
                         THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
                 Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, June 23, 1994                    TAG: 9406230500 
SECTION: SPORTS                     PAGE: C3    EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: 940623                                 LENGTH: NORFOLK

TIDES' NEW FIRST BASEMAN IS WAVING A RED-HOT BAT

{LEAD} Omar Garcia is the Norfolk Tides' new first baseman not just because the old one, Rico Brogna, was called up to the New York Mets during the Tides' road trip that ended Wednesday.

Garcia is no short-term substitute. Whether or not Brogna was still around, word is that the Tides soon were going to have to make room somewhere for Garcia, the Double-A Eastern League's batting leader with a .358 average.

{REST} Local fans can get their first glimpse of Garcia, 22, tonight when the Tides begin a brief, four-game homestand at Harbor Park against the Pawtucket Red Sox.

``He's done everything in this league that he can do,'' said John Tamargo, manager of the Binghamton Mets. ``It's time to see what he can do at a higher level. He's a line-drive-type hitter who hits well the other way. If there's any knock on him, it's that he doesn't have enough pull power. But he's starting to show that in batting practice.''

Garcia, 6 foot and 187 pounds, is a Carolina kid - Carolina, Puerto Rico - who has hit and fielded well at every level in his six pro seasons. A righthander, Garcia's hot half-season in Double-A, where he was a rookie, boosted his career average to .302.

Last season, he hit .322 for Class-A St. Lucie and set club records for batting and fielding average (.992). At Binghamton, Garcia had 88 hits in 64 games, including 14 doubles, four triples, five home runs and drove in 41 runs.

He was 0-for-9, however, in his first two games with the Tides before Wednesday.

``He's the type of guy you've got to stay with because he's going to eventually hit and hit well, I'm sure,'' said Tamargo, whose team is 42-27. ``He's got a knack for getting the fat part of the bat on the ball.

``And he was incredible with runners in scoring position. If we needed a fly ball to score somebody, he got it. If we needed a ground ball, he'd get it.''

Tamargo, who also managed Garcia last season, said Garcia has progressed in another area - fewer water coolers ravaged in angry fits. Then again, when you're batting .358, how frustrating can it be?

``He gets on himself pretty bad,'' Tamargo said. ``But he's not throwing equipment as much as he used to. He's an intense player, and he needs to control his emotions a little more. But he's gotten better. He busted his butt for me.'' by CNB