THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, August 26, 1995 TAG: 9508260500
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines
When it comes to throwing out attempted base-stealers, most catchers are content to nail maybe 35 or 40 percent of them. Tides catcher Charlie Greene is at an amazing two-thirds, and eager for more.
``I'd like 100 percent, that's what I strive for,'' said Greene, a 24-year-old from Miami. ``Every time a guy steals I feel it's my fault.''
Greene, then, has been blameless recently, in that before Friday he had thrown out the last seven runners trying to steal on him. In two stints with the Tides, Greene has retired 14 of 21 potential thieves.
``I'm just going through a streak, like hitters go through a streak,'' said Greene, who started the season with the Tides, went down to Double-A Binghamton on April 21 and returned Aug. 17. A streak in which he almost wishes runners will run on him?
``No, I never start doing that,'' Greene said. ``That's when you'll be 0 for 10 or something. So I always try to keep a level head. The pitchers and infielders have been doing a good job, too. I'm just a third of the equation.''
Though Greene is batting only .212, right at his minor league average of chances of making it to the top. Harrah compares Greene to someone like former-Met Charlie O'Brien, now with the Atlanta Braves, who reached the majors as a defensive specialist but has become a serviceable hitter.
``He is really accurate,'' Harrah said of Greene. ``The ball's right there, not high, right on the bag. He's got a great arm and a quick release. . . . I believe he's going to catch in the big leagues, there's no doubt in my mind. I feel like he's going to become a better hitter. Charlie O'Brien couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat. Now he's gotten better.''
From the time Greene catches a pitch, he routinely gets the ball to second base in at least two seconds. If the throw is on the bag, that is almost always fast enough to foil a base-stealer.
``I've thrown out 40 to 50 percent in my four (previous) years,'' said Greene, who said he has been clocked home-to-second in as fast as 1.7 seconds. So Greene has been known to bristle when he ``lags'' behind that. ``If I'm capable of throwing 1.7, then I should throw it 1.7 anytime I need to.''
HOPE FOR ACEVEDO: Right-hander Juan Acevedo threw hard in the bullpen without pain Friday, giving hope to the notion that he might be available for the playoffs.
Tides pitching coach Bob Apodaca said if Acevedo, who has a strained muscle in his right rib cage, isn't sore today, he will stay on track for another hard side-session Sunday. If that goes well, Acevedo would start on the six-day road trip that begins today.
Apodaca said Acevedo would have to start in the regular season to make a playoff start. Acevedo came to the Tides from the Colorado Rockies in the trade for Bret Saberhagen on July 31. He hurt himself after pitching one inning for the Tides in his debut Aug. 12.
WILSON'S OK: Right-hander Paul Wilson tested his sore right foot Friday and said he's ready for his next start Sunday. Wilson took a hard ground ball off his foot in the fifth inning Tuesday but continued for a 1-0, one-hitter over Charlotte.
Wilson, 5-3 with a 2.69 ERA, has started only eight games for the Tides but has completed four of them, tying him with ex-Tide Bill Pulsipher and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre knuckleballer Dennis Springer for the International League lead.
Wilson's two shutouts have him tied for second in the league behind another ex-Tide, Jason Isringhausen, who threw three shutouts. by CNB