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THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
Hudson impresses in Braves debut
By MIKE FITZPATRICK
AP Sports Writer
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla.
-Tim Hudson was wearing
a different uniform - and
throwing the same nasty
sinker.
Making his Atlanta Braves
debut, Hudson worked two
scoreless innings Monday in
a 5-0 victory over the New
York Mets. He threw 21 of
29 pitches for strikes and got
four groundouts, showing off
the sharp stuff that made him
a huge winner with Oakland
the past six years.
“It was good to finally get
it out of the way,” Hudson
said. “I was just mainly try
ing to locate my fastball, stay
down in the zone.”
The Braves sent three play
Strawberry returns to Mets as spring training instructor
By MIKE FITZPATRICK
AP Sports Writer
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla.
- Decked out in a Mets uni
form for the first time in
15 years, a smiling Darryl
Strawberry strolled into the
dugout and flexed his left
biceps.
“Don’t I look great?” he
said, laughing.
And with that, the great
est hitter in team history
was welcomed back to the
Mets, where his roller-coast
er of a career began with
such promise.
HAMMERS
From page 1B
“We didn’t go deep enough
into the count,” Gentry said.
“We got a pitcher who I felt
we would get to eventually.”
In the third and fourth,
the Bears not only went
deep in the count, they flat
went deep.
Ben Brighton hit a two
run home run over the cen
ter field fence to cap the
five-run third, and Brian
Wilkerson hit a two-run
double in the fourth.
While the Bears were sort
ing out Seminoles’ starter
Joey Wood, Houston County’s
Chris Tyler cruised through
the first three innings.
He struck out 11 in four
innings of work. His only
miscues were a walk in the
first and a double followed
by a run-scoring single in
the fourth.
Then he struck out the
next three batters with run
ners on first and third.
“I’m big oil fastballs,”
Gentry said. “With our
pitchers, we have some hard
throwers and if I’m going
to get beat, (the opponent)
is going to have to prove he
can hit our fastballs.”
Tyler struck out the side
in the second throwing only
fastballs and got himself out
of his own fourth-inning jam
relying predominately on the
heater.
Brad Jackson pitched the
fifth for the Bears and struck
out two, once again using his
118
Proceeds From The Tournament Benefit
Pastorial Ministers attending
Truett-McConnell in honor of
Gene T. Bowman
For More Information 988-2478 or 987-1033
ers to the Athletics in a trade
for Hudson last December,
and he agreed to a $47 mil
lion, four-year contract
extension last Tuesday.
The right-hander gave up a
double and a single in the sec
ond inning but escaped with
out allowing a run thanks
to diving plays by shortstop
Rafael Furcal and second
baseman Pete Orr.
Hudson said he left his
splitter up a couple times,
a pitch that takes time to
get a feel for during spring
training.
“My location wasn’t great,”
he said. “They were studs
behind me. It was fun to
see.”
New closer Dan Kolb fol
lowed with a perfect inning,
Strawberry arrived
at spring training camp
Monday to serve as a guest
instructor for a few days,
working mostly with major
and minor league outfield
ers.
Trim and fit just five days
shy of his 43rd birthday, he
looked as if he could still
turn on an inside fastball
and send it soaring off the
right-field scoreboard at
Shea Stadium.
In fact, he’s younger than
backup first baseman Andres
Galarraga, who will turn 44
HHJ/Joe Sersey
Houston County's Winfield Tufts awaits a pickoff toss from Chris Tyler as Westside 's Brandon
Arnold dives back to first Monday in Macon.
fastball.
Westside finished the
night with two hits, both
in the fourth, and two outs
on a pop up to third and a
grounder to Jackson for the
first out in the fifth.
Wilkerson was 2-for-3 with
a double and three runs bat
ted in. Brighton scored two
runs and hit a home run for
two RBIs.
1 Gene I Bowman
Scholarship Golf Tournament
March 14th at
18 Hole Scramble
Lunch Served 12noon
lpm Shotgun Start
striking out Kaz Matsui on a
high slider. Kolb was acquired
in an offseason trade with
Milwaukee, allowing the
Braves to shift John Smoltz
back into the rotation.
“The first day is a little
rough, the adrenaline,” Kolb
said. “Especially when you
get traded and you’re replac
ing pretty much a legend
in Atlanta. I probably put a
little too much pressure on
myself.”
Atlanta’s starters have not
allowed a run this spring,
combining for nine shut
out innings. And manager
Bobby Cox was thrilled to
see two key members of his
revamped staff throw so well
the first time out.
“Outstanding, they got all
in June.
But Strawberry said he
isn’t looking to jump in the
batting cage and start tak
ing swings anytime soon.
He’s content to be retired
- and thankful to be alive.
“It’s not about me, it’s
about who I can help,” he
said. “It’s these guys’ time,
it’s not my time. My time is
over.”
Wearing his familiar No. 18
beneath a blue windbreaker,
Strawberry shagged flies on
a practice field and signed
autographs.
The Bears' Casey Stuart
did not have an official at bat
in the game, but he scored a
run and got an RBI. In his
first at bat he was hit by a
pitch. He walked and scored
in the third, then hit a sac
rifice fly in the fourth that
scored Jackson.
SCOREBOARD
HOUSTON COUNTY 11, WESTSIDE 1
Perry
CounitkyClub
If
SPORTS
groundballs,” he said. “I’m
in love with them already.”
Tom Glavine had a solid
outing for the Mets, his sec
ond of the spring. He gave up
four hits and two unearned
runs in three innings against
his former team, then fin
ished his work in the bullpen
because he had thrown only
32 pitches and was slated to
reach 50.
Before the game, Glavine
got a chance to chat with Cox
and Braves pitching coach
Leo Mazzone.
“It’s still always differ
ent than any other team
I’m going to face, but with
each year it’s less and less,”
Glavine said. “There’s less
and less guys I have a con
nection with.”
He chatted with Mets Slug
ger Cliff Floyd and served as
a cutoff man during drills.
Strawberry was a player
development instructor with
the Yankees before resigning
last February to spend more
time with church-related
activities.
“I just told him to be him
self. The kids are going to
gravitate to him,” new man
ager Willie Randolph said.
“I’m happy to have him
here.
“It’s good to see him. He
looks great.”
HC: 005 70- 11 6 1
WS: 000 10 - 1 2 1
WP: Chris Tyler (1-0). LP: Joey Wood (0-
1). Leading hitters: (HC) Brian Wilkerson
2-3, Cody Heller 1-2, Ben Brighton 1-2,
Joe Vasquez 1-1, Billy Mulley 1-1; (WS)
Brandon Arnold 1-2, Bobby Stewart 1-2.
Records: (HC) 3-0; (WS) 0-3.
Sunday, March 13
7:00 PM
Fellowship Hall
Perry United Methodist Church
sponsored by
United Methodist Women
admission: $lO donation
JWoceech piom this, event unit ga to U.M.W, QCofkd Atbpion*.
Advance tickets available at the church office
(Tickets also sold at the door as space permits)
1002 Carroll Street Phone: 987-1852
Free Nursery Provided Upon Request!
——
HHJ/Don Moncrief
Central Fellowship’s Josh Giadin hauls in a fly ball in right
Monday in Macon.
BLASTS-
From page 1B
he added. “We’re going to
make mistakes. That’s part
of it.
“It’s just one of those char
acter building things and I
was proud of them at the
end. They didn’t hang their
HHJ/Joe Sersey
Will Spence volleys against Coffee County's Rashad
Carson Monday at Tanner.
ANSWERS
From page 1B
Doubles: 1. Dominica Line/and partner
(CC) del. Sarah Anzjon/Candice Hall,
6-3, 3-6, 6-1; 2. Adrianne Moore/Maggie
Thomas (CC) def. Sarah Stokes/Megan
Oberle 6-1,6-3.
Records: (CC) 0-0, 1-3 in 1-AAAAA;
(HC) 2-6, 0-6.
BOYS
COFFEE COUNTY 3, HOUSTON
Springtime:
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featuring
Mxvtk fßai£a%d, flAe Clnlht
design* fox spring and Lariex
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2005 ♦
heads down. They stayed in
and gave everything they
had. I can appreciate that.
“They may not have the
same level of experience
yet, but they have character
and desire. I can appreciate
that.”
COUNTY 2
Singles: 1. Jerry Oliver (CC) def. Josh
Milam 6-2, 7-5; 2. Will Spence (HC) def.
Rashad Carson 6-4, 6-4; 3. Matt Heath
(HC) def. Paul Pow 7-5, 6-1.
Doubles: 1. Pete Pow/Vijah Patel (CC)
def. Ben Shephers/Zane Willey 7-6, 3-6,
6- 2. Vick Sims/Will Goggans (CC)
def. Victor Wongk/Blake Bloser 4-6, 6-3,
7- (7-3).
Records: (CC) 0-0, 1-3 in 1-AAAAA;
(HC) 1-8, 0-6.
3B