Press and Sun-Bulletin from Binghamton, New York • 27

Sunday, March 27, 1994 Press Sun-Bulietin 3C LOCAL ROUNDUP 3 EASTERN LEAGUE Windsor teen-ager tops free throw competition Mete9 catdhef mataraiig slowly By CHERYL ROSENBERG -Staff Writer MELBOURNE, Fla. To his teammates, catcher Alberto Castillo is known as, "The Bambino." The moniker wasn't given to Castillo because he resembles the more famous recipient of that -nickname, Babe Ruth. Rather, it refers to Castillo's age when he played his first game for the 1987 Kingsport play in the New York State Amateur Hockey Association Pee-Wee State Championships in the Canton Pavilion. The Junior Rangers (2-1) finished atop the Division II. Their semifinal against Canton is at 10 this morning.

Canton is the second-place team in Division I. The winner advances to the 6 p.m. championship game. Six different players scored goals as the Rangers outshot Greater New York 45-9. Chris Gervaise, Brian Burns and Matt Telfer each scored unassisted.

'J -Tl IT Nicole Fountaine maintained an accurate touch through extra sessions to outlast her Long Island adversary in winning the 14-year-old girls' title Saturday in the Knights of Columbus New York State Free Throw Competition at West Point. Fountaine, a Windsor freshman, was 4-for-5 in a second tiebreaker to beat Erin Connolly. Both girls made 22 of 25 free throws to force a tiebreaker. In the first shoot off, both went 5-for-5. Connolly was 3-for-5 in the second extra shootoff.

There were 30 participants in the competition for boys and girls. Participants ranged in age 10 to 14. Samantha Bedford, placed third in the 11-year-old girls' division. Bedford, a sixth-grader at Windsor, made 22 of 25 free throws. Junior Rangers advance The Binghamton Junior Rangers had a 36-shot advantage that carried them to a 6-2 victory over the Greater New York Area Stars.

It completed their round-robin As the years have gone by, Castillo has watched players who were teammates in '87, such as '92 Binghamton Mets pitcher John Johnstone now with the Marlins and Milwaukee's Alex Diaz, make it to the majors. Other catchers drafted after Castillo signed as a non-drafted free agent have progressed faster. Alan Zinter, the Mets' No. 1 choice in '89, and Brooke Fordyce, a third-round pick that same year, both will start this season at Triple-A Norfolk. Castillo doesn't let the success of others affect his self-confidence.

"I just try to work hard, try to improve and show I can play," Castillo said. "You cannot be a tough guy. You have to be happy to everyone. If you're the kind of guy that comes to the clubhouse with an ugly face, no one wants to talk to you. You can't get mad." Being close to his teammates is important to Castillo.

After all, ball players have been his surrogate family since he was a teen-ager. His aspirations for this season are simply to continue to improve, and to win another championship, as St. Lucie did in the second half of the Florida State League last season. Castillo's family is growing. His wife, Cindy, is expecting their first child in June.

Binghamton manager John Tamargo said offense is what has held Castillo back from reaching the next level. "His defensive skills are outstanding," Tamargo said. "He can catch and throw with anybody. His bat woke up a little last year, and I hope that continues." Changes over the past couple years in his grip and batting stance hindered Castillo. "When you're in trouble, you try to do a lot of little things," Castillo said.

"You worry about too much." He started this year off working with New York hitting coach Tom McCraw. Castillo learned to bring his hands farther back behind his head, and has been getting more power. Against Greenville on Friday, he doubled and had a two-run single. He is not concerned about competing in the Eastern League. He has already overcome more difficult obstacles.

Castillo signed with the Mets two months after his 17th birthday, forgoing his final two years at Mercedes Maria Mateo High School in the Dominican Republic. Away from home for the first time, Castillo had the added difficulty of not being able to speak English "I didn't even know how to say Castillo said. Mets 17. "Now, I'm starting to shave, so my teammates say, 'No more Bambino for said Castillo, 24, who will likely be the everyday catcher for the Bing- CALLAWAY BIG BERTHA Metalwoods with graphite shaft hamton Mets this season after re-signing as a six-year free agent. It will be the first time Castillo has made it to the Double-A level.

Castillo batted .258 for Single-A St. Lucie last season, where he hit a career-high 21 dou-' tiles after hitting .204 the previous season for 'St. Lucie. He also set a St. Lucie fielding percentage record for catchers -BINGHAMTON METS' NOTES ti.it jrjr Dimmock Hill Pro Shop 7295511 1-800-727-551V Pitcher's stock rises in win ATTENTION CITY OF BINGHAMTON PROPERTY OWNERS, RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES NO GARBAGE, RECYCLING OR YARD WASTE COLLECTION ON FRIDAY, APRIL 1,1994 IN OBSERVANCE OF GOOD FRIDAY FRIDAY'S COLLECTION WILL BE ON THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 1994 THURSDAY'S COLLECTION WILL BE ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 1994 THERE WILL BE NO TRASH COLLECTION ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 1994 MONDAY AND TUESDAY'S COLLECTION WILL NOT CHANGE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CALL 772-7049 OR 772-7021.

Four outfielders were sent down to Triple-A from big league camp. Hunter said one has asked for his release, so a spot with Edmonton might be available. If not, he will start the season in Portland. "I've been hitting good and feeling good," Hunter said. "I'm happy." He joins former '93 Binghamton teammate Steve Long, who will start this season on the Marlins' roster after being drafted in the Rule 5 draft.

Long must be kept on the big league roster, or he can be reclaimed by the Mets. Familiar faces reappear Doug Saunders, who played second base for Norfolk and New York last season after spending '92 in Binghamton, has been placed on the Double-A roster. Saunders batted .247 in 105 games for Norfolk, and .209 in 28 games for New York. Joining him in Double-A is '93 Binghamton first basemandesignated hitter Frank Jacobs. BBernie Millan, son of former Mets second baseman and current Latin Ameica coordinator Felix, was traded to Milwaukee.

The Mets received righthand-ed pitcher Kirk Demyan, who will start the season at Single-A Columbia. Millan, also a second baseman, was considered a possible member of the Binghamton team this CHERYL ROSENBERG Writer MELBOURNE, Fla. Todd Fiegel made a strong rjid for a spot in the Binghamton Mets' bullpen on i Fiegel pitched the first three innings in the Mets' 2 victory over the Portland Sea Dogs, the Florida pMarlins' Double-A affiliate. He allowed no hits and struck out three. The only baserunners reached on errors.

"His first time out, he was a little shaky with his sc6mmand," pitching coach Randy Niemann said. STHe's showing a good slider. It's the best he's thrown f8o far. He's changing speeds, and getting the breaking ball over." The Mets scored all of their runs in the second inning, highlighted by Greg Graham's two-run sin- ugle. Fresh start Bert Hunter was on the field during the game, but was wearing teal blue instead of royal blue, Hunter, who joined Binghamton in May after start-.

jng the season in Norfolk, signed with the Marlins this season as a sixth-year free agent. X- "The Mets and I talked, and there was nothing pthere," Hunter said. "I think I have a better chance in, this organization. The Marlins like when guys hustle. They'll take a chance on a guy." NEW YORK, NEW YORK dm jire Burnitzing in Mets' outfielder Mets 3, Astros 1: Pete Smith threw six shutout innings and received offensive support from rookie catcher Kelly Stinnett as New York defeated Houston at Kissimmee, Fla.

Smith allowed four hits while walking one and striking out one. Astros starter Doug Drabek also worked six innings and yielded only four hits. But one of them was Stinnett's second spring homer, a first-pitch shot with one out in the second inning. Stinnett went 3-for-3 to lift his exhibition average to .387. New York scored again in the seventh when Ryan Thompson drew a walk from left-hander Mike Hampton, went to third on Stinnett's hit-and-run single and scored on Luis Rivera's single through a drawn-in infield.

Yankees 4, Marlins 3: Chris Hammond lowered his ERA below double digits with five scoreless innings but Florida lost anyway, falling to New York in 10 innings in Melbourne, Fla. Hammond allowed only three singles and retired 11 straight during one stretch. His ERA fell from 10.80 to 7.56. Matt Nokes' bloop single off Rich Rodriguez scored Daryl Boston with the winning run. Gerald Williams sent the game into extra innings with a two-out solo homer off Richie Lewis in the ninth.

Lfrom wire service reports ST. LUCIE, Fla. Jeromy Burnitz is learning to channel those 100,000 watts of energy i Jhat seem to drive him on the baseball field. "Baseball is a great avenue to work on things like that," Burnitz said after New York Mets practice at Thomas J. White Stadium the "Other day.

"It's something new "every day. A new experience, a new game. So you have lots of opportunities." of the learning process for 24, is that some of those l'fcnergy units occasionally cause brush fires that cause his temper and emotions to bubble above lev-. els that are acceptable to him. "I'm not trying to tone anything 'down, I'm just trying to channel the Mets second-year right fielder said.

Burnitz was beckoned from Class AAA last June 21 to serve as an "injury replacement for a couple of days. He so impressed manager Green and the coaching staff with those qualities of "fire and belly" that Burnitz never returned Ao the minors. the first player to make it to majors from the Mets' 1990 has been learning on the job in a city that's both demanding and unforgiving. no matter what the situation," he said. "But let's face it, it's a task.

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