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The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanvillc, Wednesday, September 29,1993 7 By Brad Kelly Falling into the Trap of Leaving the Game Early I hear Paul Quantrill did quite well for himsélf in a late-inning relief appearance last Thursday night against the Toronto Blue Jays, I was in attendance at the game, but didn't see what happened. You see, like thousands of other fans who attend Blue Jay games, I left early. It was the top of the eighth inning, and the Blue Jays were sitting with a comfortable 5-1 lead. Leaving the SkyDome at that time meant getting out to the Don Valley Parkway with very little traffic. Staying until the end would have meant an extra hour. And that would have been just to get out of the parking lot and across the sidewalk to Front Street as 50,000 fans exited the stadium. Quantrill was running into the game from the bullpen about the same time I was running up the ramp of the Gardiner Expressway. He was being asked by manager Butch Hobson to get the Red Sox out of a jam by finding a way to get Paul Molitor out. It's Tike trying to calculate calculate how much weight Cecil Fielder will gain during the off-season. Simply put, it can't be done. Prior to the game, as Quantrill and I sat in the Boston dugout watching the Blue Jays take batting practice, we went over their lineup. Who is good? Who isn't? Who do players like? Who do players around the league hate? Seems lately, based on a story published in an American baseball magazine, magazine, that everybody hates the Blue Jays. They've emerged as the most hated team in baseball, inheriting the role from the New York Yankees. At one time, not so long ago, nobody outside of Toronto knew the Blue Jays existed. Better yet, fans wouldn't purchase a ticket to see them when they were on a road trip. Now we're led to believe that these same people who wouldn't sit to watch, can't stand them either. Those feelings have spilled over to the other teams in the league. •There will always be players from opposing teams who do not like one another for a number of reasons. And there always seems to be one that rubs every player around the league the wrong way. Basically, the thinking amongst players in the major leagues is that the only room in the game of baseball for a hot dog is in the stands. / Needless to say, opposing players don't wander around the diamond humming the lyrics to: "Hey Rickey you're so fine, you're so fine you blow my mind. Hey Rickey! Hey Rickey!" • Just as unanimous as players are about the newest hired gun of the Blue Jays, they arc also all in agreement about another player. Paul Molitor. He has the best bat in the league, said Quantrill, as we watched Molitor Molitor take his swings in the batting cage. Since the All-Star break, Molitor is leading the team in batting average. And in last Wednesday's game against Boston, the 37-year-old reached the 200 hit mark for the third time in his career. Quantrill said that's the one guy he has a great deal of respect for. And now, some four hours later, he was on the mound in front of 50,000 plus cheering fans, trying to prevent Molitor from adding to the four-mn lead that Toronto had built. With one pitch, he solved the future Hall of Famer. A ground ball began began a double play that ended the inning. For that, I was happy. For one thing, it's nice to see Quantrill do so well in front of a number of family and friends who made the trip from Port Hope. And secondly, by throwing only one pitch, he saved me the aggravation aggravation of wishing I had stuck around to the end of the game to see him play instead of leaving early. Learning Experience for Red Sox Pitcher by Brad Kelly Scanning the field at SkyDome while batting practice for the Blue Jays is in progress, Boston Red Sox pitcher Paul Quantrill is reflecting on his first full season in the major leagues. At only 24 years of age, he is one of the best young pitching prospects that the Red Sox have in their organization. organization. He spent less than three years in the minors, climbing his way to the big leagues. His versatility is unquestioned. For much of this season, manager Butch Hobson has utilized Quantrill as both a reliever and a starter. It's something that most young pitchers go through as they get accustomed accustomed to life in the major leagues. Quantrill was given an op- Lawn Bowling Season Ends by Doris L. Wollstein How quickly the summer has come and gone! The four months of lawn bowling is such a short season. I'm afraid we do not take full advantage advantage of it, so let's devote more time to this sport next year. Our male members work hard for many hours to keep the greens in excellent excellent condition and the best way we can show our appreciation is to use them. We had a good attendance at our fall meeting on Tuesday, September 21, which was chaired by President Keith Burkholder, except for election election of officers for 1993-94 which was handled by Clarence Oke. Results of this are as follows: President --• Doris Wollstein; Vice- President -- Ab Mavin; Secretary -- Bob Soplet; Treasurer -- Doris Mould; Tournament Convenor -- Bob Cameron; Trustees -- Doris Wollstein, George Dadson, Clarence Oke; Kitchen Convenor - Hilda Shepherd; Auditor - Tom De Cour- cy. Bob and Phyllis Soplet will be our representatives to the District Meeting in Cobourg on Sunday, September 26. There will still be some bowling, weather permitting. Fall work on the greens has begun which will curtail action to some degree. To sum up, we have had a good season and a vote of thanks is due to all who have contributed to our success. success. And finally, we do appreciate the support received by The Canadian Canadian Statesman.;; Unbeaten by Brad Kelly In the case of the junior boys' soccer team at Courtice Secondary School, their record in LOSSA league play isn't an indication of how good they really are. In three games this year, the team is yet to be beaten. Officially, however, they have been credited with a win and two defeats. Those defeats came in the way of defaults. An ineligible player cost the Courtice team a 5-0 win over BHS and a 3-3 lie against Donovan. But the team has pulled together and persevered through the mild controversy. Last Friday afternoon on their home field, Courtice scored portunity to experience the major leagues last year when he was called up by the Red Sox in late July. One night later, he recorded his first win in a relief appearance against Kansas City. Last year's short stint, plus his first full year with the team, have been a "good learning experience" he said. "I don't think things could have possibly gone any better for me," he said in reference to playing half a season last year. "For the first half of this year, it was the same thing. I couldn't do anything wrong, and things went real well for me." So well, in fact, that he was elevated elevated into the starting rotation by June, joining former Cy Young award winners Roger Clemens and Frank Viola. In 13 starts, his record is 2-7, including including a 5-2 loss to Minnesota on Sunday. It was his first start since August 25. • But his won/loss record may be more of a reflection of how the team is doing, as opposed to the way Quantrill has pitched. Boston has had a hard time scoring scoring runs this season. In fact, they rank last in the American League in runs scored and home runs. They also find it difficult to manufacture any runs, ranking second last in stolen stolen bases. With those statistics, it is difficult for a starting pitcher to get a win regardless regardless of how well he is throwing the ball. However, the Boston pitching pitching staff has done its part. The starters starters and relievers have combined to post the lowest ERA in the league. It's a sign of consistency. Something Something Quantrill is still working on improving. By his own account, he has had some lapses in the second half of the season. His slider hasn't been the way he would like it to be every game. And, at this level, mistakes are welcomed by opposing batters. "When you play a team like Toronto, Toronto, if you make a mistake, there's a 75% chance they are going to hurt you and it's going to cost you," he said. It's all a part of the mental approach approach that is needed by players in the major leagues. Playing in the minor minor system for Boston at places like Winter Haven, Elmira, New Britain and Pawtucket, Quantrill could survive survive making the odd mistake. But against teams that boast the type of offense that Toronto does, every pitch is important. When one of those pitches isn't working, posting posting victories becomes difficult. "If my slider isn't working, it's hard for me to be effective," said Quantrill, a sixth round selection in the 1989 draft out of the University of Wisconsin. "But it happens to everyone in the game. You just have to learn to go to something else." As this season winds down, there is much for Quantrill to look forward forward to during the off season. He will wed his fiancee, Alyson, on October October 30 in Port Hope, and spend the winter at a home in Garden Hill. There will be time spent renewing renewing friendships, and quite possibly the odd game of pick-up hockey at the local arena. There might even be some time spent near the television, watching the baseball playoffs.. And who does he like to win the American League series? Well, Quantrill feels that the power and speed that Toronto possess will help them prevail over Chicago. "There's not any question that Toronto is the best offensive team in the league. They can make things happen," he said. "As long as they haven't peaked too early and their pitching holds up, Toronto is going to be awfully tough to beat." Another key to the series will be Toronto's ability to keep first base- man Frank Thomas from igniting the offence. "He carries that team at times," said Quantrill. "If (Toronto) can shut him down, it's a big step in winning a series." With the addition of some much- needed offence, and a return to form by the pitching staff, it just may be Boston who we will watch in postseason postseason play at this time next year. Boston Red Sox pitcher Paul Quantrill sits on top of the dugout steps at SkyDome prior to Boston's game last Thursday night against the Toronto Blue Jays. The Port Hope native described his first season season in the major leagues as a learning experience. twice m the second half to record a 2-1 victory over Eastdale. Coach Norm McCarroll, who is in his 27th year of coaching varsity soccer at the school, is pleased with the performance of his young club so far this season. "We have a pretty good team, It may not look like it today, but we've had a lot of problems," he said in reference to Friday's game. The start of the game was delayed delayed 30 minutes, and a couple of injuries to key players forced McCarroll to juggle his lineup. But the substitutes coming in off the bench performed well after being being pressed into emergency duty. The only good scoring opportunity opportunity by cither club in a tightly-played opening half was by Courtice's- Mark Gerrits, who ripped a shot off of the crossbar. Gerrits made no mistake when granted another scoring chance early early in the second half, giving his team a one-goal lead. Eastdale tied the game at the midway point, but shortly after, Greg Knox answered back with Courtice's second goal, and eventual eventual game winner. It was a big win for the junior team, who couldn't afford to have their record drop to 0-3 if they have any designs on making the playoffs. "We are just going to play the best we can now," said McCarroll. "We're going to try and make the playoffs, but there are some tough teams we have yet to play." McCarroll is anticipating strong opposition from both O'Neill and Paul Dwyer, whom they visit on October October 8 and 13 respectively. The Courtice seniors made it a clean sweep for the school on the afternoon, afternoon, downing their counterparts from Eastdale by a 2-0 score. <? 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