THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, April 19, 1995 TAG: 9504190563
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines
Harbor Park played host Tuesday to the second former Cy Young Award winner to appear in an International League game there. As opposed to Dwight Gooden's three hitless innings for the Tides last year, however, Guillermo ``Willie'' Hernandez bombed for Columbus.
Yes, the same Willie Hernandez who saved 32 games and won the American League Cy Young and Most Valuable Player awards for the 1984 World Series champion Detroit Tigers. Hernandez, 40, was in camp with the New York Yankees this spring and was signed to a Triple-A deal, his first contract since an eight-game audition with Syracuse in 1991.
Three seasons of inactivity later, Hernandez is back but had nothing on his fabled screwball Tuesday. He was toasted for three hits, two walks and five runs in one-third of an inning in the Tides' 11-1 victory.
He entered with a 2-0 record, 2.84 earned-run average and no walks in 6 1/3 innings.
But his ERA jumped to 9.45 and the opponents' average against him is now
``He's a baseball player,'' said the Tides' Jarvis Brown, who sent Hernandez packing with a bases-loaded triple in the eighth. ``Every former major league player no matter how old they are, even if they know they don't have the stuff they had when they were in their prime, if they've got the chance even for a week just to put on a uniform and get out there and get dirty, more power to him.''
GRAHAM'S FIRST LOOK: Utility man Greg Graham became the last Tide to appear in a game Tuesday when he started at second base and went 1 for 5 with a double.
Graham played in 35 games for the Tides late last season, batting .178. He re-signed with the Mets as a six-year free agent and spent most of the spring playing in replacement exhibition games.
But the acquisition of second baseman Ed Alicea and the solid play of Rey Ordonez at short and third baseman Chris Saunders has all but eliminated Graham's opportunity with the Tides.
``It's tough,'' Graham said. ``I didn't think this was going to happen. I thought I was going to play every day at least until some of the guys came back (from big league camp). But you've got to go at it in a positive way just because it's such a long season.
``You never know so you have to be ready. It's hard to say anything when you're 8-4.
``I'm not going to go in there and say anything when we're winning. You don't do that. This is a good team, Eddie's doing the job, all the guys are doing the job. So what can you say?'' by CNB