4C
SP0RTS/®5c Charlotte $o«
Thursday, April 27, 2006
“These guys come in here to play
every night, and they play for 27 outs.”
Charlotte Knights manager
RAZOR SHINES
LION SIGNS WITH WINSTON-SALEM
PHOTO/WADE NASH
West Charlotte High senior Steven Mason signed a national letter of intent to play golf at
Winston-Salem State last week. Mason is the first participant from the Charlotte First Tee pro
gram to earn a college scholarship. First Tee provides instruction and mentorship to aspir
ing golfers from underrepresented communities.
Picture perfect: Kodak to sponsor
Bristol in NASCAR Dodge series
PHOTOA^URTIS WILSON
Charlotte outfielder Jerry Owens signs baseballs and caps for fans before a game at Knights
Stadium. Charlotte is ti^ for the best record in the International League and more than dou
bled its five wins from April 2005.
Knights make right
with April power
Charlotte ojftofast start with IL’s best record
Shines
By Herbert L. White
lierbwhite®lhecliarloneposi£om
FORT MILL - These are not
2005’s Charlotte Knights. Not
by a long shot.
After losing 86 of 140 games
last season, the
Knights have
opened 2006 on
a tear, storming
to a 13-6 mark
through
Tuesday, tied
for best in the
International
League with
Scranton
Wilkes-Barre.
Charlotte is a
game ahead of
Durham in the
Division. Tb put
.. t it in perspec-
tdve, Charlotte
won five games
all last April, and didn’t break
double-figures until halfway
throi^h May
The changes are obvious,
starting with manager Razor
Shines, who emphasizes aU-
out aggression as the key to
success. It’s rubbed off on the
players, who have become
adept at late-inning heroics,
like a come fium behind 6-3
win over Tbledo that pushed
Charlotte into the division
lead last Friday EmieYoung’s
three-run blast to left in the
bottom of the ninth innir^
capped the Knights’ comeback
fi'om a 3-1 deficit in the sev
enth. It doesn’t hurt that 14
Knights played for Shines
before their call-up to AAA
Charlotte.
“These guys come in here to
play every ni^t, and they
play for 27 outs,” Shines said.
‘When you play that way for
27 outs and there’s an oppor
tunity we’re going to seize it
and get back in the ball
game.”
That’s the way Charlotte
approaches every game: get in
fi-ont and stay there with
pitchir^, or stay close enou^
to make a game-turning
charge.
“It’s contagious,” Shines
said. ‘When you send one guy
to the plate and he refuses to
give in, all of a sudden you see
guys following the lead of the
previous hitter. When that
happens, sooner or later
something is going to hap
pen.”
Finally
SPECIAL TO THE PO^
Eastman Kodak Company
will sponsor Chris Bristol of
High Point in the Drive for
Diversity driver development
program, which is endorsed
as NASCAR’s leading on-
track diversity initiative.
Bristol will pilot the No. 99
Kodak Chevrolet for Ken
Schrader Racing in the 2006
NASCAR Dodge Weekly
Series.
Bristol, a native of
Columbus, Ohio, was chosen
after qualifying in the annual
Drive for Diversity Tfesting
and Evaluation Combine,
where potential drivers com
pete for opportunitifes in the
Drive for Diversity progi'am.
Kodak has sponsored a team
since the program began in
2004.
Tferms of the sponsorship
were not disclosed.
Bristol earned a B.S. degree
in mechanical engineering
from N.C. A&T in 1999. He
began his racing career at age
11, competing in 80cc
motocross cj'cltng events
sanctioned by the American
Motorcycle Association.
A veteran of the NASCAR
Goody’s Dash Series, Bristol
joined the Joe Gibbs/Reggie
White Driver Development
Program in 2004, earning
rookie of the year honors in
Caraway’s Late Model Stock
Car Division. In 2005, he
became the first Afiican-
American to win a race and
lead the point standings at
Plickory Motor Speedway,
earning three victories, 15 top
10 finishes and three pole
positions during the track’s
17-race season.
“Drive for Diversity is a ter
rific nect step in my racing
career, and Ken Schrader’s
guidance fiom years of Nextel
Cup racing experience is a
real benefit to my develop
ment as . a driver,” Bristol
said. “I’m excited to have
Kodak as my sponsor, and
we’re looking forward to doing
great things together in the
DodgeWeekly Series.”
Inflation
Protection
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Pvnpitttmf
eSi^iritfC^le contriirutmK
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Promoting Golffor Women and Junior
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(704) 399-7729
or
Gayle Crawford
(704) 391-7692
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Founded in 1999
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Johnson C
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Surround Yourseu= with Success at JCSU
Presents the
Jack S.
Brayboy
Memorial
GOLF
TOIJRNAMEiVr
Friday May 19,2006
8:00 A.M.
Registration/Open Range/Breakfast
9:00 A.M. Shot Gun Start • Captain’s Choice
1:00 PM Awards Luncheon
Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation
7500 Olde Sycamore Drive
Charlotte, NC 28227
The Brayboy Cup
Awarded to the
Charlotte Area Professional Sports Team,
Local Media /TV Sportscast or
Corporate Sponsor Team Champion
Championship, Senior, and Women’s Flights
Hole in One and Closest to Pin Contests
Individual Player $100.00
Sponsorship
&
Team Levels Available
For Registration & Information
704-378-1283
Deadline April 30th