Herald and Review from Decatur, Illinois • Page 17

Decatur, Illinois Wednesday, August 14, 1991 SPORTS tunrcHai-nmnangttTOii mm players Buopidii to maEce 'sEtow' Blakeman Class A infielder Badorek Class A pitcher By BRETT CLARX Staff Writer Edwards Class A pitcher Braunecker Class A pitcher Endebrock Qass A infielder .11, UWIH -IIIIILIUUIIIM i ySyTA fir T.W.V.-.---.-.- J' 1-1 Rnhprcnn Koslcfski Perry AAA outfielder AAA pitcher AA outfielder ffrVf A X-w-v They've taken drastically different roads to reach the minor leagues. They play different positions, have different talents and are at different levels in the minors. They do, however, have two things in common the goal of making it to "The Show," and that they all hail from the Decatur area. Here are player profiles for the Central Illinois natives and their statistics through last Sunday' games: MIKE BADOREK Ape: 22 Ht: 6-5 Wt: 230 Bats: Right Throws: Right High school: Mount Zion Position: Pitcher Career: Badorek graduated from Olivet Nazarene University and was plucked from the draft with the St. Louis Cardinals' 12th round pick in the 1991 Juni draft.

He was assigned to the Class A Hamilton Red- -birds in Ontario, Canada, where he is 2-3 with a 2.8? earned run average. TODD BLAKEMAN Ape: 21 Ht: 6-3 Wt: 220 Bats: Left Throws: Right High school: Uliopolis Position: Infield Careen After graduating from Lake Land Junior College in 1990, Blakeman was signed by the Minne sota Twins after being chosen with its 51st pick in the 1989 June draft. He was assigned to the Twins' Rookie League team in Elizabethton where he slugged a grand slam on August 26, 1990. DAREK BRAUNECKER Ape: 21 Ht: 6-1 Wt: 183 Bats: Right Throws: Right High school: Effingham Position: Pitcher Careen Braunecker went to Vincennes University and then attended the University of Arkansas at Little Rock before he was acquired as a free-agent by the Montreal Expos this year. He is playing for the Class A Jamestown (N.Y.) Expos and "has pitched 45 1-3 innings for a 2-2 record.

KURT ENDEBROCK Ape: 21 Ht: 6-2 Wt: 170 Bats: Right Throws: Right High school: Effingham Position: Infield Career: Endebrock was drafted after his junior year at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale during the 16th round of the June 1991 draft by the Oakland Athletics. RYAN EDWARDS Age: 23 Ht: 6-3 Wt: 215 Bats: Right Throws: Right High school: Warrensburg-Latham Position: Pitcher Career. Edwards started pitching at Lincoln Land Community College then graduated from Eastern Illinois University. After school, he was aquired by the Cincinnati Reds as a free agent in 1990. He was assigned to the Rookie League Billings (Mont.) Mustangs.

He now plays for the Class A Ce dar Rapids (Iowa) team. KEVIN KOSLCFSKI Age: 24 Ht: 5-8 Wt: 165 Bats: Left Throws: Right High School: Maroa-Forsyth Position: Outfield Careen Koslofski started his minor league career EkrJd ULlJ Royer AAA infielder Seitzer Shouse Class A infielder Class A pitcher -w. KTjy CLOWN PRINCE: The clown prince of baseball comedy, coaching third base for the Class A Springfield Cardi-Max Patkin, entertains the Lanphier Park crowd while nals. Weaver Tippitt Class A pitcher Playing soon FT" in iy4 wnen ne was seieciea Dy me tvansas Wiiy Royals in the June draft in the 20th round. He has made his way through the Royals' minor league system and was promoted to the Class AAA Omaha (Neb.) team on Aug.

6, 1991. Before being promoted from the Class AA Memphis (Tenn.) Chicks, Koslofski was the Southern League's leading hitter with .324 batting average. He led the team with a .470 slugging percentage an a .396 on base percentage. He had seven home runs and 39 runs batted in to go along with 10 stolen bases, 33 walks and 56 strikeouts. PAT PERRY Ann- V) IH fi-1 Wt 1 QH Rate- ft TfcrnnK- fft 'N'i lt-t 5 High school: Taylorville Position: Pitcher Careen Perry is the only one in the group of minor leaguers with major league experience.

He started his minor league career in 1978 when he was signed by the Houston Astros. He also nad a stay with the Cleveland Indians be fore signing with the St. Louis Cardinals where he -made his major league debut in 1985. After an injury to nis rotator cuff, he spent the SPORT; 4 If IQQrt spjisnn with th I.ns Aneplps Dnneers. Since then, he had a stav in the Seattle Mariners IN THE PEN: Trailing by five runs late in the game, a pitcher loosens up for Springfield while his teammates look on.

TCfl delphia Phillies' Class AAA ScrantonWilkes-Barre (Penn.) Red Barons. KEVIN R08ERS0N Ape: 23 Ht: 6-4 Wt: 210 Bats: Both Throws: Right High school: Eisenhower Position: Outfield Careen Roberson attended Parkland Junior College before he was signed by the Chicago Cubs afte being chosen with the its 15th pick in the 1988 June draft. He started his professional career by hitting safely in 13 of his first 14 at bats with the Rookie League Wytheville Cubs. STAN ROYER Age: 23 Ht: 6-3 Wt: 195 Bats: Right Throws: Right High school: Charleston Position: Infield Careen noyer piayea nis college Daseoaii ai eastern Illinois University and was chosen in the June 1988 free agent draft "by Oakland. In 1990, he was traded to the St.

Louis Cardinals in a deal that brought Felix Jose, Daryl Green and Royer to the Cardinals for Willie McGee. BRAD SEITZER Age: 21 Ht: 6-2 Wt: 195 Bats: Right Throws: Right High school: Lincoln Position: Infield Careen Seitzer played baseball at Memphis State University for three years before he signed with th Baltimore Orioles after being selected in June 1991 draft during the 11th round. ba, A. lie was aaaigucu iu uic iuwiuc Limgut umuiuu Orioles. During his 11 games at Bluefield, he had a .244 nirararfa ttritK fairs KstmA nine on1 fflfll nine h5)ttf1 COMIC RELIEF: Goofing off before the game with a teammate, Springfield outfielder Jeff Fayne keeps things upbeat in the dugout.

STRETCH: Cardinal spectators mingle around the concession stand during the seventh-inning stretch. 111. RPIAM CHOUSE Age: 22 Ht: 5-11 Wt: 175 Bats: Left Throws: Left High school: Effingham Position: Pitcher Careen Shouse was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pi-. rates in the June 1990 draft with the Pirates 13th selection. nliloiniilKa' Taylorville native is in his 13th season as a professional player After a stay with the Class A wetland (untano) Pirates, he moved to the Class A Augusta (Ga.) Pi rates this season where he had two wins and eight saves this year.

The eight saves tied placed him fourth on Augusta's single season list and it led the team. In July he was promoted to Class A Salem (Va.) Buccaneers. BRAD TIPPITT Age: 23 Ht: 6-1 Wt: 205 Bats: Right Throws: Right High school: Taylorville Position: Pitcher Careen Tippitt attended Kaskaskia College and Northwest Missouri State University before being signed as a non-drafted free-agent on July 1, 1990 1 the Baltimore Orioles. He beean his career with the Rookie League teai By BRETT CLARX Staff Writer in Bluefield where he was tied for the team lead with three saves and was one of two pitchers with me that opportunity." Perry said expansion should help his chances to hook on in the majors. He said, however, he would be insane to think it will be automatic.

"Everybody thinks 'expansion two more teams everybody will have a but that won't happen," he said. Perry said he doesn't foresee retirement any time soon. "Five years from now I might think I want to be retired, but that is not in my vocabulary right now," he said. The reason Perry plans to stay around is simple: he still loves the game. "It's a great way to make a living," he added.

"I have had fun from day one and I am still having fun." minors, those years before making it to the big leagues, I look back at those years as experience years," the pitcher said. After a short stay in the Cleveland minor league system, Perry was traded to the St Louis (Ordinals, where he made his major league debut in 1985. "The times in the big leagues were special and the times in the minors were special too," he said. After stays with the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds, Perry tore his rotator cuff in 1989 and hasn't pitched in the majors since. He is now back in the minors with the Philadelphia Phillies' Class AAA ScrantonWilkes-Barre Red Barons.

"The only thing that frustrates me is that I never pitched my way out of the big leagues," the 32-year-old pitcher said. Perry is now working for the same goal he started with in 1978 making it to the majors. "It's hard work," Perry said. "Whether you are striving to get to the big leagues for the first time or trying to get back. "I am confident I can get back." The second time in the minors, just like the first time, has paid dividends for Perry, who is married and the father of two young girls.

"I am throwing the ball as well as I ever have in the low 90s," Perry said. "I have never thrown that hard. "The minor leagues have provided I save and a complete game, ne was z-i wim a i.iw earned run average in nine games. This year he was promoted to the Class A Kane County Cougars where he has a 2-5 record. ERIC WEAVER In more ways then one, Pat Perry has grown up in the minor leagues.

The Taylorville native has ricocheted between the major and minor leagues for 13 years and the experience has changed him both as a pitcher and a person. "It made me mature," Perry said. "It was a time in my life when I wasn't sure who I was and wasn't sure if I could pitch at the big league level." Perry started his minor league career in 1978 after spending a year at Lake Land Community College. He was drafted by the Houston Astros in the winter draft and signed that spring. "I have spent such a long time in the Age: 18 Ht: 6-5 Wt: 225 Bats: Right Throws: Right High school: IlliopolisBuffalo Tri-City Position: Pitcher Careen Weaver signed a free-agent contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers after his senior year of high school.

He is expected to pitch this September with the Dodgers' Instructional League team. I.