THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 24, 1995 TAG: 9508240672
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 61 lines
The West Division pennant in their pocket, the Norfolk Tides have more than a week to pad their statistics before the playoffs begin. But whatever rookie reliever Jim McCready does, it probably still won't include his first Triple-A save.
It might have come Wednesday, when the Tides began their pre-playoff stretch with a 4-2 victory over the Rochester Red Wings. But McCready is a set-up man, the bridge between the starter and closer, the anonymous kind of guy who gets noticed only when he coughs it up.
He merely did his job Wednesday, working two shutout innings to preserve the lead for Phil Stidham then handing hand off to Pete Walker, who nailed down his eighth save.
In his 23rd appearance through three stints with the Tides this season, McCready, a 25-year-old righthander, could have gone one more inning to close. Yet that never entered pitching coach Bob Apodaca's mind. And McCready has been in his role too long to have seriously considered the notion.
``We're not in it for individual accomplishments,'' Apodaca said. ``He throws that third inning, he's gone for two days. When you have a four-man bullpen, you kind of have to be economical about it. Sure, I like guys to get saves when they pitch well, but that's what Walker's there for.''
McCready, who in 33 2/3 innings has a 2.14 ERA but is 0-0, gave up a pair of singles in the seventh and got the Red Wings in order in the eighth. The hits were the only ones the Red Wings (66-66), who are in a four-team hunt for the East Division pennant, managed after Paul Carey hit a two-run home in the sixth off Stidham (5-2).
That blast only brought Rochester halfway back from the 4-0 deficit it faced after the first inning. Against John DeSilva, the Tides (81-51) scored four times after two were out on three walks, two singles, including a two-run poke by Kevin Morgan, and a throwing error by centerfielder Jarvis Brown, who began the season with the Tides.
McCready has done well since he returned from Double-A on July 31. Triple-A hitters are batting .271 against him, the second-highest mark on the staff, but he has not yielded a home run. And McCready is better now than at any time this year, Apodaca said.
``I'm more aggressive now. I don't think my stuff is any different,'' said McCready, who had 16 saves two years ago in Class A. ``If you're not aggressive with a sinker ball, it doesn't really sink.''
But as aggressive as a set-up guy wants to be, it's understood the high-profile stats go to someone else.
``I like the role,'' McCready said. ``I don't really need any credit from the fans or all-star games or anything. The coaches know what kind of job you're doing, and my teammates know. That's all that matters to me.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by D. KEVIN ELLIOTT/
Norfolk's Kevin Morgan tags out Rochester's Greg Smith on a steal
try to end the top of the first. Morgan added a two-run single in
the bottom.
by CNB