THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, August 22, 1994 TAG: 9408220179
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C01 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines
Staring right down the third-base line toward the plate, Butch Huskey saw the whole thing. And he wasn't about to sing.
``It was a good call,'' Huskey said, then he flashed a smile, hinting that he knew the Norfolk Tides probably got away with one Sunday at Harbor Park when they beat the Richmond Braves, 4-3.
Thanks in large part to Huskey's outstanding eight-assist effort at third and Jeromy Burnitz's throw from rightfield that cut down Jarvis Brown, the tying run, on a questionable call in the eighth, the Tides prevailed after grabbing a 3-0 lead in the first inning and hanging on.
Good defense is always in demand when the starter is Eric Hillman, whose sinkerball elicits ground ball after ground ball. Good defense is what Hillman received in pushing his season record to 9-1 and his lifetime Harbor Park record to 11-0.
Huskey, a 240-pounder annually considered a candidate to be moved to first base by the Mets, started a pair of double plays, snared line drives and hot shots, then ended the game with a tough charge and snap throw to first.
Athletic performances like that make it hard to understand how Huskey has made 24 errors, many on the routine plays that continue to be the root of discussion of his defensive future.
``There's always been talk about it,'' Huskey said. ``When they ask me to move, I'll move. I think I have the skills to play third. But some days, I don't want to say I'm not concentrating, but I'm just not into every pitch like I should be.''
Thus the booted easy plays. Huskey looked on intently, though, as Brown sped toward him and around third in the eighth on Mike Mordecai's single to right. Two runs were in, with one out, when Mordecai laced a pitch from reliever Pete Walker on the ground to Burnitz.
Burnitz charged, fielded and threw over the cutoff man to catcher Javier Gonzalez, who caught the ball as Brown approached. But Brown, perhaps the swiftest Brave, appeared to dive around Gonzalez's tag and scrape the plate with his hand.
Plate umpire Martin Foster saw it differently. Brown was ruled out, Walker fanned Mike Kelly to end the inning and Mike Cook came on in the ninth to earn his 17th save.
``The ball beat me to the plate,'' Brown said. ``It was a great throw. I saw where he was catching it, and I knew I had to slide by him. I slid by him and stuck my hand out, and I didn't feel a tag or anything. There was no contact at all. I know there wasn't.''
The controversy shouldn't taint the latest defensive success by Burnitz, however. Rapped for his defense early this season by Mets manager Dallas Green, Burnitz has worked to restore that part of his game and has reaped rewards.
He threw out his second runner at the plate in two nights - his third in five games. Burnitz's last four assists, in fact, have been outs at home.
``Earlier this year, when my confidence level was low, I would not want the ball hit to me,'' Burnitz admitted. ``Now every single play, the whole game, I want every ball hit to me. I'm throwing the ball really well right now, getting rid of it quick and making accurate throws. I feel good about it.
``I'm starting to get really proud of that. I thought, a couple years ago, I was playing really good outfield. And then I maybe had a lapse at the beginning of this year, maybe the end of last year, because I was so concerned about my hitting. That's what everybody talks about, your hitting. But I feel good about (defense) because it's something that adds to your being a complete player.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by LAWRENCE JACKSON
Richmond third baseman Jose Oliva catches his breath after a diving
attempt to tag out Rick Parker in the Tides' 4-3 win Sunday.
by CNB