Times Advocate, 1993-07-14, Page 131.
w
Senear baseball
Express in playoff' race,
top league leading wel
By Fred Groves
T -A staff
LONDON - Four games in six
days -would be tough for most
teams but last week, tie Exeter Ex-
press managed three wins including
the first half of a double-header.
Battling for a playoff, spot in .the
ixpres,s. statistics
(Does not include Sunday's
games)
Hitting
AB 11
9 4
36 4
20 7
44 16
45 12
50 12
39 9
2
:35
-39
Name
Dave Atthill
Rick Boon
Scot Davidson
Rob Dickey
Ron Elliott
Bill Glover
Kerry Hedden
Jason Heywood
Darcy Martin
Marty Merner
Avg.
.444
.404
.350
.364
.267
.240
.265
1 .500
44 .400
12 ..s3O8
Brent O'Brien
Walt Parkinson
Brian Rivard
Dave Russell
Scot Russell
10
15
34
27
49
Doug Schade 21
Pitching
W
0
1
l
2
1
Dave Atthill
Rick Boon
Scot Davidson
Marty Meurer
Brent O'Brien
Scot Russell
2
0
6
5
4
18
4
3
1
1
.000
.400
.147
.142
.409
.190
seven team Great Lakes Senior
Baseball League, the Express beat
Arva 28-2 last Tuesday, followed
the next night by a 2-0 win over
League leading Listowel and split a
double-header with London Chiefs
on Sunday.
The top four teams make the
playoffs and the Express currently
trail Listowel and Lakeside while
battling for spots with London and
Strathroy.
"Only the top four teams make
the playoffs. We've got seven
games left and we have to win four.
The schedule is in our favour," said
Express coach Walt Parkinson who
takes his team to Strathroy tonight.
In the fust game of Sunday's dou-
• -ble-header, pitcher Marty Merner
got id defense behind him
as he a three -hit seven in-
ning contest +glhich was a 1-0 win
• for the visiting Express.
Memer was the key player in this
:game as he singled to lead off the
Ysixth and scored what proved to be
the winning run as Fred' Gregas
• sacrificed and Rick Boon got on
with a fielders' choice:
As far as double-headers go, the
Express have three on this year's
Schedule and Parkinson indicated
they are necessary.
"They are necessary because of
the short season, we don't play that
many. I wouldn't schedule them if I
didn't have to."
Chiefs 9. Eris 5
In the sdond game, the heat
seemed to get to the Express as
they trailed 6-1 after three innings
but really carne to life in the top of
the seventh frame.
With one out, Dave Russell start-
ed the late rally with a walk fol-
lowed by Fred Gregus reaching
base on a fielders' choice. Memer
and Boon singled and then Ron El-
liott walked before a Scot Russell
Express 2. Listowel 0
Exeter travelled to the home of
the league leaders on Wednesday
.and came up with a big 2-0 win.
The visitors got on the_board in
....she top of the first inning when
"'noon singled, moved on a Scot
Russell base bit and scored on an
error. -
it was 2-0.in The third as Gregus
led off with :a siagle followed by
base hits off the bats of Rob Dickey
' and Boort with his second of the
"1t was gilt pleating -by Scat
Russell, a three -hitter," said Parkin -
:,:son. "We played error -less ball."
Listowel threatened in the ninth
:.as the left runners stranded at sec-
-.ond and third.`
Express _2,8. Arva 2
Although visiting Arva scored
the first run of the game last Tues-
day night in Exeter, it was the hosts
.who plated eight runs in the Awe -
nine runs ,in_1be 1hicd:aodtt
macre in the fifth.
Leading the hitting spree was
-Dickey with a double and three sin-
gles while Scot Davidson belted a
double and two singles, Glover
doubled, Meurer had a home run
and a single, Elliott connected for
two base hits, Dave Russell dou-
bled and Gregus had a fifth inning
homer and a single.
Bili Glover, right; was in obvious pain as he
game. Glover got back safely to third base.
was hit in. the beickwlthra eluting the
second
FARM EQUIPMENT - EXETER, ONTARI6
Sales; Service & ,Rentals since 1932
A��riNn�► of SIMeball
offers a future
I
is no great secret
the* baseball is not
Canada's national
sport; that right is
reserved for hockey.
sidelines
But guys like former nation- by
al team second baseman Bar- Fred
ry Petrochenko are out there Groves
beating the bushes,' looking
for the talent, and trying to
-fired good Canadian bill players who someday Could make It
to the big leagues.
Saturday, Petmehenko, from the Stratford Hiders of the In-
tercounty League, was in Exeter at the Alvin Wi1le'tt.Field to
see if he could find any candidates for the Academy'$asebail
of Canada.
The Academy is a training ground, based in Qtlb'bec f0061 -
lege age player/ They play against college tearftstihd !Mk tb-
wards the future.
Beating the bushes, coming to small towns is the Brass roots
of ball, because just maybe that rare find is out there.
"You're not going to find 10 or 12 guys every time you go
'o a small town. But some of the kids at the Academy come
'rout small towns; said Petrochenko, a scout for the Acade-
ny.
If be.does find <a -player worth sending to the Academy in
4.40 nasal, -hat players' will have his room -ttud board -paid 'for
and wine able to go'to-a university or college in the aroa.
in Quebec, the govemmefu pays for post -secondary schob1
1ducatIon'ao anyone from 'Ontario going there is basically-re-
:eiving-a scholarship. The Academy provides the roots-nttd-
ooard. -
Peu'ot henko explained the players go to school during t I k•
day and at; 3 p.m. head to the Academy to get another educa-
tion,.this time the finer points of the game of baseball.
"It's like -a good college program from the -states."
The. Academy first began in the fall of 1990 and -since has
become:a joint.concem of both Baseball Canada and Baseball
Quebec.
"Baseball Quebec was mainly concerned with extending
their pntgram. 'They .have -a -:great program until junior and
then it drops off."
What I"Quebec wanted to create was a pbuoe where
their your g lite-p1ayets could continue perf gg•iheirgame.
„Baseball Canada : jumped on -the .bandwagon is it realized
now they had a.place for the national team members to prac-
tice and play. -
"It's not just good for the youth butivr the older gyys as a
training centre* yearlong."
And bow is the Academy progressing?
"It's-been.going pretty good. They've got some major prob-
lems as fares scheduling gains."
Petrochenko explaindd the past rainy spring meapt the
Academy team did notplay as many games as it could have.
Poor turnout: There were only a handful of young players
who came out for the tryout camp on Saturday in Exeter and
it seems as though the lack of interest in ball in Canada is
shared across the nation. _
"Baseball in Carrera s just'' dff. It wfll e a alowlfty-
cess but to tell you the truth, it�ne ccebe like hockey."
. Hockey has the support of professional teams through a sys-
tem which sees the pros financially help take care of the jun-
ior teams. A pro team which drafts a certain player will pay
an Ontario Hockey League club a considerable amount for
developing that drafted player.
That doesn't happen in ball.
"The baseball teams don't get the support. As far as enthu-
siasm, we have people who love baseball and building on that
is going to be a slow process."
-From-aidetines:..Tsiic-about-a -slaw process, 1 sure
wish the professional baseball big shots would finally ban
chewing tobacco completely in the major leagues as well as
the minors. Not only is it a horrible habit but just look what it
does to the ball parks when some guy spits out a wad of the
stuff...South Huron District High School's Randy Johnston
did well at a recent Canada Games trials as he was fourth in
the javelin...
COUNTRY I
FLOWERS �
2
CASH
`N
;CARRY
.--SILK-ARRANGEMENT
-.SILK STEMS
-.DRIED FLOWERS
--ENAMELWARE
- WIND CHIMES
- GREEN PLANTS
- WICKER
- GIFTWARE
- RIBBON... ETC....
50-70% OFF
SELECTED /iEMS
DOES NOT INCLUDE: ANTIQUES, CUSTOM ORDERS,
SERNOW ORDERS, FRO'f.9JRS
391. OWN STREET
Ear ossaxin