THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 31, 1995 TAG: 9508310562
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 44 lines
Twice this month, Norfolk Tides manager Toby Harrah benched .309-hitting first baseman Omar Garcia for not running hard to first base on balls he hit for outs. When a lazy pop-up fell between two outfielders Tuesday and Garcia had yet to reach first, Harrah decided the bench was too good for Garcia.
At Harrah's urging, the New York Mets on Wednesday banished Garcia, the fifth-leading hitter in the International League, to Double-A Binghamton, and said he will not be recalled when the Tides begin the playoffs Monday.
Binghamton has only five games remaining.
``He needs to go down there and work on his baserunning,'' Harrah said dryly by phone from Pawtucket after Wednesday night's 13-4 victory. ``We'll miss his bat, but we'll manage to do the best we can.
``I think we need to get his attention a little bit, and he needs to realize that in this game you hustle all the time, not just 75 percent of the time. He needs to be accountable. There comes a time when this needs to stop.''
Harrah on Tuesday immediately pulled Garcia from the field, sending in a pinch-runner. Later in the clubhouse, Harrah said he told Garcia, in front of the team, to clean out his locker and return to the hotel while Harrah and the Mets decided a course of action.
Harrah discussed the situation with minor league director Steve Phillips, who agreed to get demote Garcia, a 24-year-old from Puerto Rico who is on the Mets' 40-man major league roster.
On Aug. 12, Harrah yanked Garcia from a game at Richmond for loafing on a fly out, and last week benched him for two games for trotting to first on a double-play ball.
Garcia batted .309 with three home runs and 64 RBIs in 115 games, but hit just .202 through the first three weeks of August. He could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
The Tides will receive Brian Daubach from Binghamton to replace Garcia. Daubach, 23, was hitting .245 with 10 home runs and 72 RBIs. by CNB