Daily News from New York, New York • 49

Sunday, July 15, 1990 DAILY SPORTS NEWS 49 Minor images of Maris Mets' No. 1 pick Jeromy Burnitz looks to make his own impression By CHARLES EUCHNER Special To The News says, It's is ITTSFIELD, been "eerie." a long Mass. time since The Roger resemblance, Maris his played for manager the Yankees, but Jim Eschen, manager of the Pittsfield Mets of the Class A-New York-Penn League, says he thinks of Maris whenever 21-year-old Jeromy Burnitz comes to the plate. A crew-cutted, left-handed hitter game NCAA tournament he hit .273. who wears No.

9 on his pinstripes, Pitchers threw him a lot of junk when Burnitz was the Mets' top pick in this they saw how well he handled year's amateur draft and 17th fastballs. Burnitz was too impatient to selection overall. adjust. Eschen knows that a comparison to "I started to think too much about Maris can be burdensome maybe a mechanics," Burnitz said. "When you more mortal comparison would be lose your confidence you start to Steve Kemp, the former Yankee with overanalyze." whom Eschen played in the Detroit The Mets did some analyzing of Tigers' system.

their own, scouting Burnitz for more But Eschen can't help but see than three years. He scored well on baseball's. single-season home run the franchise's vaunted psychological king in the 6-0, 195-pound Burnitz. tests. So hedging their bets on his raw 66T used to watch Roger Maris all the skills, the Mets made him their top time at Yankee Stadium," said selection despite his production Eschen.

"It is eerie because he dropoff. If Burnitz can develop the reminds you of Maris in so many ways. skills he displayed in his first two He has the same build, the same college seasons, the Mets may have number. The swing is comparable. lucked out in grabbing a player who The ball jumps off the bat.

He's also didn't impress others. got that Midwestern approach Lefthanded power is a hot quiet, confident." commodity these days. Even during Of course, it's way too soon to his sub-par season, Burnitz's shots translate spooky similarities into often created buzzing. A home run at expectations. Burnitz's pro career is Baylor was "light-tower high" when it young, and he is coming off a went out, recalls his college coach disappointing season in college.

After Gary Ward. Two other homers at the being named All-America at Unversity of Hawaii traveled at least Oklahoma State his junior season, 450 feet in an environment where the Burnitz stuggled in his final year ball does not carry well. OSU made it to the College World "You only have to have seen those Series final with a 56-17 record, but shots to be very forgiving about Burnitz never hit consistenly. everything else you says Ward. joined Pittsfield late in the "If I were scouting, I'd look for the season because he had his wisdom tools and gamble I can find a key to teeth extracted and, consequently, got make the rest better.

Only two or off to a slow start. In his first 15 three other players I've seen in the games, Burnitz was hitting .255 with last three years have his kind of one home run and three RBI. power tools the wrists, the In three years of college ball, the Conroe, Texas native hit .325 with 44 Burnitz, whose father and brother home runs and 186 RBI in 190 games. are commercial pilots, says he, too, This spring he slipped to .288 with 12 would have turn to flying if baseball homers in 243 at-bats. In the eight- didn't work out.

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If I play ball, I want to make the major Drafted by Milwaukee on the 24th round of the 1987 draft, Burnitz opted for college instead. The Brewers had offered a $50,000 bonus. His waiting paid off literally. In signing with the Mets, he nearly quadrupled his money. More than the money, however, Burnitz chose college because he didn't feel he was ready for the rigors of minor-league life.

Burnitz out of Oklahoma State, which has Incaviglia and Mickey Tettleton. But not BOB MCDONOUGH BERKSHIRE EAGLE Now as he endures that life of bus rides and a $850 monthly salary, the majors remain a long way off, albeit a bit closer. "No matter how good you are, it's always a change from amateur to pro ball," said Eschen. "He's going to find out that the other players don't care who he is. He has to be patient, whether it takes years or three or four years.

Don't be in such a hurry that you forget to do the job at hand. "Impatience is one of the things he better overcome if he's going to make it." A por gears LeMond his title! FRANCE U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN FINAL ROUND 703:30 pm Live! 89m8: angina wor as VEST.