THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 19, 1995 TAG: 9505190627
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 61 lines
Somewhere in Parsippany, N.J., sports agent Craig Fenech has to be cackling, rubbing his hands together, day-dreaming of his incredible good fortune to represent not only the lefthanded future of the New York Mets, but the great righthanded hope as well.
The former would be 21-year-old Bill Pulsipher, who watched the latter, 22-year-old Jason Isringhausen, burst onto the scene at Harbor Park on Thursday afternoon with a brilliant display of talent and promise in the Norfolk Tides' 3-0, four-hit shutout of the Syracuse Chiefs.
Isringhausen doesn't appear to have the quirky personality and yen for the spotlight possessed by Pulsipher. But the unassuming small-town kid from from Brighton, Ill., can match the rowdy Northern Virginian note for note, pitch for pitch. Ask the Chiefs, who have had the dubious chore of facing Isringhausen in both his Triple-A starts - and have managed eight hits and no runs in 16 2/3 innings, while striking out 14 times.
``That's probably the best pitched game we've seen this year,'' Syracuse manager Bob Didier said. ``We just saw him a week ago, so it wasn't like we didn't know what he has. But he came out and threw strikes, got on top of the hitters and stayed ahead. He's one of the best young pitchers I've seen in a few years.''
Isringhausen walked one and struck out five to improve to 2-0 since his promotion from Double-A Binghamton. The closest Syracuse (14-21) came to scoring was in the sixth, when Felipe Crespo doubled to lead off and reached third with two outs.
Meanwhile, Ryan Thompson's three doubles and two runs scored, Butch Huskey's two-run double in the fourth and Alberto Castillo's RBI-double in the second, all off Paul Spoljaric, provided more than enough support as the Tides moved to 27-13.
``I don't expect something like that every time out, no,'' said Isringhausen, who was 2-1 with a 2.85 earned-run average, with 59 strikeouts in 41 Double-A innings. ``I've had a good year so far. I don't know how to explain it, maybe I'm coming into things. I'm still learning every time I go out there.''
Isringhausen learned Thursday how effective mixing in a dozen or so change-ups with his hard fastball and curve can be. He struck out fewer batters than his average, but retired 17 men on three pitches or less, which ultimately is of more value, Tides pitching coach Bob Apodaca said.
``He's always going to have power, but I don't want that to be the over-riding goal, to get strikeouts,'' Apodaca said. ``The goal is to have power with good locations, and good things are going to happen. You're going to get quicker outs. Hitters aren't going to get the good part of the bat on the ball.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
LAWRENCE JACKSON/Staff
Jason Isringhausen, who has faced Syracuse in both of his starts,
has held the Chiefs to eight hits and no runs in 16 2/3 innings.
by CNB