The Orlando Sentinel from Orlando, Florida • Page 70

i it I. I.I "I )' ft i 'I' ttMfttle hi r. 18 the little sentinel, Thursday, April 13, 1978 Coaching doesn't end as game does I i By DON COBLE DAYTON A BEACH Leo Posada is the Daytona Beach Astros' chief counselor. Hp also pitches batting practice and sometimes serves as bat boy. But the Houston Astros pay him to be a manager in the Florida State League.

"You know, coaching in the Minor Leagues, you have to look forward to each day as it comes," Posada said. "You aren't out here to prepare for next year. "There's no future in the Minors. Once you get up to the Majors, then you have a future in professional baseball." And how many youngsters does Posada think will make their way to a Major League roster? "Maybe five," Posada said as he surveyed City Island Park and watched this year's group of 25 hopefuls. "I guess the overall percentage of players who make it up is around five.

Only five in a hundred will play Major League ball." Posada served as Columbus' manager last year in the Southern League before being reassigned to take over the club's Class A operation at Daytona Beach. The Astros also moved. Last year, they were located in Cocoa; but even after a record attendence year, the move was made. "Being a Minor League manager is different than the Majors," Posada explained. "You have to be on call 24 hours a day.

You never know when a player will call for some help. "1 want to promote these kids. I want to get involved with their careers on the field. "All of these players were signed as professional baseball players because someone felt they could play Major League ball. It's the job of the Minors to develop those talents.

You just need a lot of work and discipline and hope they come along." The Astros will play 144 games this year, including 67 home games. They plan several promotional nights including Helmet Night, T-Shirt Night, Scout Night and Little League Night. With the unique number of Florida State League teams (11), FSL has drawn up plans to schedule three teams for a twi-night doubleheader in one park in the state. For example, the Astros could play Tampa in the first game, then face Lakeland the second. But the Minor League season is hard.

It only promises its ups and downs. Nothing more. "You never know who'll be around at the end of the season," Posada said. "They may get moved up and some might not be around. "You can just try to develop a kid as much as you can.

Who knows how far he might come? But you have to try." Right now, Posada is trying to mold a group of 25 youngsters into a contending team in the Florida State League. After practice, there will be balls to shag, bats to pick up and batting helmets to gather. Most likely, Leo Posada will do the housekeeping. After all, there's more to being a Minor League manager than just coaching baseball. It I 1 Don Coo): ntini Sior The crowd's gone home, but Posada's work isn't finished yet Forrester named MVP for Hatters zipped Osteen, 16-0, and DeLeon Springs upset Nautilus, 12-1.

SWVLL Senior Standings ELAND Curt Forrester, the senior center for Stetson's 14-13 team last season, was named Most Valuable Player by his teammates. national league Pet. GB 2 0 1.000 2 I .667 2 1 .667 Vt 0 2 .000 2 0 2 .000 2 Civic Association Pan American Parker Concrete Florida Bank Del San American league Southern Roads Nautilus DeLeon Springs DeBary Rexail Osteen Kiwanis High scores mark little league start 0 1.000 1 .667 1 1 .667 1 2 .333 2 2 .333 2 3 .000 3 It's that time of year again. Snow cone machines are churning, popcorn is popping and bubble gum sales are going out of sight. You can tell around Volusia County that Little League has started.

The Southwest Volusia Little League opened play last week with a full slate of games. In the National League of the Senior Division, Pan American dropped Florida Bank, 9-6; Parker Concrete blasted Florida Bank 10-1; Civic Association defeated Parker Concrete, 10-3; Pan American dropped Del San, 9-1, and Civic Association upended Pan American, 5-4, while the Civic Association-Florida Bank and Del San-Florida Bank contests were called for darkness. In American League games, DeLeon Springs (5-2), Osteen (7-1) and Nautilus (9-2) each beat Kiwanis, while Southern Roads posted victories over Osteen (9-1), DeBary Rexall (6-4) and DeLeon Springs (7-2). In other games, Nautilus beat DeBary Rexall, 6-2, DeBary Rexall Forrester received the honor at the annual basketball banquet last week. He has been a two-year starter for the Hatters and also received the Pizza Hut Uopby as Player ol the Year and the best Free Throw Shooter.

Mel Daniels, last year's Most Valuable Player, collected awards for being the team's leading scorer, rebounder and field goal percentage shooter. The jump-ing-jack forward also was selected to the first team of the All Southern Independent Basketball All-Star team. Dave Purdue was the recipient of the trophy for the best defensive player, while Glenn Wilkes Jr. garnered the top assist trophy. Lance Baylis was tapped as the player with the best team spirit, while Gus Gibbs was selected as the Stetson Fan of the Year.

Colleen Mahon-, received 'the' Spirit-Award as flie Bob Latmore of Osteen fanned 16 batters in a 10-1 victory over Marshall Agency in the Majors Division. In the other game Orange City burned DeBary First Federal, 17-5. Trentham Well Drilling bumped DeBary Pan American, 11-5, and Nautilus dropped Orange City Septic Tank, 17-5, in minor league play at Orange City's Valentine Park..