Press Journal from Vero Beach, Florida • 66

Id Sturdy Mich 2 1911 Vw leach Hfc Piece Journal and Sunday Fin Praea Much 3 1991 Vero Dodgers break season records average hovered around the 300 mark all season and save In a 5-3 victory over West Palm Beach at Holman he drove in 90 runs as a leadoff hitter But it wasn't Stadium enough to earn Young post-season honors "I think my numbers speak for Young In front of a crowd of nearly 1900 Biberdorf broke Jim Poole's record set the previous season ByBILLBOEDING Freaa-Jeuraal BUfl Writer It may have taken the Vero Beach Dodgers a while to get on track but when they did boy did they make the best of it Not only did the Dodgers win their second Florida State League Championship In eight years they set several Individual and team records along the way When Eric Young was Introduced to the community at the Dodgers annual preseason luncheon the 5-foot-fl speedster announced to the crowd that he was going to steal 79 bases for Vero Beach Like most people at that luncheon Young realise his brash prediction would put his name In the record book On Aug 28 In the first Inning of a road game against the 8L Lucie Mets Young stole his 74th and 79th bases to become Vero all-time stolen base leader breaking the mark set by Cedi Espy In 1981 the beginning of the season I said 1 was going to steal 79 Young said after tweaking the record the time I know the record was 74 1 set out to get 79 bags and if I got the record In the process all the That same day Young scored his 100th run to tie Espy In that category Two days later he scored No 101 to take sole possession of the record Young's record performance led the league hut It Impress Florida State League managers and official scorers who pick the post-season all-star team In addition to his record numbers Young's batting Five weeks later the 23-year-old right-hander from Portage La Pralre Manitoba saved his 29th game for Vero Beach tweaking the organization record to most saves by a minor-league pitcher with (me team Ironically that record was previously held by Lewallyn who saved 29 games to Albuquerque in 1980 and shared by Jay Wray who equaled the mark with Bakersfield In 1989 I don't get the opportunity (to play In the majors) when It comes time for this to end at least I'll have one record to look back Biberdorf said Biberdorf went on to win one game and earn four saves in the playoffs He got the final two outs In a 2-1 victory over West Palm Beach that gave Vero Beach the Florida State League crown But individual records weren't the only ones to fall With a league-leading 204 stolen bases Vero Beach easily broke the old team-mark of 238 that had stood since 1982 The Dodgers also set a new standard for runs scored (670) and RBI (989) Both broke records set In 1982 Fans also got In on the action Last season fans filed through the Holman Stadium turnstiles eclipsing the old mark 91782 set in 1981 The Dodgers also set a monthly attendance record in April said Tm not worried about It" While Young never lacked the confidence to succeed Cam Biberdorf rise to the top took a different course With the starting rotation set In spring training Biberdorf was exiled to the bullpen and forced to earn a Job told all those guys at the beginning of the season that we were going to have a bullpen by committee And whoever earned the Job was going to get pitching coach Dennis Lewallyn said I think the only one who really caught that" Biberdorf earned his first save In the third game but with the Dodgers dropping 20 of their first S3 games save opportunities too plentiful to the first month or so In the early going Biberdorf appeared timid on the mound and lacking the grit necessary to be a stopper But by mid-May the pitching staff had a new look Three of the five starters on the opening day roster had been replaced and Biberdorf began getting the ball on a regular basis As Biberdorf experienced more success he began to thrive on the pressure What appeared to be timidity on the mound early In the year became iron-nerved fire-breathlng confidence as the season wore on He was fearless Over the next month with Blberdorfs help the Dodgers won 20 of 29 games Biberdorf became part of Vero Beach Dodgers history on July 21 when he earned his team-record 20th HOSFORD'SX DODGER'S and th We Have Something 'In Common 0 GUARANTEE We sal new 14K gold chains bracelets earrings and fine quality diamonds for less than any of our competitors' so-ca2ed sale prices that Includes 50 off sales and TV snop-at-home Afs a money-back guarantee If youfrS uisal' can buy It tor less anywhere Any jeweler can CONDITIONING OPEN SATURDAYS you quaflty gold difference is whatyou have to pay for Ml JEWELERS 770 MIRACLE fiilJLE (Just Wastrel Maryland Fried Chicken) 40756931 17 r- NOW 35 Years of Caring For Your Comfort 567-31100 9 Dealer of the Year OurEncJneanAerfl CBndorioSaUnM Wu CMC03S444.