THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, August 23, 1995 TAG: 9508230627
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Bob Molinaro
LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
The faces have changed, the pitching staff is made up of strangers, and the players most responsible for the best Tides season in 20 years are in New York.
These aren't Wild Bill Pulsipher's Tides. Haven't been since June. Or Jason Isringhausen's. Izzy, like Pulsipher, belongs to New York now.
Butch Huskey has moved up, too. So has Carl Everett. Twelve players who wore Tides uniforms this season are collecting their paychecks at Shea Stadium.
And take a good look at Paul Wilson while you can. Wilson, who pitched a no-hitter through seven innings Tuesday, will be in the big leagues next spring.
For now, Wilson is a virtual Tides veteran, seeing as how he's been with Norfolk since mid-July.
On a night at Harbor Park when Wilson's one-hitter helped the Tides clinch the pennant in the West Division of the International League, only eight players from the 1995 Opening Day roster were around to spray and sip champagne.
``That's a little disappointing,'' said general manager Dave Rosenfield. ``But that's the story of many, many minor league situations.''
This season, Tides fans learned not to get too attached to the players. Only five who started the season in a Tides uniform have been here all year.
``Well, they're all Mets,'' said manager Toby Harrah, referring to 1995 Tides, past and present. ``If you contribute to one win, you should feel good about this season.''
Some players, like newcomers Alex Ochoa, Jay Payton, Kevin Morgan, Robert Person and Eric Ludwick, just started to contribute. Others, like Charlie Greene and Aaron Ledesma have come and gone and come back again.
None had to be coaxed into cracking open the bubbly.
``It's a little strange,'' said Ludwick, a righthanded pitcher, who has had one start in his five days with the Tides. ``But this is the first team I've been on that's well above .500. I like the opportunity to win.''
And to celebrate a pennant he and some others sort of stumbled into.
Moments after the final out, Ludwick and Person, who was called up from Binghamton on Aug. 7, were among a group of Tides showering champagne on one another in front of the dugout.
As for Harrah, he's taken this marvelous season one player transaction at a time.
``Development always comes first,'' he said Tuesday. ``Always player development. But if you can win, you are developing players, too.''
The Mets organization has been developing pitchers. And winners. Wilson's performance is another example of that. Eight Tides pitchers this season went on to the big leagues.
``The negative,'' said Rosenfield, ``is that so many guys are gone, but that's also the positive. We've been able to reload and keep going. This is a great tribute to the manager and coaches.''
For Rosenfield, the season recalls 1975, when the Mets called up the Tides three best players in August. The Tides filled the holes with Double-A players and went on to win the pennant and the International League Governors' Cup.
``The other guys get you here and sometimes the younger guys get you over the top,'' said Rosenfield.
In 1983 a younger guy was called up from Lynchburg to pitch in the playoffs for the Tides. The youngster, a guy by the name of Dwight Gooden, led the Tides to the Triple-A World Series title.
If there are no Goodens among the newest Tides, there may still be enough talent to keep this special season rolling.
Though players have come and gone, winning has found a home in the Tides' clubhouse. by CNB