THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 23, 1995 TAG: 9504230156
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 91 lines
Two more players were sent to the Tides on Saturday as the New York Mets finalized their opening-day roster. Optioned to the Tides were infielder Aaron Ledesma, the Tides' most valuable player last season, and pitcher Pete Walker. Pitcher Robert Person also was optioned and assigned to extended spring training.
The additions put the Tides one over their 25-man roster limit. They have not announced any move to trim their roster.
The Mets also released a pair of players who were Tides last year - Tito Navarro and Jim Lindeman.
In a mild surprise neither infielder Edgardo Alfonzo or outfielder Ricky Otero are Norfolk-bound. Both rookies made the Mets.
The unavailability of injured outfielders Ryan Thompson and Kevin Northrup created a need for Otero, who has not played above Double-A. Otero probably would not have been kept if the major-league roster limit had not been increased from 25 to 28. The change is effective through May 15.
HEAVY PRESSURE: As much as any player sent down to the Tides, Butch Huskey will have pressure to bounce back to a semblance of his former self this season.
A former third baseman, Huskey, 23, arrives for his second summer in Norfolk at new positions - outfield and first base - and in far better shape than last year.
Huskey was overweight a year ago, had a nagging shoulder problem and, already faced with the challenge of adjusting to Triple-A pitching, never took to ex-manager Bobby Valentine's tutoring. The result was a .228 season at the plate, with only 10 home runs and 57 RBIs in nearly 500 at-bats. He had averaged 23 home runs, 91 RBIs and a .263 average his previous three seasons in Class A and Double-A.
But after a solid showing in the Arizona Fall League, where he hit .286, Huskey reported to camp in excellent shape, clearly with the intent of redeeming himself in the Mets' eyes.
Huskey is one of the guys coach Ron Washington plans to concentrate on trying to bring around.
``They expected more out of Butch last year and didn't get it,'' Washington said. ``I expect I can help calm him down a little bit.
``Nobody's going to give up on him. I think he might get pushed back off the (Mets 40-man) roster if he doesn't have a good year. But if the Mets don't have any place for him, I guarantee somebody else will take another chance with him.''
KEEP UP WITH JONES: The Tides can hope that lefthander Chris Roberts, whose thinking-man's style of pitching has been compared to Mets righthander Bobby Jones, follows the path taken by Jones when he was a Tide.
In 1993, Jones, then a top prospect like Roberts, lost four of his first five decisions and seemed to be floundering. But intensive work between starts with pitching coach Bob Apodaca helped Jones snap out of it. He went 11-7 with a 3.08 earned-run average in his final 18 starts.
Roberts is 1-1 in three starts and has a 7.94 ERA, with 28 hits allowed in 17 innings. Roberts is no stranger to struggles, however. After starting last season 8-0 in Double-A, Roberts lost six in a row but surged at the end of the season.
``He's not taking the progress I've been seeing in his sidework out to the game with him,'' Apodaca said.
THEY KNEW IT COULD HAPPEN: Catcher Charlie Greene was one of the Tides sent down to Binghamton last week who knew they were playing on borrowed time. Some weren't as prepared, in particular outfielders Jeff Barry and Jay Davis, both of whom hit over .300 in Double-A last year. But with the new additions, they would not have played regularly in Triple-A.
On the other hand Greene, despite playing excellent defense, was ready to go.
``I feel fortunate for the opportunity to be here, just to be around this atmosphere,'' Greene said last week. ``I'm just here to do a job until they come tell me to go to Binghamton. Hopefully I'll be back this year or next.''
NOTEWORTHY: Valentine's new team in Japan, the Chiba Lotte Marines, had the worst record in Japanese baseball through Thursday. The Marines, which feature Julio Franco, Pete Incaviglia and former Tides pitcher Eric Hillman, were 4-12, already seven games out of first place. ... Entering the weekend, Tides' pitchers had allowed more walks than all but one team, Pawtucket. Last season, they issued the fewest walks by far. ... A new Double-A stadium to be built in Akron, Ohio, is to be modeled after Harbor Park. An Akron newspaper reporter spent a few days at Harbor Park last week researching a story on the stadium and its funding. MEMO: Virginian-Pilot and Ledger-Star wire services contributed to this
report.
ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Butch Huskey arrives for his second season in Norfolk at new
positions - outfield and first base.
by CNB