THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, August 21, 1995 TAG: 9508210109
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 62 lines
Pinch-hitting in the major leagues is one thing. Doing it in Triple-A is another, which Norfolk Tides outfielder Derek Lee knows too well. Lee hasn't started in the outfield since Aug. 4, but despite his unhappiness over his bench role, Lee has been an important contributor of late.
In the last week he hit home runs, including a grand slam, in consecutive pinch-hitting appearances, then drove in a run with a pinch-single Saturday. The success raised Lee's pinch-hitting average to .250 (3 for 12). At .253 overall, Lee, 29, said he is resigned to spot duty, knowing that the Tides' younger outfielders - Ricky Otero, Alex Ochoa and Jay Payton - will continue to receive the bulk of the playing time.
``Yeah, but in no way am I content with not playing,'' Lee said. ``Every day when I come in and look at the lineup sheet and my name's not in it, it's frustrating. I get upset.''
He might be less frustrated if he knew for sure that success in the pinch was his ticket to the major leagues.
``I've accepted that would be my role in the big leagues, but I really haven't accepted doing that in Triple-A,'' said Lee, who played in 15 games for the Minnesota Twins in 1993. ``I don't know, maybe this is a blessing. Maybe I'm showing people that I can hit the ball off the bench with runners in scoring position.
``Maybe the Mets are saying that. I know they don't have a lot of lefthanded hitters. This is my opportunity; this is all I've got. I'm going to make the most of it.''
CATCHING A THIEF: For all of speedy outfielder Ricky Otero's potential on the basepaths, his ratio of stolen bases to times caught stealing lags well below the satisfactory level, Tides coach Ron Washington said.
Otero has 15 steals in 27 attempts, or 56 percent. Washington said 70 percent, which Otero almost managed last season in Double-A (33 out of 49 - 67 percent), should be the target for top base-stealers.
``He doesn't know how to steal bases,'' Washington said. ``That's part of his game that's got to improve.''
Otero, who has the green light to run most times, too often picks poor counts to steal on, that is, counts that favor the pitcher and possible pitchouts, Washington said. He also needs to study pitchers' deliveries better for tipoffs on when they're throwing home or throwing to first.
``All we can do is keep talking to him,'' Washington said. ``If you take the green light away from him you're taking away his talent. If we call his steals he's not going to learn anything.''
PACKING THE PLACE: Tides president Ken Young said he bucked precedent and scheduled an August Sunday afternoon game as an experiment and as a response to fan requests. The Tides annually change Sunday game times from 1:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. at midseason to beat the anticipated heat.
Sunday's paid crowd of 6,277 put the Tides past 500,000 tickets sold for the third consecutive season. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
During the past week, Derek Lee has two home runs and an RBI single
as a pinch-hitter.
by CNB