THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, April 12, 1996 TAG: 9604120752
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines
Baseball's trade rules can make for strange circumstance.
Take Matt Franco.
The newest Norfolk Tide was part of a trade by the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs involving a player to be named for a player to be named.
Franco couldn't officially be part of the initial trade because he was on the Iowa Cubs' 15-day disabled list through Wednesday.
``I'm 100 percent healthy,'' said Franco, who proved as much by going 3 for 4 with a double in his debut. ``I couldn't tell you why I went on the disabled list.''
Actually, he can't tell what injury landed him on the list. These factors, however, are known:
After the Cubs cut Franco from their 40-man roster in spring training, he asked for a trade.
``My options were to be sent down to Des Moines (Iowa) or be traded,'' Franco said. ``I chose to go on the DL, stay in Arizona and wait for a trade. If I'd gone to Des Moines, they might have put the trade on the back burner.''
Last week, Cubs director of minor league operations Dave Wilder called Franco to gauge his feelings about a possible move to the Mets' organization. After Franco talked with Mets minor league director Jack Zduriencik, he felt Norfolk was a good place to be.
The 6-foot-3, 195-pound Franco hit .281 at Iowa last season and was briefly with the Cubs. His 16 games in Chicago (where he hit .294) marked his first stint in the majors.
``I'm just 26 and I'm not thinking of myself as a career minor leaguer,'' Franco said. ``When I was going over the Mets' roster, I saw opportunity there.''
Franco's flexibility helps. He played second base while up with the Cubs, has played leftfield, is listed as a third and first baseman, and has even done some spot catching and pitching, throwing one inning in emergency situations in both 1993 and last season.
JAWING ABOUT IT: After getting hit in the face with an 0-and-2 pitch from Kent Wallace in the first inning, Jay Payton bounced off the ground with all intentions of having an up-close-and-personal discussion with Wallace.
But Tides manager Bobby Valentine bear-hugged Payton from behind and was able to calm him before anything erupted.
``I've been hit in the helmet before, but this time I got hit in the face and I didn't know if my jaw was broken,'' said Payton, actively chewing a piece of pizza afterward. ``I'm sure it wasn't intentional, but he's the guy with the ball in his hands, and it's like taking a free shot at a guy.''
Payton singled to left against Wallace on his next at-bat.
PITCHING REPORT: As long as Juan Acevedo is with the Tides, look for Pedro Martinez to relieve Acevedo in each of his starts.
Acevedo, down from the Mets on a major league rehabilitation assignment, pitched three innings in the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader. Martinez came on to pitch two innings of relief. Prior to Acevedo's arrival, Martinez was slated to be the Tides' fifth starter.
``This gives Pedro a chance to build up his stamina,'' pitching coach Bob Apodaca said. ``He only pitched two innings in spring training.''
Acevedo, who is rehabilitating a hamstring, is expected to start twice more for the Tides.
HIT-AND-RUNS: The Tides' rained-out game last Saturday against Toledo has been rescheduled as a doubleheader on Monday, July 22, beginning at 6:15 p.m. watch Saturday's and Sunday's games against the Knights. For more information, call 548-0559. by CNB