Recreation "PromaR Karate" INSTRUC ION HORS Clubs also Acton & E By Mike Zrostek of today’s profes- sional athletes don’t know what to do when their career is up. Near the end of their careers they hang on desper- ately bouncing from team to team because of the uncer- . tainty of what lies ahead. This is not the case how- ever for (33-year-old Georgetown resident Andy Lawrence who played seven years"in the minor league systems of the New aN Mets and Montreal Ex, Lawrence is a scout for the Mets and Vice President of Operations for the soon to en Mini Dome Mississauga. The facility will allow baseball players to play year-round. “Tt was started by David Myers, our president”, says Lawrence. “The concept being, why shouldn’t there be baseball all year round in the area. He (Myers) approached me when his kid Fy Shawn Hopkins and Shelley Hand are Acton High School Athletes of the Week. Shawn plays middle blocker for the boys junior volleyball team. Shelley is on the girls junior basketball team. came to my camp three years ago, and we ‘Started putting it all together. Lawrence, who was born in Trinadad, moved to Georgetown when he was nine and then to Mississauga where his baseball career started. He moved back to Georgetown last year. A first baseman, he started playing in Erindale’s Little League and then with the Mississauga Baseball Association before going to Brantford at the age of 18 to play Inter County ball. Herecalls playing on the same field as the Great One, Wayne Gret “Tt was in 29, the year he got drafted by the Oilers and we were getting off the bus and he pulled into the park in a Ferrari,” — chuckled Lawrence. “Very nice guy, he played-shortstop and hit -300. He was a good player.” From Inter County, Lawrence was drafted by the Sam Southworth and Tanya Martin are Georgetown District High School Athletes of the Week. Sam fin- ished 31st out of 340 competitors at a cross country meet at Chickapee Ski Resort in the midget division. Tanya is a member of the junior girls fleld hockey team. Mets in 1981 at the age of 21. He attended spring train- ing camp the following year. iwrence played the next four years in the Appalachin League (Rookie), South Atlantic and Carolina League (A ball) and in the Texas League (AA) before getting traded to the Expos in ‘86. In ‘86 Lawrence played for three different teams and hit 14 HR’s, driving in 65 RBI's. After playing two more years for Jacksonville in the South Atlantic League Lawrence decided he had enough. “They (Jacksonville) decided they wanted to bring up a young kid and after seven years, I had more than enough.” Lawrence recalls one night getting traded at 12 midnight after playing a double head- er.He packed and left at 2 a.m., drove all night from Florida to Mississippi then 77- 9009 Lawrence proves baseball life goes on NORTHEND SALES SERVICE LEASING HWY. #25 & 401 878-4137 MILTON played another double header that di lay. “TI didn’t like the trade because the team was in first place but it’s part of the ame. The bus rides are long, some were 14, 15 hours especially in the Texas and Carolina leagues.” During his playing days, Lawrence competed with and against some of the ae stars of th including Cecil Tielder, pie McGriff, Randy Johnson and Lenny Dykstra. Lawrence says that every- thing you have read about Dykstra during the World Series — about him being a little off the wall as far as his personality, is true. “Lenny’s a nice guy, very aggresive who worked very hard on the field. He has a crazy personality, but ina 00d wi On Johnson: “When he was starting with Montreal, Continued on page 32 og Andy Lawrence The Georgetown figure Skating Club is holding a Christmas raffle with some exciting prizes and tickets are going very fast. The first three prizes are limit- ed edition prints by well known Canadian artists, including Ken Danby and are signed by celebrities as well as the artist. The first winner has his or her choice of: 1) Garden of Dreams (portrait of Bobby Orr) by Ken Danby and signed by Bobby Orr. This print retails for $1,000 framed; 2) The Final Seconds action painting of the 1964 playoff game between Montreal and Chicago by Les Tait. This piece is signed by Henri Richard, Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita and Jean Beliveau and is a publisher’s proof. The demand for this print was overwhelming and it sold out on release last year. The current market price is $1,200 framed; 3) Early Practice is a painting of children off to hockey practice at sunup and is by Alan Kingsland. The print is also signed by Paul Henderson and is a publisher’s proof. (valued at $400). The second winner has the choice of the two remaining prints and the third place winner receives the remaining print. The fourth and fifth place win- ners receive a gift certifi- cate for Another twist to this exciting raffle is that the __ MVP Sports employee Jerry Saunders | and ‘Guiomar Wayne French display framed prints being offered in a Georgetown Figure Skating Club fundraising project. The framed poe are on display at MVP Sports, located on Main St. in Seorenwe: Figure skating club fundraiser winner of the “Final Seconds” print has the option of substituting that print for another of Les Tait’s most popular prints, entitled “The Turning Point”, a print of Roberto Alomar and Cal Ripkin, Jr. and signed by both. This was another instant sellout and has a current market value of $1,400 and rising. It is also a publisher’s proof. The tickets for this raffle are limited to 5,000 and are currently on sale at MVP Sports and Delrex Variety for $2 each or three for $5. Two of the prints are also on display. All money goes to support Georgetown Figure Skating Club. The draw date is set for Dec. 18 at the Marketplace Mall. IHTW photo