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I 6 The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville, Wednesday, June 24,1992 ilillt! f Salesman ^ Brought to you by... y Don Andrews J Six Game Exhibition Tour Bantam Orioles Venture To Syracuse for Baseball by Brad Kelly The Bowmanville Power Vac bantam Orioles baseball team are about to get their first real taste of international baseball this weekend. weekend. The team, comprised of 14-15- year-olds, will be playing a six game exhibition tour , in Syracuse, N.Y. beginning Saturday. They will be departing on Friday Friday night, with three games scheduled scheduled for Saturday, Saturday, and another three on Sunday before they return return home. Following the conclusion of their games on Saturday, a banquet banquet for all the participating teams will be held. It promises to be a weekend that the players won't soon forget. "We're using this trip as a workout and are hoping to establish establish and make this a yearly event," said coach Doug Dearden, who is responsible for organizing the international international exchange, Dearden travelled to baseball card shows whenever he could, and it was while at a show in Rochester that the idea of taking an area team south of the border to play a series of exhibition games was formed. "I got to know a guy who coaches in the Babe Ruth Little Leagues down there," recalled Dearden following a recent game. "I suggested that our teams get together together for a game. He phoned his president and they were just gun-ho for us to come down." Aside from the anticipated higher higher level of skilled players Bowman-, ville will encounter, there a few other adjustments the Orioles will have to make while on the exhibition exhibition tour. The Babe Ruth League uses regulation regulation distances for their pitching mound (60 ft. 6 inches) and bases (90 ft.). Their teams are comprised of 13-i5-year-olds, and similar to slo- pitch, every player bats regardless of whether they are in the game defensively. defensively. Games are only seven innings in length, as opposed to nine, which the Orioles are accustomed to. "We're going to have to make some adjustments,' ' admitted Dearden. Dearden. Especially the pitchers because, because, "we haven't pitched from that distance." Pitchers in the Eastern Ontario Baseball Association, of which the Orioles play in, throw from a closer distance. To help finance the three-day trip, players combed the streets of Bowmanville this past Saturday seeking donations of returnable bottles, bottles, r By Brad Kelly Lange Named to Coach 'AAA' Team The alphabet soup coaching resume of Bowmanville. resident resident Pat Lange just added three more letters to it recently. In an announcement released to the press earlier this week, Lange was named as the head coach of the Central Ontario Wolves 'AAA' minor bantam hockey team that will be based in Oakwood for the 1992-93 season. The appointment makes him one of the few coaches who has been behind the bench at every level of hockey from A to C. His first taste of 'AAA' hockey was in Nova Scotia with a p aewee hockey team in 1974, only four years after he began his coaching career in Sudbury. He then advanced to the Jr. B and Jr. A level while in Nova Scotia, and to make sure that the first three letters of the alphabet alphabet were covered, he had a stint as the head coach of the Jr. C Bowmanville Eagles. Last year he guided the major atom Toros to the All-Qntario semi-finals before bowing out to Brampton. His experience at the various levels of both the OMHA and OHA has helped him form an idea of what type of team he'll need to be competitive with his 'AAA' club. "Give me smart hockey players who can skate, and the best goalie around and I'll start from there," he said during a telephone telephone interview on Monday night. "Everything will be built around the goalie." A goaltender himself, Lange feels the road to a winning hockey club begins in the goal crease. While tending goal for the Sudbury Wolves in the late '60s, Lange was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in 1969. He attended their training camps for two successive seasons,.but rejected a contract to play in the minors both times. At that time, with only a 12 team league, it was difficult enough to break into the NHL. And playing between the pipes for St. Louis was probably the most difficult job in hockey to obtain. Trying to unseat either of Glenn Hall or Jacques Plante was like Quebec trying to'sign Eric Lindros. It just wasn't going to happen. Hall was the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as the most valuable valuable player in the 1968 Stanley Cup playoffs, while Plante is tied for first on the all-time career shutout list with 15. Through his coaching exploits, Lange has been able to identify identify some differences between 'AA' and 'A' players as opposed to those who play 'AAA', the highest level of hockey offered under under the OMHA. . "The desire and the size of their heart inside, said Lange, citing that kids at the 'AAA' level are, "mature" and "used to adversity." _ So far, Lange will be taking Jeff Smith with him to Oak wood to serve as an assistant. Smith was the head coach of the Toro major peewees this past season, and served as Lange's assistant assistant with the peewee 'CC club two years ago. During his coaching career, Lange has found the best way to treat his players is tç> be up front and honest with them. "I set the record straight with them from day one," he said of his coaching philosophy. "The chances of them making it to the pro's are slim to none. You have to be both lucky and got through the politics. If you can get by both, you just might have a chance. "This year, I hope we just have a competitive team and enjoy enjoy the season." Training camp for the minor bantams opens August 7 in Lindsay. Budding Ball Players Hope to See Red by Brad Kelly The futures of Chad Handsor and Jeremy Woodcock seemed to be following following the same path as many of their teenage friends. They played baseball for their respective respective high schools this spring -- Handsor for Bowmanville and Woodcock for Courtice -- completing completing their final year of eligibility. Both have enrolled at Sir Sanford Fleming College for the fall. It's the same path that any high school graduate would be taking. But their path may turn into a golden road that winds its way down to the States, home of numerous numerous different minor league baseball teams. And it may be the Cincinnati Reds that put the two teenagers on that path. Both were part of a development camp in Belleville on June 18 that the Reds conducted, searching. for that undiscovered prospect that may be hidden in these parts. Though it's only a preliminary camp, both Handsor and Woodcock made favourable impressions with the brass of the Reds. So much' so, that the duo will be receiving information information shortly regarding the location location of the next camp. No promises have been made, but it's the first step to achieving an invitation to a minor league club. "I'd go down," said Handsor, 19, without hesitation when asked if the Reds offered, would he forgo his college plans to play minor league baseball. Woodcock echoed die same sentiments. sentiments. "I'd like to get down to the States and play," said the Courtice resident. "I'll most definitely take all the chances I get." Time is on Woodcock's.side. If it doesn't work out with the Reds, one would have to assume dial there will ( be plenty of odier chances. At only 17 years of age, he has' three more years of junior eligibility remaining. This summer he is pitching pitching with the Oshawa Junior Lcgion- aires, where lie has compiled a 3-0 record with one save. All but one of his appearances has been as a reliever. reliever. . Already this year, he has been ; approached by a scout from the San Diego Padres organization, who saw him pitch a game in Toronto. From all indications, he left a good impression witii those running the camp in Belleville. • 'They said that I did well, and that they would get ' one of my schedules and be out to take a look at me," said Woodcock. His fastball was clocked at 82 mph, and his curve at 75 mph. Close, to 100 hopefuls attended die camp, and that number was whittled i down to two teams who participated in a game. Due to a high school exam, Woodcock had to leave the camp at noon and couldn't pitch in the game. But Handsor, who plays for the Bowmanville Junior Orioles, took advantage of his opportunity, ad vancing to die scrimmage as an outfielder. outfielder. "They liked my arm, and my throws were always on," said Handsor Handsor who was originally going to audition audition as a catcher. But when he saw die number of players at the camp, decided there might be a better chance in the outfield. As it turned out, 39 other players had the same idea. "They said they liked aggressive players at die plate, and I swung at die first pitch both times," he said. One of his two at bats resulted in a single. "I wasn't really nervous until until I got down there and saw the number of people who were there." Players were put into their position position of choice, and then put through a series of drills including a 60 yard dash, and fielding ground and fly balls. Scouts were looking for accuracy, accuracy, and speed. "I was just out there to do my best and tried to concentrate on accuracy accuracy and at the same time get some good speed," said Woodcock. "Right now I need a pitching coach to work with my mechanics. If I get that, I may have a chance to go a litde further," he continued. "I'll try to take it step-by-step and wait for somebody to come along and help me out." It was the first such professional development camp that either player has attended. Both players leave the impression that it may not be then- last. Orioles Use 12-Hit Attack To Trounce Belleville 10-3 Jack Bentlev Retires Final 14 Batters to Record Fourth Win of Season for Juniors by Brad Kelly The Bowmanville Aspen Springs-The Kaitlin Group junior Orioles made very few errors in their most recent EOBA encounter with Belleville. In fact, defensively speaking, they committed only three, which is an improvement from previous games. But the biggest error they stayed away from making was not to start pitcher Jack Bentley. That mistake could have been costly. The right-hander retired the final 14 batters in a row on Thursday night at 1 Soper Creek Park to record a complete game 10-3 win over Belleville. The victory improved Bowman- ville's record to 4-3 on the season. Bentley allowed only four hits over nine innings, while striking out one and walking only one. With the exception of a solo home run that was hit off him in the second inning, he was virtually flawless. "I would have to say that was his strongest outing of the season," said assistant coach Ron Cormier on the stellar performance of Bentley. Bentley. "He was getting ahead of the batters, and had much better control tonight then he had in the past." The Orioles garnered all the runs they needed during a six run outburst outburst in the second inning. To say all of the hits in the inning were of the clutch variety would be an understatement. understatement. All of the runs came with two out. At the time, Belleville held their only lead of the evening, a narrow 2-1 advantage. Both Jason Carroll and Derek Zander ripped RBI singles, while Jeff McFeeters had a two run double double to spark the outburst. It was another big night at the plate for Zander, who added another another single, and finished the night with four stolen bases. Chris Smith also had a multi-hit night with a single and a'double. The offensive wealth was spread amongst everybody, as the Orioles finished the game with 12 hits. "Tonight we played a much better better defensive game and we were able to get some hits," said Cormier Cormier who noted that errors and a lack of offense in Belleville earlier in the season resulted in a tough game. "They (the offence) gave the pitching some help. In the past our pitching has done well, but defensively defensively we've been letting them (pitchers) down, mainly with errors." errors." After Belleville cut the margin to 7-3 with a lone run in the fourth, Bentley shut them down the rest of the way, while the offence scratched out single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Zander scored on on a pass ball in the fifth, while Andy Krumme- nacher doubled home Smith in the sixth inning to increase Bowmanville's Bowmanville's lead to 9-3. Scott Pollard crushed a leadoff triple to right field in the seventh, and scored when Aaron Schneider reached base on an error. The Orioles will be at it again tomorrow night when Belleville makes a return trip to Soper Creek Park for a 7:30 p.m. start. Have Dinner On (Is! 50.00 on deductible of most insurance windshield claims plus... Dinner for Two at Hone's Chicken fi Ribs Offer expires June 30th, 1992 il 81ft» fluto 623-4225 19 Silver St., Bowmanville (across from Canadian Tire) ■\ A couple of area baseball players received their first taste of a professional professional tryout camp last week in Belleville. Courtice resident Jeremy Jeremy Woodcock (left) and Bowmanville's Chad Handsor attended the one day camp of the Cincinnati Reds. Both players have been told that they will be invited to future camps of the big league club.