THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 16, 1995 TAG: 9507160140
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 62 lines
In a departure from most past seasons, the Norfolk Tides are all over Baseball America's annual ``Best Tools'' survey for the International League.
Voting among the league's managers resulted in kudos to Jason Isringhausen, Dave Telgheder, Alberto Castillo, Rey Ordonez and manager Toby Harrah. The poll, which includes 20 categories, will be published in the next edition of Baseball America.
Isringhausen, now with the New York Mets, was named the best pitching prospect and the pitcher with the best fastball and the best breaking ball. The latter was a unanimous vote for Isrighausen's knuckle-curve.
Telgheder, who has walked only six in 79 innings, was judged to have the best control of any IL pitcher. Meanwhile, Castillo was named the best defensive catcher and Ordonez the best defensive shortstop and the infielder with the best arm.
Harrah, who managed the Texas Rangers for the last 76 games of the 1992 season, took the honors for best managerial prospect.
``You play to get the respect of your peers, as a manager, too,'' Harrah said. ``So yeah, it makes me feel good.''
The Columbus Clippers' shortstop, Derek Jeter, was voted the league's best batting prospect and the most exciting player. However, Tides outfielder Carl Everett, Ordonez and, in a testament to his skills, Isringhausen all drew votes for most exciting player. It's rare that a pitcher would be considered in that category.
IZZY BLACKOUT: Last year, the Mets were the local choice for games broadcast by The Baseball Network. But because WVEC-TV, the local ABC affiliate, has decided to take Baltimore Orioles games this season, Isringhausen's big-league debut Monday in Chicago will not be televised here.
The Mets were WVEC's team last year, said Lee Salzberger, the station's president and general manager, because the Tides are their top farm club. But that call generated such ``a preponderance'' of negative response from viewers, Salzberger said, that WVEC eliminated the Mets this season and chose between the Orioles and Atlanta Braves.
Because the Braves already are shown here so often on cable via WTBS, he gave the Orioles the nod, Salzberger said. As for making a special arrangement in a case such as Isringhausen's debut, there is no flexibility in the selection process with the network, Salzberger said, to make a decision on a game-to-game basis.
BRAVES REPLENISHED: The Richmond Braves have picked up reinforcements in the last two weeks in their effort to finish second behind the Tides in the West Division.
Newcomers include former major league infielders Gary Scott and Hector Villanueva, catcher Scooter Tucker, who's had brief big-league stays with the Houston Astros and Cleveland Indians, and Double-A stars Juan Williams and Aldo Pecorilli.
Williams was hitting .313 in Greenville and Pecorilli was leading the Southern League with a .385 average when he was called up. ILLUSTRATION: INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE STATISTICS
[For a copy of the statistics, see microfilm for this date.]
by CNB