THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 5, 1994 TAG: 9408040186
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 22 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Sports
SOURCE: BY JULIE GOODRICH, CLIPPER SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 95 lines
HOW WOULD YOU feel if someone took away the one thing that meant the most to you?
Could you forgive and go on?
Former Indian River High School star Anthony Linhardt faced these questions, and many more, late last year during his first semester at Virginia Commonwealth University. Since he was 5 years old, baseball had been his salvation. It was one of the only things that got him through the rough times. Like when his father died.
But halfway through the fall semester, quite suddenly and unexpectedly, Linhardt, who had accepted a partial baseball scholarship to come to VCU was told that due to an incorrect interpretation of his high school transcript he would have to sit out the 1994 season.
Just like that, he watched a year of eligibility go right down the drain.
``Not playing was the hardest thing in my life, other than my father's death,'' said Linhardt, who is spending the summer playing the infield for the Greenbrier Post 280 American Legion team. ``Taking baseball away from me was the worst thing they could ever do.''
As you'd expect, Linhardt was bitter, and deservedly so. It's not as if he slacked off on his grades, or didn't have the test scores to ensure his eligibility. He simply was signed up for a math course that was outside the core curriculum, and the mistake wasn't uncovered until he'd already started classes at VCU.
``We asked him if he wanted to transfer out,'' said Bob Smith, assistant coach at VCU. ``He wanted to stay.''
So during the season, Linhardt would sit in the stands and watch. The coaches couldn't have anything to do with him. He worked out by himself, under the stadium, while the other players basked in the glory afforded those who are lucky enough to play the national pastime.
``I've put that behind me,'' Linhardt said. ``I've gotten over it, and I'm a better person because of it.''
On the Post 280 team, which easily won the first-half title in Tidewater District 2 and at one point had won 16 straight games, Linhardt is a man among boys. Not just because he's more advanced in his career - most of the players are rising seniors in high school or starting their first year of college. He's also a leader.
``I consider myself the person to start a fire underneath (my teammates) and get things going,'' he said. ``They know I've been in college, and a lot of them come to me for help during practice, or ask me questions.''
Although they only saw him for 14 days before the unthinkable happened, the VCU staff tends to agree.
``Some guys lead by example, by the way they play,'' Smith said. ``Others gain respect just the way they are . . . their peers automatically accept them. Anthony has both.''
Unlike some high school hotshots who can sneeze and have college coaches and pro scouts lining up with boxes of Kleenex, Linhardt toiled in relative obscurity through most of his high school career.
He showed off his skills for a few major league teams (VCU first spotted him at a Chicago Cubs workout), but it wasn't until the American Legion state tournament opener last year that Linhardt showed how completely he can dominate a game.
He slammed a homer and two doubles in a game Post 280 won on the field but lost in the rulebooks due to . . . an ineligible player.
Although Linhardt knows that playing American Legion and collegiate ball will improve his game, being drafted and playing professionally is something that weighs heavily on his mind.
``My dad wanted me to go as far as I could with baseball, and that's a big reason why I want to play professionally,'' he said.
But for now, all of Linhardt's efforts are going into sending Post 280 to the state tournament Aug. 10 at Hopewell High School outside of Richmond for the second time in the team's two-year existence. If Greenbrier clinches the second-half title, no district playoff will be necessary and the team will move straight to the state tournament. Linhardt, who is hitting .410 and leads his team in home runs (5) and RBIs (29), will be a factor.
``When we signed Anthony, I didn't see him like I see him today. He's improved immensely,'' said Smith.
Strange as it may seem, by having such an impressive season with Greenbrier, Linhardt may have set up an act that's hard to follow.
``Our (VCU's) expectations might be greater than what could happen because he's had such a great summer,'' Smith said. ``I hope he'll help us.''
Given the alternative, Linhardt will accept playing like he's got something to prove. Just as long as he's playing. Smith and the rest of VCU's baseball team are glad to finally have Linhardt aboard and playing ball. According to Linhardt, they don't know the half of it.
``Nobody's gladder than me, I can tell you that.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by L. TODD SPENCER
Anthony Linhardt goes to tag Nick Ardagna out at second base in an
American Legion game of Post 280 against Post 35.
by CNB