ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, April 14, 1996 TAG: 9604160019
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-10 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: BASEBALL
SOURCE: RAY COX
Odd as it may seem, the sixth year of Al Shirley's professional baseball life feels like the first to him.
``It's like I've just been drafted,'' he said. ``Starting over.''
New organization, new life for the former No.1 draft choice out of George Washington-Danville. After five mostly it-makes-you-want-to-pull-your-hair-out kind of years, Shirley was traded in December from the New York Mets to the Kansas City Royals.
Now, he's playing for the Class A Wilmington Blue Rocks, who were in Salem this past week for four games with the Avalanche.
Shirley never had seen the Carolina League, at least as a player. But he has seen Class A ball. Six year's worth.
No hard feelings in the parting with the Mets for Shirley.
``The Mets and I have been through a lot together,'' he said.
As much as he's been through, he's still only 22 years old. Younger than some of his new teammates.
``I like these guys,'' Shirley said. ``I like my coaches here, too. They're laid back, and they let you play baseball.''
At times it hasn't seemed playful, though. Slumps that take the best part of six years tend to take the fun right out of the games.
He's had his moments. One of them came in his rookie summer, when he was playing for the visiting Kingsport Mets in a game against the old Pulaski Braves . Before his mother and the rest of the family had even gotten there - Calfee Park is hard to find if you're driving in from faraway Danville - Shirley had belted his first home run. Two more would follow in a geometric arc: One to right, one to left, and one to center.
``A night to remember,'' he said.
Shirley can tag one - ``He hits them and they just go,'' Wilmington teammate Brian Teeters said. Shirley presented a recent demonstration when his solo homer in the top of the seventh beat the Avalanche 6-5 in the second game of a double header.
He can also miss them. Take 1994 at Columbia of the South Atlantic League, for example.
``Good year for me,'' he said. ``Twenty-three home runs and 23 steals. But 206 strikeouts.''
Shirley almost didn't play baseball. The University of Virginia had wanted him for football, and that appeared to be his destination. That was back in the days of Bo-mania. Every scout with a stop watch and a clipboard was looking for the next Jackson. Shirley had barely played high school baseball, but the Mets and everybody else knew he was an athlete all the way.
Still is. Despite the once-broken (diving back to the bag), once-sprained (during a checked swing) left wrist that cost him months off his professional life. Despite the battles to find the strike zone. Despite the battles with himself.
``I made the right decision to play baseball,'' he said. ``This is where I should be. It's been a rough road, but I've learned a lot. I'm a better person for it.''
BACK TO THE OLD DOMINION: Another Virginian is drawing a Wilmington paycheck, VMI product Marc Phillips.
The Waynesboro left-handed pitcher didn't even know if was going to be drafted. Now he's in his third year of pro ball.
``I've moved up [to a higher classification] every year, '' he said.
Phillips, a 32nd-round draft choice with an economics degree from VMI, spent his first two years at Eugene, Ore., and Springfield, Ill.
``It's good to be back on the East Coast,'' he said. ``Now my parents will be able to see me play more often.''
WRITING HOME: Barry Shelton of Roanoke was batting .391 (9-of-23) for the Class A Hickory Crawdads. ... David Groseclose of VMI and Alleghany High was hitting .235 for the Asheville Tourists, the Colorado farm stop below Salem. League, where he's hitting .231 with a pair of doubles. Dalton is playing third base. ... Former No.1 draft choice Brian Buchanan of the University of Virginia has recovered from a gruesomely broken foot last year and is tearing it up for Tampa of the Florida State League, hitting .345 with 10 hits and five runs.
Former Radford University right-hander Phil Leftwich fanned seven in as many innings on the way to the victory in his first outing for Class AAA Vancouver. ... Another Radford product, Duane Filchner, is hitting .235 for Western Michigan of the Midwest League.
TO BE IN CAROLINA: Durham's Mike Eaglin, Danny Magee and Andruw Jones homered consecutively in the fourth inning of a 9-3 win over Frederick. ... Jones is considered the finest prospect in the low minors, but Bulls first baseman Ron Wright slugged home runs April 8, 9, and 10. ... Kinston third baseman Tim Jorgensen, who played in the Division III World Series in Salem for Wisconsin-Oshkosh last year, ended the summer at short season Watertown with a 20-game hitting streak. He opened this year by going 0-for-4. ... Frederick right-hander Chris Fussell won his last seven games at Bluefield in 1995 to go with his first outing for the Keys. ... Third baseman Freddy Garcia, who was on the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league roster all last year, opened the season at Lynchburg.
LENGTH: Medium: 96 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ERIC BRADY Staff. Former No. 1 draft choice Al Shirleyby CNBbegins his sixth season in professional baseball with the Wilmington
Blue Rocks. color.