The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, July 12, 1979, Page Page 5, Image 5
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Bv Brett Friadlnnd?r
Sports Editor
ATLANTA ? Over the past
decade, Carolina's baseball
program has been one of the finest
in the nation. Twice in the past five
years, the Gamecocks have
finished second in the college
World Series.
The reason for the continued
success is a combination of two
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first-rate talent. Since 1974, six
Gamecocks have been named to
the coaches All-American team,
while a total of 19 have signed
professional baseball contracts.
Ill IT AC All
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to ever don a Carolina uniform,
perhaps the best was first
baseman Hank Small. A native of
Atlanta, Small contributed to
USC's program for four years.
During that career, he almost
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record book.
His career batting average in 191
games was .354 ? very good for a
power hitter. He also belted 48
homers and drove in 184 runs over
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the same span. Never before had
anyone hit so many hnmp rnns in a
collegiate career as Small. In fact,
only Arizona State's Bob Horner
has surpassed his total since.
At the end of his outstanding
career at USC, Small was drafted
by his hoiyietown Atlanta Braves in
a high round. This seemed like a
lucky break for the former
Gamecock star. Not onlv would he
get a chance to play in front of his
family and friends, but he would
also be hitting in a ballpark, affectionately
called the "launching
pad," that is suited for his power
from the right side of the plate.
THK BKAvrJJS also seemed to
get a lucky break when they
acquired Small. A team which
usually finishes in last place, the
Braves were in need of some offensive
punch to make up for the
ioss oi nome run King HanK Aaron.
They also needed some solid
defense in their problematic infield.
The Braves seemed to have
all of that in Small.
But things just haven't worked
out for either the Atlanta Braves or
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not mean Small did not keep up his
end of the deal.
A year ago, Small batted .289
with 25 home runs and 101 runs
batted in for Richmond of the
International League. He led the
league in homers and RBI's and
won most valuable player honors
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club to a championship.
EVEN WITH SUCH impressive
statistics, the Braves seemed
uninterested in Small's performance
and potential. Instead of
giving him a shot at the starting
job in the majors, the team went
out and signed 34-year-old free
agent Mike Lum for the job at
$300,000. Lum, a "retread'' who
was traded away from the Braves
in 1976 has a career batting
average of .248 with only 82 runs in
11 major league seasons.
So at the beginning of the current
season, Small found himself back
in uie minors wunoui geuing a iair
chance to prove himself. Obviously
discouraged over the turn of
events, he is having a sub-par
season at Richmond this year. To
complicate matters, 23-year-old
catcher Dale Murphy has been
moved to first base following a
knee iniurv. This move leaves
Small's future up in the air.
IT SEEMS AS though the Braves
have run out of options with Small
and are happy to have him rot
away in the minors. With a new
Cocks play
summer ball
Three former Gamecocks and
two current members of USC's
baseball team are performing well
in summer baseball. Wes Westbrook,
Aaron Scott, Randy Rogers,
Greg Jonson and Martin Small are
all members of the DeKalb, Ga.,
Yankees of the Tubbv Walton Stan
Musial Baseball League for 21- and
22-year-olds.
Their team has compiled a 7-1
record in league play, good enough
for first place, and is 13-3 overall.
Thus far, the best statistics have
come from Westbrook, who just
completed his final season of
eligibility with I JSP Tho loft
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handed first baseman already has
10 home runs and 31 runs batted in.
In a 27-0 victory over Hapeville,
Ga., he hit three round-trippers
and had nine HBI's.
SHORTSTOP JONSON is the
team's spark plug according to
coach Rodney Smith. He leads the
team in both batting average and
stolen bases. The returning senior
is hitting .420. Rogers, a center
fielder, is the leadoff hitter and
sports a .320 batting average.
Scott and Small are the main
pitchers on the team. Both men
have 3-1 records. Scott is a right
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Small, brother of the Atlanta
Braves' Hank, is a southpaw who
relies mainly on his fastball.
at aea<
general manager who does not
know a lot about the system's
personnel, Small's chances of
being called up seem distant at
best. The most fortunate thing for
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deal him to a team that could use
his vast talents as a baseball
player.
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In four seasons as a professional,
Hank Small has already had
enough ups and downs to last an
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down right now, he will get his
chance ? somewhere and
sometime. One can only hope he is
patient enough to wait for that
chance.
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