Page B2-The Chronicle, Thursday, June 7, 1984 v Semi-Pro Baseball rona uiants r another legem By ROBERT ELLER Sports Editor As they prepare for their 68th consecutive season of ,, b^pfrall. the Weston-Salem Pond Giants v the? natkmVoldesHtemr^cHytmbatt *caiw;-face a rebuilding year, says owner Nelson Petree. Petree, now in his 22nd season as owner and manager of the team, says he has now worked out some of the problems the team has encountered off the field and expects to begin play in early June. "We have gotten off to a slower start than usual this #?acrtn " cave Pofroo rtnlv tKo fiftk r?or. t A Ali/n t fron. UVMXWM) * VI I VV I VHIIJ IIIV I II III illUii IV U" II IHW I I ail" chise in its 68 years. "I had to go to the Board of Aldermen to get dates at the park (Ernie Shore). The new owner of the Red Sox farm club, the Spirits, let a number of concerts be scheduled at the park and we have had trouble getting any weekend dates. We hope things are settled now. After all, a baseball park is to be used for "We will be in a rebuilding program this year and maybe for the next couple of years. If we get the cooperation of our old fans, churches, businesses and industry, we can keep the great Pond Giants tradition alive. " baseball first and foremost." Petree says his team plans to play a 28- to 30-game schedule this season, including a tournament in Danville, Va., and the North Carolina state tournament in Roxboro. And Petree, who says'he will turn over quite a few of the on-field managing duties to Roy Simmons this year, feels the Pond Giants will field a competitive team this season. "Last season wasn't one of better ones," says the man who has been given the nickname, the "Godfather of Baseball in Winston-Salem." "We were 2-2 in the state tourney in Roxboro,,finishing fifth, but we are used to having better success than that." That might be an understatement, since the team, which finished with a 21-14 record last summer, has generally been regarded as one of the nation's best, if not the best, throughout its existence. But the past few seasons have not been kind to the Pond Giants. Gone from the great teams of the 70s are stars like Marvin Shaw, Bill Dickey, John Spease, Ken ijfl r Ap' Hip ^P* ^T Valentine and others. But Petree says the team will aim, through its rebuilding, to regain the glory of years past. "We will be in a rebuilding program this year and maybe for a couple more years," he says. "If we can get industry, we cair keep- tfc* great PotmJ Grants Iracfctkm*alive." While the team will have a number of new faces, Petree is quick to remind fans that a number of the team's longtime stars are back. Leading the list of returnees are such familiar names as second baseman Ron Jessup. An eight-year veteran with the team, Jessup, a local high school baseball coach, has good speed and a good glove and is characterized by Petree as "a tough out." The power of the lineup will come from first baseman Jeff Barker, who has led the team in home runs the past two seasons/as well as former pro player Stan Smith. Captain Dale Long is also back to split his time among catcher, first base and the outfield. , Pitchers Tommy Elrod and Robert Edwards, both righthanders, will share pitching and shortstop duties. Elrod who, like Jessup, is a coach in the school system, has three no-hitters to his credit as a Pond Giant and is also dangerous at the plate. "He is our stopper/' says Petree. "He's not afraid to challenge the hitters and he's tough in the big games." Edwards, an Elon College graduate, can be every bit as good as Elrod if he gets back into shape, says Petree. He is possibly the team's hardest thrower. Mitch Cromer, another righthander, is also back. Cromer will double as the team's pitching coach this season. Simmons, a veteran of more than 20 semi-pro campaigns, will also see action on the mound when a lefty is needed, as will Rick Broadstreet. Broadstreet, a former Winston-Salem Pirate, has a dependable bat, and will .spend some time in the outfield, too, where he has a sure glove. Petree has high hopes for a number of youngsters this season, among them catcher David Hooker. The righthander hit .314 at High Point College last season as a sophomore. Righthanded hurler John Southern and Southern Methodist University teammate Steve Hardester are two . other youngsters Petree is high on. Southern will likely see a lot of action as a long relief man while Hardester will vie for the third base job and work short relief. Even younger players are righty Kip Thomas, only two Kiease see page B3 Black College * M v %* a a a m w vm vv vJ a ^ v/T i w Sept. - Jackson State, Sept. -- Southern Unive ? at Alcorn p.m MfijS '^tkL I Southern, home, 7:30 p.m.; iTome, l:3tT p.m.r 6 If""! nCookhi&h Cttliegg, TTPftW,1 V. at A&M, 6:3 Alabama A&M at Birmin Nov. 3 ? at Grambling; No\ I pi Valley State, 1:30 p.m.; f Institute, home, 1:30 p.m. ttracts black-shirted Gus . , M t two Thunderbirds in re- N? More JokeS action (photo by James DAYTONA BEACH, Cookman College, stung 1 ege teams will vani collection of major schools that want to wrestle control of college football television rights from the NCAA. Without the NCAA controlling the package and forcj ing the networks to spread the money around, you can be f sure that only the most well-known teams will appear on TV. It appears highly unlikely that the Supreme Court will 5 ruleln favor of the NCAA. Most legal observers say the 1 NCAA's contract with ABC, CBS and Ted Turner's WTBS violates free trade laws and has no chance of get1 ting by the Supreme Court. There is one possibility of compromise, but not even it ) will help the smaller schools. A move is under way to i allow the NCAA to maintain control over TV rights, but I * Week Columns, Features "&"'? IWfe~kS fl^^L-' ' ' V-B B"*-: fil *?fe; pw: |1V v 7L ^tii HL.' - ' " J2i I L^yBBl^^iB^H K$ I ^Pifc, llfcplk - *^^ll ^B^5*^>r*jjjj'* < "??*-" * ''**w-i?fcl ">o52 ' ?h . 0 jflj ? I pPPH : -.;jVi r sHBr >> ?alHiH^Hill^llHli^^P^^V^RJQH Sky-High R.J. Reynolds' versatile Ann Hall Soars to a sllvei school track meet held recently at North Carolina Daniels). ? Briefs ia St. to play a complet football practice fields, has begun a tf month renovation project to improve the t For the first time T^e w^^cats b?re brunt of some jokes ern Athletic Con- years ag0 when one of their Players? defei labama State foot- end Booker Reese- was drafted in the te league schedule. round by the Tampa Bay B"?anneers. SWAC school the The Bucs said Reese's development at B on, has been added had been hampered by an <4ant-infested" j ennessee State. tice field. itball scheduler . . We ve been much maligned about our hnmp 7tn n m and it wasn't rioht " wvs R.rr O v w f r v ^ ? " ? .p.1% J S/%*^ W W -W -w ? ?%I1?V VIV rsity, 7 p.m.; Sept. tor Lloyd "Tank" Johnson. .; Sept. 22 - Texas , , _ ... , , Oct 6 Fort Valley Johnson says B-CC will spend about $10 ttr W~ Dvi|iuiiv for a new sprinkling system and topsoil. 0 p.m.; Oct 27 - Sept. 1 University of Central Floi gham, 1:30 p.m.; Orlando, 7:30 p.m.; Sept. 15 ? at Ho> t. 10 -- at Mississip- University, 1 p.m.; Sept. 22 ? at Gramblir >4ov. 22 - Tuskegee p.m.; Sept. 29 -- Delaware State, home, 7 p Oct. 6 ~ Georgia Southern, Jacksonvill p.m.; Oct. 13 - at Alabama State, 7:30 p Oct. 20 -- South Carolina State, home, 1 p Oct. 27 ? at North Carolina A&T, 1:30 p Nov. 3 -- Tennessee State University, Tamj Fla. ? Bethune- p.m.; Nov. 10 -- Morris Brown Co by jokes about its (homecoming), 1:30 p.m. \ ? sh soon from our tei % those rights would be written to emphasize only the big- me gest schools. It would be a voluntary agreement between an< the CFA and the NCAA. do Whatever the case, the little schools are about to be , stepped on. ha "it is just not overly bright tor the smaller schools," coi says Donn Bcj-nstein, a spokesman for ABC. 1 Bernstein also says it's clear what courses of action ou ABC will take if the NCAA loses control of college foot- ] ball TV rights. am "If we are not operating with a contract this year, then a s we would work with all the available major college sio powers we could deal with," he says. 1 "We realize that some (smaller schools) will suffer im 4 e> mmmm n,? , p _ F i ^BL JttklMk:<^t t ^HHbMImIM^ ?Hk| ^H Ihk . ? u ^HL'jjff- w wvtf'i" IBfeiiHHMMHHMII'V*^ Lk".," ;. .' JrS M^V*V tfi HHt* I v Hfc' ^HHi, ^V Hfcj- ; v LAV ^ . . r medal in the triple Jump at the state high State University in Raleigh (photo by Joe a :e SWAC schedule iree- A Banner Year urf. two WASHINGTON, D.C. ? Howard allisive American baseball player Rozier Jordan has first turned in another fine year. r i ; ? ' ? < - ? - ? juruan, a junior, oanea .41 i tor the Bison Cc whh homers and 44 RBIs. He also is conten)rac_ ding for a spot on the U.S. Olympic baseball team. field irec- This And That } qqq ORLANDO, Fla ? The annual series in * Mobile, Ala., pitting football rivals Alcorn Stats and Alabama SAals ha* bwit diwwu -- ? 1 - * i?????? rida, Alcorn refused to agree to play in Mobile this vard year, and the teams will meet in Lorman, Miss., lg, 7 instead.... .m.; The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference is e, 7 looking for more members and Coppin State, a >.m.; predominantly white school in Maryland, i.m.; reportedly has expressed an interest. ?.m.; The MEAC, down to six football-playing ?a, 7 members, would like two more.... liege Florida A&M has had some preliminary Please see page B3 levision screens asurably. Maybe some schools will be able to go out i cut their own deals with local stations or cable. I n't know. Admittedly, it is going to be tough." \BC and CBS are known to have been unhappy at ving to show small-college games. But if the NCAA's ntract is voided, they'll be free of that obligation. "Let's face it," says Bernstein, "the big schools are r meal ticket. That's where we make our money." But smaller schools need money, too, just as ABC does d just as the major colleges do. And the biggest payday mall college can receive is to appear on regional televin with either ABC or CBS. Mever mind that the games are shown only to ahandful Please see page B3