Kingsport Times-News from Kingsport, Tennessee • 36

By KEN DATZMAN I but games you be this sure attend to summer, bring Appalachian a leave towel. the You'll League cooler at need baseball it home, to Times-News Sports Writer The wipe away the tears. There's an old saying that anything can happen in Play Guaranteed. in the It's Appy the League foundation will make of you baseball. cry.

minors the Appalachian League. Amen. There's no other way to look at it. Rookies are rookies. The Appalachian League, which opens play the last week in June and closes the last week in Au- Appy League play gust, -is wild pitches, dropped foul balls, crazy plate, coaches screaming at youngsters trying to throwing errors, players forgetting to tag home may not be the big learn the basics and hot bus rides to remote fields.

And just think, this year the league is expanding time, but it's still so more fans can witness this unparalleled style of The Appy League had six affiliate teams last baseball. baseball sorta year. Kingsport (Mets), Bristol (Tigers), Johnson City (Cardinals), Elizabethton (Twins), Bluefield (Orioles) and Paintsville (Yankees) comprised the league. This season Pikeville (Ky.) and Pulaski, will join the 12-week parade. Pikeville will be one of the Milwaukee Brewers' minor league clubs and Pulaski will be a co-op, consisting of the Atlanta Braves, who pulled out of Kingsport three years ago, and the Chicago Cubs.

Pikeville and Pulaski have been members of the Appy League before. Most of the Appy managers have yet to be named, but the Kingsport Mets have already appointed Ed Olsen has their head man this season. Olsen, who was the Kingsport Mets' coach last year, will replace manager Al Jackson, who will be the Mets' minor league pitching instructor. The Kingsport Mets finished in the cellar last season and ended with a 15-game losing streak. Olsen is head coach at Grossmont (Calif.) Junior College.

The Appalachian League also has a new presiT who dent. Bill resigned. Halstead Fyffe, took owner over for of Paul the Fyffe, Paintsville Yankees, was appointed league president in 1980. The Appy League, which first originated in 1910, has produced many outstanding major league players. Jim Brosnan, Pedro Ramos, Boog Powell, Mark Fidrych, Denny McLain, Fritz Peterson, Sparky Lyle, Richie Hebner and Tony Oliva are some former Appy players who made to it the big leagues.

16 Kingsport Times- Tuesday, March 23, 1982 It doesn't really matter whether this Met (left) is out at second or not. After all, rookies will be rookies. Hets a Kingsport Met Luis Martinez (above) is congratulated by batboy Kevin Brickey during last summer's action. Congratulations were few for the Mets last year, but this group of Paintsville Yankees (below) still had plenty to shake hands about. (46 Times-News file photos Joe Willis.