HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1993-08-04, Page 13Senior baseball
iliso nburg Red Sox dash
Exeter Express future
By Fred Groves
T -A Staff
EXETER - Despite ,scoring five
runs in the first inning of perhaps
the most important game of the sea-
son, the Exeter Express lost 12-8 to
the visiting Tillsonburg Red Sox on
Monday aftemoon.
It -was the second game of a Great
Lakes Senior Baseball League dou-
bleheader and a win for the Express
would have meant a :tie for the
Express coach Doug Fair-
bairn watches the action.
..s-.n..s.w..wir.:,fwir,+u,.''a•:i�l.• �3
fourth and final playoff spot. '
But the loss, combined with a 10-
5 loss in the opening game, means
Exeter now have to focus their
sights on the upcoming Ontario
Baseball Association playoff series
against Walkerton.
If Exeter would have won both
ends of the doubleheader their
record would have upped to 11-11-
1 meaning a playoff spot ahead of
London.
"We panicked in a lot of situa-
tions. We .didn't work hard
enough," said Express coach Waft
Parkinson.
Exeter made a lot of mental er-
rors in both games against the
White Sox, something Parkinson
hopes will be erased come Thurs-
day when the Express-travel.ioKin-
cardine where they play%Walkerton
in the first game of the OBA. Senior
D' playoffs.
"I know we can beat them (Wal-
kerton), we've got .a good enough
The best -of -three aeries -resumes
on Saturday •at the Alvin Willem
Field in Exeter with a double-
header if necessary. A rainout will
simply move the games to Sunday.
While Tillsonburg brought just
nine players to the park on .Mon-
day, it might have been to•tlreir.ad-
vantage as the Express shuffled
players around the diamond con-
stantly.
"We've got no bench strength.. I
shouldn't even be playing," said
Parkinson who, in the second game
of tete cbubleheader played right
daft field and second base.
con i nue
LIJCAN - Horne field advantage n't seem to mean much in the On-
tario Baseball Association Junior layoff series between Exeter and
Lucan.
Wednesday, in the opening game of the best -of -three series, Lucan won
a close 6-5 decision over host Exeter. However, on Sunday, in Lucan, it
was Exeter winntng I1. -O.
In the second Exeter piieher Mike Agnew tossed a one -hitter
through seven tan s Tire s mimics tonight rt Xe at 6:30 p.m.
Iz
"dewould'be nice to have set po-
sitions," he added.
Tillsonburg 10, Exeter 5
In the opener, the Express fell be-
hind 1-0 but came to life in the bot-
tom of the second with four big
runs.
`With Marty Meurer and Dave
Russellaboard, catcher Bill Glover
blasteda triple .to centre field and
then -Red Gregus smacked a double
tasecre Glover.
Parkinson 'was -pleased •with .the
headsup play of Gtegus:asahe cen-
treftelder made .a -diving catch :in
the fust -game and .when Tanning
the bases was,nbt afraideo get .d'ir-
ty.
"lie Tuns -and -he playstard ," said
Parkinson.
Oregus scored • on pitcher Rick
Boon's single and .it was-4.1:for the
heists. But Tillsonburg plated twoin
the•ihird to pull closer.befe a Exet-
er's Scot Russell scored 'Abb'Dick-
ey-tomake it 5-3. '
.-B,ttR.11 fail the last. ,the Ex -
n
'press would get as the Red Sox
scored six runs with the help of two
homers in the top of the fifth.
,.Tillsonburg 12,'Exeter :8
Exeter's tlaydff -lopes looked
'bright in *abuts= of the Cult in -
piing as they scored five suns. Gre-
tgus, Glover :atdi Boon :ail singled
fbfollowed by 'a -walk : o Dave Rus-
aell. Parkinson 'had a base hit be-
ifoae Scot Rusiell.conttected with a
'two -nm double.
Tillsonbwwg.goeto starting pitcher
Marty Meurer attti-byeheTop of -die
third inning it was tied 5-5.
"Marty's struggled this last three
starts," admitted Parkinson.
A solo home run by Dave list ussell
regained the Exeter lead anda'dou-
ble by relief pitcher Dave Atthill
•madeit7-5.
Tillsonburg's Rick Lafoste hit the
:ball hard .in both games and his
' two -run homer helped the visitors
go ahead by a run. It was tied again
in the bottom of' the. fourth an
Hockey
Nine teams in
Senior league
EXETER - Hockey season is just a
few short weeks away and the Exeter
Mohawks of the Southwestern Senior
'A' Hockey League seem to have a
bright outlook towards the start of the
1993-94 season.
Following a recent league meeting,
Mohawks' president Stew Taylor an-
nounced there will be nine teams in
the league.
"It looks as though there are nine
teams, I don't know what's happening
in the north," said Taylor.
Bothwell and Oshweken will join
Aylmer, Dorchester, Exeter, Ingersoll, Dunnville, Petrolia and
Strathroy.
While the schedule will be set later this month, the southern league
teams are looking at a 24 -game schedule once again and Taylor sus-
pects one trip to both Dunnville and Oshweken.
Strong executive: The Mohawks recently had a general meeting
and Taylor is pleased to announce there are several new executive
members.
"It was very positive," said Taylor of the meeting. "We have.new
people interested in keeping it going."
After a year's absence in which he was not involved as much, John
Pryde has rejoined the executive and once again Dave Revington
will be behind the bench as coach -general manager.
Financially, the Mohawks are in good shape.
"We don't owe any money, we've got all our bills paid," said Tay-
lor.
'Marty Memer's base hit in the bottom of the
Two, came too late.
defense gave up four more Tillson-
burg runs in the fifth.
Exeter tried to get back in the
game in the bottom of the sixth as
Merner and Gregus singled but a
Glover strikeout, a Boon flyout and
Boon'f, hit „put li ter AAlley, tviartin ground out ended
sixth in Game
the Exeter hopes.
Baseball notes:...There were
quite a few people out to see the
doubleheader in Exeter and no
doubt the outstanding condition of
the Alvin Willem Field had a lot to
49_ With r:
Dave Russell is congratulated by\Darcy Martin, Dave Atthill and RiekBoon after hitting Exeter Express catcher Darcy Martin, right, had 4ouble getting to the ball after a near
a solo home run. collision at the plate.
Jays won't mind Henderson's attitude
h, oh!
That's the feeling of
American League manag-
ers on the weekend when
they heard the Toronto Blue Jays
had just added speedy Rickey Hen-
derson to their roster.
Making it just under the trade
deadline, Henderson will be there
until the final game of ,the 1993
season. Don't expect the Jays to ink the free agent to a new contract.
sidelines
by
Fred
Groves
Looking at the present instead of the future is the norm for the
Jays the last couple of seasons and if it works, all the better. Last
year it was David Cone who came en to help in the playoff drive.
Henderson will not only bring speed to the Jays but a solid left -
fielder, something they have been lacking. Sure there's not a lot
wrotlg with Darnell Coles or Turner Ward but Henderson brings a
little more stability.
Even in his mid 30's, he is still a threat to steal bases and with Ro-
berto Alomar, the Jays probably have two of the best base stealers
in the business.
But what about attitude?
The word is that Henderson is a bit of a prima dona in the
clubhouse - oh no shades of George Bell coming back. This may
not be a problem fora few reasons.
First, the Jays have recently acquired shortstop Tony Fernan-
dez who at times, carried with him a history of having a bad atti-
tude. Since he has rejoined the defending World Series Champi-
ons, Fernandez has been level headed.
Second, and probably most important, is the fact that Hender-
son had entered the Jays locker room by way of a revolving
door. His attitude will be tolerated.
But while there is a lot of talk about bad attitude in sports,
sometimes you just have to grin and bear it - right George Stein-
brtemer?
On Sunday, Reggie Jackson was the lone inductee into the
Baseball Hall of Fame and he was someone who had to have the
entire spotlight.
Steinbrenner was a hog for media attention but he has had to
eat a little crow and let Reggie take over.
Reggie always believed that if you were good enough, you
weren't bragging about your ability but rather, just stating fact.
Although Reggie played only five seasons for the Yankees,
and nine in Oakland with the A's, it's a Yankees' cap he is wear-
ing on the plaque which goes into the Hall of Fame.
Reason - he currently works for Steinbrenner with a title of
special adviser to the owner. What kind of job is that?
Sounds like a job which would require little work but have a
lot of fringe benefits.
A couple of years ago if you liked to watch live action sports
in Ottawa, you'd be limited to the Canadian Football League's
Roughriders, what with there struggle just to survive or yotfd
watch the 67's of the Ontario Hockey League.
Now the choice in both summer and winter is a big one.
Last year the Ottawa Senators brought professional hockey
back to the nation's capital. Although winning games was a rare
occurrence, the stands were filled.
The summer of 1993 has brought baseball to Ottawa in the
form of the International League's Ottawa Lynx. This triple 'A'
farm team of the Montreal Expos is hoping to surpass a 47 -year-
old league attendance record.
It's not a surprise that both the Senators and the Lynx have
been a hit at the gates. Bring something to a city which has a lot
of leisure time and a lot of people with money to spend on recre-
ation, and sports will boom.
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