THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, July 27, 1994 TAG: 9407270552
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines
Righthander Juan Castillo was promoted from Double-A to start for the Mets on Tuesday, though he has yet to pitch for the Tides.
Is it another apparent case of the Mets giving short-shrift to the Tides for the sake of continuity on their Double-A team in Binghamton, N.Y, as the Tides often insinuate? As in, ``Oh, sure, Castillo's good enough to pitch for the Mets but not for us?''
This time, Tides general manager Dave Rosenfield doesn't think so.
``If they were taking him up on a permanent basis, I'd say yeah,'' Rosenfield said. ``But they say they're taking him for one start and one start only, so I don't think it means that.''
Manager Bobby Valentine said Castillo, 24, got the nod over the Tides' Joe Roa, 22, because Castillo was already on the Mets' 40-man roster and it was his day to pitch. Roa is not on the roster and pitched Monday.
``I think Roa and Castillo were the only two under consideration,'' Valentine said. ``They wanted to see someone they hadn't seen.''
That indicates that righthander Frank Seminara, 27, who was with the Mets earlier this season and is on the 40-man roster, is out of favor with Mets manager Dallas Green.
``Dallas wants to see new people,'' Rosenfield said. ``So he's seeing new people.''
Rosenfield is holding out hope that the Tides could get Castillo when he leaves New York, but he isn't counting on it.
``It might depend on how he pitches,'' he said. ``But I can't guess what they're going to do.''
WHAT A DEBUT: Valentine said he isn't that surprised by the splash former Tides first baseman Rico Brogna has made in New York since his call-up June 20.
Brogna, who went 5-for-5 on Monday, was batting .377 after that game with five home runs, 11 RBIs and 16 extra-base hits in 77 at-bats.
``That's what he did for us till he hit that 3-for-41,'' said Valentine, noting the slump that Brogna - who hit eight home runs in April - was in immediately preceding his promotion. ``I think he's the type of guy that when he has his confidence, he can really hit.''
NEW ARRIVALS: Greg Graham, who has started at third base the last two games in place of suspended Butch Huskey, was hitting .248 in Binghamton in 137 at-bats. Graham, 25, a switch-hitting utility infielder, was Boston's 18th draft pick in 1989 out of Western Kentucky University. The Mets signed him as a free agent in May of last year.
Meanwhile catcher Javier Gonzalez, a Tide in 1991 and 1992, was re-signed after his release from Boston's Double-A team in New Britain. Gonzalez, 25, batted .193 in 30 games with a home run. He matched that power output with a home run Sunday in Columbus.
ON DECK: The first 3,500 paid fans at tonight's game will receive 64-ounce sport jugs. The Tides' Dave Telgheder (6-7, 4.01) will oppose Jose Lima (4-7, 3.52). by CNB