THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, July 18, 1994 TAG: 9407180168
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: TIDES REPORT
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines
Roster juggling in New York has left the Tides with an outfield glut of seven men - Jeromy Burnitz, Doug Dascenzo, Tito Navarro, Shawn Hare, Rick Parker, Jim Vatcher and Pat Howell - trying to share a finite amount of time.
With Burnitz a fixture in right, playing time for the two other spots is up for grabs.
``If there was a solution, it'd be obvious,'' Tides manager Bobby Valentine said. ``There is no solution. You just make it the best you can.''
Valentine handled it this way the last three nights: Burnitz started all three in right, Navarro played center two of the games and Hare, Dascenzo and Parker started in left in succession. Vatcher started in center Sunday, which left Dascenzo, the team's leading hitter at .312, out of the starting lineup the last two games.
Thirty games remain against American League affiliates, though, which will allow a fourth outfielder to be used as the designated hitter.
It's not so much a dilemma for Valentine as it is for a guy like Vatcher, who is low on the priority list and knows it. Ironically, though, no less an authority than Valentine insists that Vatcher is better than anybody in all of organized baseball at throwing out baserunners.
``I know how the system works,'' said Vatcher, 29, who made the Tides as a free agent in spring training. ``I know certain guys have to play and have priority in the organization. I like it here. I'd like to be playing more. But there's not a whole lot you can do about it. These things have a way of opening up.''
On the other hand, the Tides have only four infielders - Omar Garcia, Quilvio Veras, Aaron Ledesma and Butch Huskey. Navarro, though, is a converted shortstop, Parker can sub in the infield, Vatcher has played some third base and Hare a little bit of first base.
TV TIME: General manager Dave Rosenfield said he has had only general discussions with the Mets about putting Tides games on Sports Channel or WWOR-TV in the event of a big-league players strike.
Any TV deal reached by any team in the league must be approved by International League president Randy Mobley.
The 10 teams will split evenly all revenue from games that are televised during a strike.
LINTON'S IN: Newcomer Doug Linton will make his first start tonight since coming down from the Mets.
Kevin Morton (3-8) was bumped from the rotation and now becomes the only lefthander in the Tides' bullpen.
This is Linton's fifth stint in the International League. He spent most of the last four seasons compiling a 34-38 with the Syracuse Chiefs. by CNB