THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, June 25, 1994 TAG: 9406250394
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940625 LENGTH: Medium
``It doesn't compute when you're third in the league in pitching and fifth (actually sixth) in hitting and you're six games under .500,'' said Phillips, who flew to Norfolk on his way to the Mets' Class-A team in Columbia, S.C., to address the Tides and visit ailing manager Bobby Valentine.
{REST} The Tides entered Friday's game with a 3.61 earned-run average and a .254 batting average. But their 34-40 record and .459 winning percentage was only better than Scranton-Wilkes-Barre's 27-45 (.375) and Rochester's 32-38 (.457).
``Individual performances are good, but what we've got to do is figure out how to mesh the individual performances together and turn them into wins instead of losses,'' Phillips said.
``I think that certainly the effort is there. It's more of just, in order to form a winning team at the major league level, you have to fill it with winning players. And when you're not winning at Triple-A, how do we figure that the guys are going to win at the major league level?''
VALENTINE UPDATE: Phillips visited Valentine in the hospital and said the Tides' manager had a temperature of 102 degrees and was still uncomfortable from the pain of diverticulitis, an intestinal ailment.
Valentine was admitted to Sentara Leigh Hospital on Thursday morning.
``I don't know what their timetable is, but I don't think he'll be back in the next day or two,'' Phillips said.
The Tides were run again Thursday by coach Marlin McPhail and pitching coach Bob Apodaca.
GLOVES NEEDED: An old baseball glove will get you a free ticket for tonight's game.
The Tides have designated the game as Glove Donation Day to benefit the Tides Rookie League, a league for 7- to 14-year-olds operated through the Norfolk Department of Parks and Recreation and the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority. The Tides are in their first year of affiliation with the program.
Any fan who donates an old baseball glove will receive a free reserved seat ticket to the game. Gloves should be taken to any of Harbor Park's gates.
PARKER RETURNS: The Mets on Friday activated outfielder Rick Parker from the disabled list and outrighted him to the Tides. Parker must accept the assignment, but the Mets expect that he will.
by CNB