THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 16, 1996 TAG: 9608160749
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: 57 lines
Talk in the Norfolk Tides' clubhouse recently has revolved around due dates and ultrasounds almost as much as it has base hits and double plays.
Thursday night's starting left side of the infield, third baseman Shawn Gilbert and shortstop Joel Chimelis, are expected to be new dads in the next two weeks.
Add to that team trainer Joe Hawkins and the Tides have a potential triple play.
Gilbert and wife Diana are expecting their first child on Aug. 23. Diana is living in Norfolk this summer and Gilbert is hoping the baby arrives a day ahead of schedule.
``We've got an off day on the 22nd,'' said Gilbert, who said chances are it's a girl. ``But it's kind of hard to plan these things.''
For Chimelis and wife Carmen, this will be their second. They already have a daughter, Adriana, and are expecting another girl.
``Looks like I'm still the king of the castle,'' he said.
Chimelis' wife is at home in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Chimelis can be found on the clubhouse phone nightly and has taken the '90s approach to the long-distance phone bill.
``I went to a 7-Eleven and bought a 90-minute phone card,'' said Chimelis. ``It's worked pretty well. They gave us two due dates, the 8th and the 28th. It's looking more like the 28th.''
Backup catcher Chris Howard's wife also gave birth to a girl earlier this season.
While there once was a day in professional baseball when taking time off for the birth of a child was unheard of, it has become commonplace.
``Whoever was the first to do it should get a spot in the Hall of Fame,'' Tides manager Bobby Valentine said. ``He made it easier for all of us.''
WHO'S NO. 29?: That would be Anthony Valentine, Tides bullpen catcher and nephew of Bobby Valentine. And he may be the one Tide making the most progress this season.
He's a rising senior at University of New Hampshire, where he expects to move from third base to second this season.
Valentine had played in the New England Collegiate Baseball League, a wooden-bat summer league, the last two years.
NCAA rules prohibit the younger Valentine receiving pay for his bullpen duties - typical pay is $20 a night - but there is an up side.
``(Bobby) has a condo on the beach and I'm staying there rent-free,'' Anthony Valentine said.
TIDAL WAVES: International League president Randy Mobley took no action against the Richmond Braves or Tides after the teams rushed the field at the conclusion of Wednesday's game at Harbor Park, although he did convey his concerns with both team managers Thursday. The incident followed a hard slide by Kevin Flora, who was trying to break up a double-play relay throw by shortstop Robert Smith. Smith took exception and words were exchanged. ... The Tides sent relief pitcher Hector Ramirez back to Double-A Binghamton Thursday and called up reliever Jim McCready, who began the season on the Tides' disabled list following off-season shoulder surgery. McCready has pitched just 25 1/3 innings for three different Mets farm teams this season. by CNB