Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 15, 1990 TAG: 9004150256
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHN SMALLWOOD SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Salem Buccaneers pitcher Tim Wakefield did.
He learned to throw it as a boy growing up in Melbourne, Fla., and playing catch with his father. He couldn't have known then - or even when drafted as an infielder by the Pittsburgh Pirates - that the pitch he used to throw for fun would help revive his professional career.
On Saturday night at Municipal Field, Wakefield displayed how effective his knuckleball can be. He limited Prince William to one run and two hits over 6 innings as the Bucs beat the Cannons 7-4 in Carolina League action.
Wakefield retired every Cannon he faced, most on easy fly balls, until Brad Ausmus beat out a dribbler down the third-base line for a single with one out in the sixth.
"For a first outing," Wakefield said, "I can't complain about my performance. I've got command of it [the knuckleball] and can get it in for strikes. I throw it up there and make them try and hit it."
Last year in spring training, Wakefield was a struggling infielder. He was batting .189 with 57 strikeouts in 159 at-bats in the New York-Penn League (short season A).
Wakefield said he was "goofing off with a catcher throwing knuckleballs" at practice when a Pirates coach noticed his knuckleball. That prompted the coach to send Wakefield to the pitcher's mound to see what he could really do.
Wakefield was converted to a pitcher before the start of the 1989 season. He was 1-1 with two saves in the New York-Penn League. In 39 innings, Wakefield had a 3.40 ERA with 42 strikeouts and just 21 walks.
Bucs pitching coach Chris Lein said Wakefield, 23, has a good chance of advancing to the major leagues if he can continue to be effective with the pitch.
"[The knuckleball] is the kind of pitch that can be successful at any level because no one knows how to react to it," Lein said. "No one has a lot of success against it. The key is to throw it for strikes. With his [Wakefield's] command of it, he can.
"His days as an infielder were over with. [The knuckleball] was a chance for him to get a second look."
Prince William (0-3) may be tired of looking at the Bucs (3-0).
Salem was up 7-0 before the Cannons had gotten their first hit.
Catcher Mandy Romero led the Bucs' attack by going 3-for-4 with four RBI. He hit a two-run homer in the fifth. Third baseman Bruce Schreiber also had three hits, and center fielder Greg Sims added two.
Trailing 7-1 after seven innings, Prince William tried to rally. Three walks and two Bucs errors allowed the Cannons to cut the lead to 7-3 and have the bases loaded with one out.
Bucs manager Stan Cliburn replaced Tom Deller, who had relieved Wakefield, with left-hander Mike Pomeranz to face left-handed hitter Dave Howell.
After Pomeranz struck out Howell, Cliburn played the odds again, calling for right-hander Jeff Neely against right-handed hitter Sherman Obando. Obando popped out to end the inning.
Neely gave up a run in the ninth and earned his first save.
\ BUCSHOTS: Cannons catcher Brad Ausmus celebrated his 21st birthday by breaking up Wakefield's no-hit bid in the sixth. Ausmus walked in the eighth and eventually scored, then added an RBI double in the ninth. . . . Left-hander John Latham is scheduled to pitch for the Bucs against left-hander Gerald Nielsen as the teams complete their four-game series today at 2 p.m.
PR. WILLIAM SALEM ab r h bi ab r h bi Zazueta 2b5000 Sims cf4121 Viera dh3010 Schreiber 3b4130 Silvestri ss3101 Pennye lf5000 Howell rf4011 Raisanen dh3100 Obando lf3000 Estep rf2200 Snow 1b4110 Romero c4134 Davis 3b4000 Shelton 1b3000 Ausmus c3121 Huyler ss4110 Oster cf3100 McNabb 2b4010 Weeks ph1000 Totals33 4 5 3 Totals 33 7 10 5
Pr. William000 000 121-4 Salem320 020 000-7
E-Silvestri, Huyler, Shelton. DP- Salem 1. LOB-Pr. William 7, Salem 8. 2B-Howell, Snow, Ausmus, Sims, Schreiber, Romero. HR-Romero (1). SB-Huyler (1). IP HRERBBSO Pr. William Wiley, L 0-1 466354 Canestro 341111 Salem Wakefield, W 1-0 621101 Deller 12040 Pomeranz 00001 Neely, S 1 121102
WP Wiley, Neely. PB-Romero. Balk-Deller.
Umpires-Home, Barket; bases, York.
T-2:46. A-1,091.
by CNB