golf tournament and charity baseball game against the ``Brooks Robinson All-Stars'' at Harbor Park on July 8-9. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Farm Fresh Charitable Foundation and other local charities.

Former Mets who are scheduled to participate include '69 World Series MVP Donn Clendenon, Tug McGraw, Jerry Koosman, Jerry Grote, Bud Harrelson, Tommy Agee, Ed Charles, Wayne Garrett, Don Cardwell, Art Shamsky, Ron Swoboda, Cleon Jones and Ed Kranepool.

Slated to play for Brooks Robinson are several former Orioles, Tides and Mets, including Mike Cuellar, Tippy Martinez, Scott McGregor, Dick Hall, Gary Lavelle, D.J. Dozier and former Tides manager Clint Hurdle.

Tickets for the seven-inning game are $8.50 and will be available June 29. Banquet tickets $50. Call the Tides' office at 622-2222 for further information on the banquet and golf tournament.

by CNB