THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, August 9, 1995 TAG: 9508090578
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 89 lines
Norfolk Tides reliever Al Osuna, who went home Monday for what he said was a family emergency, apparently has quit the team, manager Toby Harrah said after Tuesday's 5-1 victory over the Syracuse Chiefs.
Osuna, 30, who has spent time in the major leagues with the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers, was 3-1 with a 3.00 ERA in 42 innings for the Tides. He was signed out of an independent league June 9.
``There was no family crisis,'' Harrah said. ``I don't think he's coming back. I don't know, but I guess he thought he should have gone up instead of (Don) Florence. We heard from his agent something to that effect.''
Florence, also a lefthanded reliever, was promoted to the Mets last week. He had a 0.96 ERA in 47 innings.
Harrah said that he had not talked with Osuna, but that the player's agent had called Mets minor league director Steve Phillips to express Osuna's feelings.
``I'm disappointed the kid wasn't honest and up-front enough to tell us what was going on,'' Harrah said. ``There he was pitching in the Texas-Louisiana League. We gave him the opportunity to pitch here, and he pitched well. So be a man about it; don't say it's a family crisis, then have your agent say you're disappointed in the situation in Norfolk. Agents are the go-between now, I guess, but players should be accountable for themselves.''
Harrah said he would not be open to the idea of Osuna's return should the pitcher have a change of heart.
``As far as I'm concerned I don't want him back,'' Harrah said.
WALLY'S WORLD: Wally Whitehurst's miserable season began with his being falsely branded the first known replacement player by Keith Olbermann on an ESPN SportsCenter telecast.
The up side is that it was probably the only national attention for Whitehurst, the ex-Tides righthander, this season. But mostly it was just an ominous start to a year in which Whitehurst has bounced to his third Triple-A team, the Syracuse Chiefs, with six weeks off and a tryout with the Mets tossed in.
``About two weeks later, (Olbermann) wrote me a letter, apologizing,'' said Whitehurst, a Tide for parts of the 1988 through 1990 seasons. ``That was nice. I never really cared for him until he did that.''
Whitehurst, who has nearly 5 1/2 years of big league experience with the Mets and San Diego Padres, had signed a minor league deal with the San Francisco Giants and had stashed his equipment bag in the minor league clubhouse in Phoenix. In the frenzy last March to identify strikebreakers, a reporter saw the bag and put the news on the wire that Whitehurst had crossed the invisible picket line.
Olbermann gravely announced it as a news flash. The aggravation started there and has barely let up for Whitehurst. He was released after two weeks with Phoenix and spent six weeks at home outside New Orleans before Mets executive Gerry Hunsicker arranged a tryout that Whitehurst said didn't go well.
Still, Whitehurst spent a week working out at the Mets' complex in Port St. Lucie, Fla., before Boston came through with a job at Pawtucket. Five weeks later, after a stint on the disabled list, Whitehurst was released and picked up by Syracuse.
``I've tried to make it fun, but all the situations that have occurred makes it hard,'' said Whitehurst, 31, who has pitched only about 40 innings.
He was ready to come off the Padres' disabled list last August when the players went on strike, and he admits he resents the fact that nothing was accomplished. But he's not angry enough to walk away from the game yet without another fair shot to pitch.
``I want to try to play next year, because I want the opportunity to say I'm ready to quit,'' said Whitehurst, who will start for the Chiefs on Thursday at Harbor Park. ``If I feel I can't contribute to an organization, then I'll quit.''
PLENTY OF METS TICKETS: Ticket sales for the Mets-Tides exhibition Monday have only been fair, about 5,000, according to Tides general manager Dave Rosenfield.
Ticket operations manager Ted Hawver said he suspects it's a product of fan backlash against major league baseball. But Rosenfield said the lateness of the game - it was moved from June to accommodate a reworked major league schedule - and the Mets' last-place standing are factors, despite the large number of former Tides on the Mets.
``It's still going to be a hell of a day for us,'' Rosenfield said. ``If we get 8,000, that'll be terrific.''
CAMERA NIGHT: Fans with cameras will be allowed on the field tonight from 6:15 to 6:45 to take pictures of Tides players. Chris Roberts (6-10, 5.35) is scheduled to pitch for the Tides against Ben Weber (2-3, 5.62). ILLUSTRATION: Ex-Tide Wally Whitehurst, now with Syracuse, has faced some
tough bounces in '95.
by CNB