THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, August 15, 1995 TAG: 9508150416
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
It took three chartered jets, two airports and 6 1/2 hours to transport the New York Mets from Houston to Norfolk on Monday. Not necessarily in that order.
But despite a travel adventure tedious enough to frustrate the most frequent frequent fliers, let alone a bunch of grumpy baseball players, the Mets made it to Harbor Park and lashed the Norfolk Tides, 9-6, in their annual exhibition game.
Losers to the Astros on Sunday night, the Mets stayed overnight in Houston and planned to depart at noon Eastern time for Monday's game. They gathered at the airport gate, but as their jet maneuvered on the tarmac to get into loading position, the pilot ran it off the runway and into mud.
It stuck there, and despite the frantic efforts of airport personnel to free the plane, it finally was given up as a lost cause.
Back on the bus went the Mets, for a ride nearly an hour north of Houston to another airport. An incoming charter was lined up for the team's use, until bad weather canceled that plane's landing in Houston and forced it to Austin.
What next?
``Well, we commandeered a third plane,'' explained Mets executive vice president Joe McIlvaine. ``They bring it over, clean it out, then we sat there for another hour while they found pilots. We've got a flight crew, but no pilots.''
Finally, pilots were rustled up and the Mets took flight at 4 p.m. Norfolk time - three hours before scheduled game time. With their estimated arrival time set at 6:30, the first pitch was pushed back to 8.
In the meantime at Harbor Park, the usual TV live-shot frenzy had to settle for Tides. As did the crowd filing into the seats, unaware of anything amiss. An announcement eventually was made telling of the Mets' unavoidable delay, and Tides were dispersed down each foul line to satisfy the hordes of autograph seekers.
By 7, the Mets were in the building, and soon afterward, a home-run hitting contest, won by the Tides' Derek Lee began.
GAME REPORT: Each team collected 12 hits, mostly against pitchers from lower minor league levels, in one of the higher-scoring games of this exhibition series.
Two runs in the sixth and one in the seventh and final inning off the Tides' Joe Crawford snapped a 6-6 tie. Tides starter Jeff Cosman, up for the day from Class-A St. Lucie, gave up the Mets' first six runs in five innings.
Meanwhile, the Tides ripped Jesus Sanchez, pitching this season for Class-A Columbia, for six runs in four innings. Tim Bogar had a triple and double for the Mets and Carl Everett knocked in three runs. For the Tides, Ed Alicea hit a three-run home run.
TIDES STUFF: The Tides received infielder Kevin Morgan, 26, on Monday from Double-A Binghamton as Greg Graham was sent down. Graham, however, has refused the assignment. Morgan, hitting .277 in Double-A, will play shortstop until Rey Ordonez rejoins the team from Miami, where he is still getting immigration paperwork in order so he can leave the country. Morgan will move to second base, bumping Ed Alicea as the starter, when Ordonez returns. . . . Trey McCoy did not make the bus trip to Charlotte with the team after Monday's game. McCoy is taking treatment for ulcers and has been advised to stay home and rest. . . . The Tides' magic number to clinch the West Division is seven, not six as previously reported, over second-place Richmond. ILLUSTRATION: NEW YORK 9
NORFOLK 6
PAUL AIKEN/Staff
New York Mets catcher Alberto Castillo bobbles the ball after the
Tides' Butch Huskey knocked it loose sliding into home. Huskey was
safe on the play.
by CNB