Philadelphia Daily News from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 75

PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS Page 75 June 6, 1990 By Ted Silary Mastropietro last season batted .310 with 10 homers and 20 RBI. He was often pitched around witness 36 walks. "In Florida, I hurt my hip," Mastropietro said. "Three walks later, I jammed my right shoulder. It took me a good 30 games before I was playing without an injury.

In the last 17, 1 feel I hit well "All in all. I'm just happy to be" drafted. I want to go play some MILLER, McCAFFERY PICKED Temple's Todd Miller, a junior righthander from Coplay, went to Boston (round unavailable). Miller was. 5-3 this season with a 2 64 earned run average and 7Va strikeouts per nine innings Villanovas Dennis McCaffery, a junior right-fielder from Roselle Park, N.J., and the Big East Player of the Year, was tabbed by the Chicago White Sox on the 20th round.

He batted over .400 with eight homers this season. terfielder, the sting of a disappointing, injury-marred season has been soothed. The Detroit Tigers took Mastropietro, a North Catholic grad, in. the 22nd round. "The scout, Ramon Pena, came out to see me play," Mastropietro said.

"Then he called last Sunday. He said I should be drafted somewhere between the 15th and 25th round. It came out 22nd. He must have known what he was talking about." MTGRV TKU17SDAY, FRIDAY SATURDAY Seminole in '88 and Oklahoma State in '89. Even in high school be bounced around, from La Salle to Archbishop Kennedy.

"It's been a long journey," Perna said, ''but it has helped me as a ballplayer. I got so much great experience playing for Georgia Southern, Seminole and Oklahoma State. Having to follow such a long road to get drafted made me a better player. It made me fight my way along. I always figured had more to prove than anybody else.

"I had to prove to scouts that I was pro material. Going pro is something I've worked for all my life." Perna had figured the Pittsburgh Pirates would draft him. bet they had somebody at my last 20 games." he said. "The Reds, I don't think, were there more than twice." Paul Faulk, who covers- seven Southern states for the Reds, said last night from Laurinburg, N.C., that he had seen Cumberland twice. "The biggest thing I like about Bobby is his overall bat speed," Faulk said.

"Even at jiis size, he's a potential long-ball hitter from both sides. He's got a good glove at third base, but we might, give 1 some thought to converting him to catcher. Also, I love the kid's makeup. He's a positive person, a kid who believes in himself. He knows how far hard work can take a person." GIES STILL WAITING Meanwhile, another local Seminole former Father Judge right- hander Chris Gies, is still awaiting happy news.

1 Gies, the 1987 Daily News City Pitcher of the Year, this season went 14-3 with a 1.75 earned run average and a 5-to-l strikeout-to-walk ratio. However, he might have hurt his by waiting too long to an- nounce his intentions to enter this year's draft pool. Gies last year was a 49th-round draft pick of the Houston Astros. It was last Sunday when he finally told t. the Astros, who had retained his rights, that he preferred to be redrafted.

"Scouts from the other teams might not have gotten the word," Gies said. "I talked with my coach (last night), He's going to make some quick calls and see what's happen- ing." TIGERS TAKE MASTR0PIETR0 For La Salle University's Dave Mastropietro, a 6-3, 215-pound junior cen- i i CIKVROLET Daily News Sports Writer Every so often, baseball's annual June amateur draft provides even more gratification for fathers than it does for sons. i Such was the case in Roxborough yesterday. Tony Perna was ecstatic, of course, that his son, Bobby, a switch-hitting third baseman from Cumberland (Tenn.) had been an early-round selection of the Cincinnati Reds. But the elder Perna was just as thrilled for Louisiana State University first baseman Tim Clark, who lives no more than four blocks away.

In part, Perna helped Clark become an eighth-round pick of the Milwaukee Brewers. The story goes like this: Bobby Perna starred in 1988 with Seminole (Okla.) Junior College. Tony Perna befriended Seminole's coach, Lloyd Simmons, and said he'd be glad to recommend players. That, same year, Clark, from Roman Catholic High, V' struggled academically I at Spring Garden College and also experienced baseball frustrations. Presto! Just like that, T.

Perna called Simmons and Clark was headed for Seminole. After starring in '89 and earning enough credits to advance to a four-year school, Clark was recruited by LSU. Entering last night's College World Series game, in which LSU ousted The Citadel, 6-1, the 64, 205-pound junior was batting .327 with 19 doubles, 11 homers, 60 RBI and a .506 on-base percentage. He added a two-run homer last night. rfr "Timmy worked his butt off," Tony Perna said.

"He did the job in the classroom and, in a real high profile JC program, he showed what a player he is. All he needed was all those at-bats. A break. That's all a lot of Philadelphia kids need." Said Bobby: "My dad's great at pick- Jng talent. He does a good job of -placing kids, too.

He's getting job offers. Some of the scouts who were looking at me said they want him to be a scout." For Bobby Perna, who goes 6-1, 195 pounds, getting drafted (exact round unavailable) concludes an incredible saga. This season for Cumberland, an NAIA school, he batted .438 with 26 home runs, 187 total bases and an .890 slugging percentage. He also had a 21-game hitting streak. He had played for Georgia Southern in TOOK thrj, "JHEBOPr 7 () BUIGK ,2 CSi SHOPPING CENTER E1E10067IQ1 41 GREENFIELD AVE.

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