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■ FANFARE
8 • The Red and Black • Thursday, June 7, 1990
SPORTS
Playing ball in the big leagues
Don't fret intramural fans. Game stories — and pictures — from
Wednesday's championship games will be in tomorrow's R & B.
Due to the lateness of the games and our deadlines, we were
unable to get adequate coverage in today's paper.
Pitcher Derek Lilliquist works to relive hard-hitting days at University
By ROB KREMER
Sports Writer
In 1987, Georgia Bulldog Derek
Lilliquist was both the team’s big
hurler and their big hitter. Since
leaving campus for greener pas
tures as a professional, he has been
relegated to pitching.
The Atlanta Brave starter re
lived his Georgia days as a hitter
by connecting for two homers
versus the San Diego Padres on
May 1. It was the first such feat by
a pitcher since 1987.
‘That was incredible,” Lilliquist
said. “Something you always
dream of. It was one of those days
when everything was together.”
His power shouldn’t come as
much ol a suprise, Lilliquist ended
his career as Georgia’s career
home-run leader. Still, he wasn’t
completely satisfied with his
outing.
“It would have been a little
better if I had thrown a shutout,”
Lilliquist said.
It is that kind of Bulldog spirit
that has the Braves’ pitching coach
Bruce Dal Canton excited about
Lilliquist’s future.
“His biggest asset is he’s a great
competitor,” Dal Canton said.
“He’s got a good future here. He’s
come further along than most of
the other young stars that we’ve
had. He’s a battling pitcher when
he takes the mound, tie wont give
in to the hitter, and he keeps
coming after the hitters.”
Braves’ manager Russ Nixon
said, “He could be one of our top
pitchers. He’s now in his second
year, and he’s getting better every
year. He’s the type of guy that will
improve because he’s a student of
pitching.”
The 6-foot, 210-pound left
hander was the sixth player
drafted overall in the 1987 baseball
amateur draft by the Braves, and
spent the next year in the Braves
minor league system.
“I learned a lot as far as pro ball
is concerned,” Lilliquist said. “It
was my decision to start all the
way down in rookie ball and work
my way up.”
Unlike most players, he took
only one year to make it to the
major leagues. He started the 1989
season on the Braves roster, but
his first start was pushed back for
two weeks.
“It felt good, but it was a little
nerve-racking,” Lilliquist said. “I
was jumped and bumped for three
starts. So I was off for two weeks in
between starts. Then getting my
first start in San Diego and win
ning was a great feat for me.”
The Atlanta Braves
starter relived his
Georgia days as a
hitter by connecting for
two homers versus the
San Diego Padres on
May 1. It was the first
such feat by a pitcher
since 1987.
Lilliquist finished his rookie
season at 8-10, and is currently 2-6
this season. Still, his manager feels
he has pitched well.
“I think he has made great
strides,” Nixon said. “His record
doesn’t indicate it this year, but
he’s pitched as good ns anybody
we’ve got.”
The Bulldog Most Valuable
Player for 1987 feels that with the
right attitude things will change
for the better.
“Not winning gets frustrating,
but it’s good to see the changes
being made for the better within
the organization,” Lilliauist said.
“I’m seeing an attitude change
from the years past.”
Dal Canton said, “Derek has
added a couple of pitches since he’s
left the University of Georgia. He’s
added a cut fastball, which has
been a renl good pitch for him."
Braves starter Pete Smith said,
“Derek probably has the best con
trol out of any pitcher I’ve seen. He
doesn’t have overpowering stuff,
but he has pinpoint accuracy.”
While waiting for his pitching
record to turn around, he has been
hitting the ball well. His batting
average has hovered above .300
most of the year, which has him
seeing some spot pinch-hitting
duty.
“I hit at home every day,” Lilli
quist said. “On the rood I try to get
in there ns much as possible. I go
about my hitting pretty seriously.”
Dal Canton said, “When you
hove him in the lineup it’s like
having another hitter in the
lineup. Derek likes to hit, and, to
me, that’s what makes him the
complete ball player."
Smith thinks he has Lilliquist’s
batting figured out.
“It’s all luck and 1 taught him ev
erything he knows," Smith said.
Derek Lilliquist: The former pitcher/big hitter now throwing
in the big leagues and hitting a few homers now and then
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The Red & Black PROFILE:
Sandy Evans Levine
HOME: Poolesville, MD
AGE: 34
PROFESSION:
Owner & Founder, Advice Unlimited,
a public relations & marketing firm
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LAST BOOK READ:
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drummer - and some people polka."
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The Red & Black Newspaper.
Features & Lookout! Editor 74-76.
"It was great - dealing with real
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take life - it's the best positive
reinforcement going!"
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