
DATE: Friday, August 8, 1997                TAG: 9708080819

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY JOHN-HENRY DOUCETTE, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:   82 lines

CHILDREN TAKE OVER THE OPERATIONS OF HARBOR PARK.

It's Wednesday at Harbor Park, another game in a long summer's pennant chase. The Toledo Mud Hens are in town to play the Norfolk Tides.

Ashley Williams, 12, is ready for action behind the will-call window. And she's excited.

She peppers Harbor Park workers with questions and all-purpose chatter as she busies herself in the booth. Then, she corners Tides president Ken Young.

``She just kept talking,'' a dazed Young said after she had moved on.

There were 40 Ashleys, ages 5 to 15, at the ballpark. In fact, they ran the place, working in jobs from groundskeeper to public address announcer - even president.

The youngsters were contest winners, their names selected from a promotion by Hills, a chain of stores that advertises with the team. The prize: tagging along with workers at Norfolk's Triple-A club for a day.

Young's protege was Sean Roberts, 11, the day's acting president. Young tried to fill him in on the finer points of the job.

``Sometimes I eat a lot of hot dogs,'' Young said. ``I don't know if you like hot dogs.''

``I ate them the last three days,'' Sean said.

Meanwhile, Darren Jefferson, 12, followed Keith Collins of the grounds crew down a slope, through a padded gate onto the gray sand of the warning track, and down the third base line to a cave in the blue wall.

There, Darren met the other temporary helper, Mike Goens, 13, and the regular crew - Bill Farrell, Efrem Little and Kenny Magner, the head groundskeeper. They pulled out a blue shirt for Darren.

Magner let the newcomers in on a joke: a baseball connected by line to a fishing pole. As the Mud Hens took fielding practice, Magner cast the ball into left field and waited until a Mud Hen bit. When pitcher Fernando Hernandez bent to pick up the ball, Magner yanked the ball out of his reach.

Work began, and Darren helped Collins draw the rightfield line. Darren held a string steady, and Collins walked the barrow along until a fresh, white coat of chalk fell on the field.

As the game began, Melissa Cutrell, 15, ran the scoreboard room and pressed buttons ``like, if they get out.'' Dana Diperi, 13, helped.

Jeff Kubichau and Ricky Edwards, both 12, worked the announcers' booth, trading off introducing players and running sound effects when something big happened on the field.

``How'd you get this job?'' Jeff asked the regular announcer, Frank Bennett. ``I think it's pretty cool.''

Next batter.

``Now batting. Number 26. Right field. Jimmy Hurst.''

Jeff clicked off the mike.

``I should have said `right fielder.' ''

Up in the stands, Sharon Williams, Ashley's mom, watched the game with one of her daughter's friends.

``This has been a big boost for her. You know, this month last year she lost her father,'' Williams said.

``She put her own name in at the Hills at Ward's Corner. And when she won? Oh, gosh, she was, like, `Me?' Like it was an honor being bestowed upon her. Then she called the man herself. It's been really good for her.''

Down at will-call, Ashley wore a Tides cap. She decided she wanted to work at the park.

``She thinks she's going to take my job over,'' said Lori Henn, 19, a Virginia Wesleyan student who works at Harbor Park.

``I am,'' Ashley agreed.

Feeling a bit powerful, Ashley fired everyone in sight.

Just kidding. Besides, that was Sean's job. ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photos]

IT`S ALL KIDS PLAY

TAMARA VONINSKI/The Virginian-Pilot

Darren Jefferson, 12, gives a thumbs up to the crowd as he begins

his duties working with groundskeeper Keith Collins on Wednesday.

Ricky Edwards, 12, was the Tides' announcer during the first annual

``Running the Tides is Kids Play'' event at Harbor Park on

Wednesday.