Star-Gazette from Elmira, New York • 55

SPORTS Star-Gazette, Sunday, June 18. 1989 9F 1989 ELM IRA PIONEERS shin! Young piftelh 7 1 i I ii Mousing woes haunt players again in '89 hunting in Tiers poses problems for short-term renters W- jo Wkti Ml 11 I III i Iff FileStar-Gozette PETE ESTRADA: Arm troubles forced the Red Sox to send home the former Pioneer pitcher. In 1 988, he posted a 6-8 record with a 2.50 ERA in 119 innings. He struck out 73 batters and walked 24. Estrada, in his second in Elmira, was tied for the NY-P; lead for most starts with 16 and led the league with 10 complete games.

He finished the year with a 2.50 ERA. Another pitching bright spot for the Pioneers, in terms of tal-j ent, was youngster Andy Rush. Rush, who simply threw hard last year, finished with a 3-8 re- cord and 4.15 ERA in 14 appear-! ances. In the outfield, John Spencer was the bright spot leading team in at-bats and RBI. Ed Weaver and Tom Page contributed tolj this article.

er Andy Rush and teammate Bart Moore. The duo hooked up before they arrived in Elmira through former teammate Dan Kite. Kite and former Pioneer pitcher John Doland rented rooms with an Elmira woman last season and passed the information to Rush, who contacted the woman from Winter Haven to secure this summer's living arrangements. "Basically, not too many people are housing them anymore," said Rush. Although a few have made contacts and inquired about housing, few have been as lucky as Rush and Moore.

With 14 players returning, knowledge of the area may be of some help. "Knowing the area helps," said left fielder John Spencer, who contacted Horseheads assistant baseball coach Jeff Manwaring when he arrived Thursday. "Right now it looks pretty good." In the past, the players have had the option of staying with families, in apartments or at Twin Towers at Elmira College. This year, fewer families are hosting players and the Twin Towers are booked up with the Soviet dancers performing with -the Mark Twain Musical Drama. Another block in finding apartments is money.

A large percentage of apartments in the Elmira area are unfurnished and those furnished are in poor condition. Those couples residing in Cherrywood Manor are paying $350 a month for a one-bedroom apartment, a steep rate on a ballplayer's budget. "We're looking for opportunities where people in the community may take on a ball player through Labor said Smoll. By AMY MURRAY Star-Gazette For the Elmira Pioneers there's no place like home because they have no home. Housing for the Pioneers has become increasingly difficult to find in recent years, but this year marks the most challenging.

"It's been getting worse in three years I've been here," said Pioneer owner and general manager Clyde Smoll. Most players arrived afternoon, leaving little time for apartment hunting. -Other obstacles blocking a I new home for the next three 'months are the landlords themselves, as many require a six-month or one-year lease. "Everything (apartments) was a lease," said Carla Morrison, wife of pitcher Jim Morrison, "and there's no way we can do it." The Morrisons are just one of three married couples lucky 'enough to locate housing, as all three couples will reside at Cherrywood Manor apartments for the summer. "People don't want to rent for three months," said Smoll.

Rather, landlords hold out and opt for tenants that will stay up to a year. "I think short-term leases i are not worth bothering with, because the demand for long-. term is out there," said Rocco iPicarrazzi, a former rental property owner and ex-builder of Picarrazzi Contracting. "Most of the places are occupied." Picarazzi is currently a construction loan technician with Community Development and 'housed four players in his basement a couple of years ago, still maintaining contact with one of the players. Another lucky pair is pitch OUTFIELDER RETURNS: John Spencer, shown here at bat at Dunn Field last summer, finished the 1 988 season with a .1 96 batting average in 219 at-bats.

He played in 70 games, driving in 23 runs and led the '88 team in at-bats and RBI. the hard-luck pitcher on the staff Right-hander Pete Estrada was i finishing the year with a 2.90 another bright spot, most notably ERA but only a 2-6 record. for his durability. 1988 IN REVIEW By KAREN TROXEL Star-Gazette The 1988 season started out with a bang for the Elmira Pioneers, but it didn't last. After the first six games, Elmira was resting atop the McNama-ra Division of the New York-Perm League tied for first place.

But before long, injuries and fate sent them spiraling to one step from the basement, where they ended the season. But the Pioneers, which finished with a 28-48 season record under manager Bill Limoncelli, showed some flashes of brilliance. First baseman Willie Tatum, who struggled early learning a new position, came on strong late in the season and was the team leader in runs, hits and total bases. He finished the season with a .286 average and 22 RBI. Tatum, who had never played first base before coming to Elmira, got much better defensively as the summer went on.

Another bright spot for the 1988 Pioneers was the relief work of Carlos Rivera and Alberto Pratts. Rivera started out strong but faltered towards the end of th season, finishing with an 0-2 record and two saves. Hard-throwing Pratts finished with a 3-1 record and a 2.04 ERA in 39 innings of work. Al Sanders, a strong righthander who featured a hard slider and good breaking stuff, was GOODYEAR STEEL-BELTED RADIAL WHITEWALL ALL-SEASON HOW Selling aW8 UM nn, WW Sizzling Savings On Some Goodyear Hottest Hoy doesn't regret choosing Olympic glory over Red Sox Pioneers pitcher played for Canadian baseball team in Seoul last summer Radials. WINDSHIELD SUNSHADEI Features big color print of the Blimp.

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8-2pm SALE ENDS JULY 3. By KAREN TROXEL Star-Gazette Pete Hoy experienced a lifetime in a summer last year. Hoy, a graduate of LeMoyne College in Syracuse and currently a pitcher for the Elmira Pioneers, played on the Canadian Olympic team in Seoul, South Korea, last summer. says it was an experience he'll never forget. "It really was exciting," said never forget the opening ceremonies with 100,000 people watching you." "Hoy, from Cardinal, Ontario, just north of Watertown, had to make a choice last summer after being drafted by the Red Sox in the June 1988 free agent draft.

elected not to sign and take a 'chance on making the Canadian team. Because of it, he figures he got a little late start on being a professional. 'Sometimes, I think it's been tough missing my first pro season," said Hoy. "But the Olympics were a chance of a lifetime." "Hoy says he wasn't concerned in his travels about world unrest. He even saw some interesting things.

"We heard all about (the student protests) in Seoul, but I never" saw anything when I was walking around," said Hoy. "We heard a lot, but the security was so tight no one really worried." Canada's team played three games in the Olympics but went on tour in Europe and Japan. Hoy said perhaps one of the funniest incidents happened in IV 1 A "ok PETE HOY: "Sometimes, I think it's been tough missing my first pro season. But the Olympics were a chance of a lifetime." "We heard all about (the student protests) in Seoul, but I never saw anything when I was walking around. We heard a lot, but the security was so tight no one really worried.

35 Pete Hoy Holland. "We were playing a game there and there were a lot of fans six or 7,000," said Hoy. "But they were really crazy. "They'd go bananas when we'd do something good but do the same thing when the other guys made a good play. "They just cheered for both teams." 3' nn CERTtFHD Oil Filter, Chassis Lube, Oil Change 95 Includes up to five quarts oil Special diesel oil and filter type may result in extra charges.

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