Former Warhawk works to return to Blue Jays

By DAVE THEALL

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 16, 2000

A former Seminole High baseball player currently with the Triple-A Syracuse SkyChiefs is trying to pitch his way back up to the parent Toronto Blue Jays.

Clayton Andrews pitched 71/3 strong innings July 9, allowing just one run on six hits as the SkyChiefs beat Ottawa 5-1. Since being sent down to Syracuse, Andrews is 5-2 in 10 starts. He has given up 59 hits and 25 earned runs with 33 walks and 33 strikeouts. He's holding opposing batters to a .273 average.

Andrews, 22, a left-hander, was drafted in the third round by the Blue Jays in 1996.

He has pitched for Medicine Hat in the Pioneer League, Dunedin in the Florida State League, Hagerstown in the South Atlantic League and Knoxville in the Double-A Southern League.

MORE MINOR-LEAGUERS: After a rocky start with the Class-A Augusta (Ga.) GreenJackets, reliever B.J. Leach (Osceola High/Florida Southern) has come on strong, earning a place on the South Atlantic all-star team. Before a crowd of 5,565 in Charleston, S.C., he pitched the South Division to a 5-4 10-inning win. Leach won the game the hard way. He gave up a home run in the top of the 10th, allowing the North to go up 4-3. However, the South scored twice in the bottom of the 10th, making Leach the winner. "I just made a bad pitch, but everything came out all right," said Leach, who was signed by Boston in 1999 after being drafted in the 14th round.

"It was a good game. It was fun. All I've tried to do this season is to get ahead of the hitters. I know all I have to do is throw strikes and let the fielders make the plays behind me. I know they're going to get the job done."

On the season, Leach leads the league with 25 saves to go with a 1-2 record and 1.33 ERA in 472/3 innings. He has given up only 24 hits and 7 earned runs with 12 walks and 57 strikeouts.

GreenJackets manager Mike Boulanger said he wasn't surprised to see Leach get the win in the all-star game.

"It's pretty much automatic with B.J.," Boulanger said. "We know that if we can get the ball in his hands, it's going to be a win. He has been close to untouchable since his first two outings, which he lost."

Two former opponents are minor league teammates.

Clint Chrysler, a former Times player of the year for Boca Ciega, and Lakewood graduate Jason Haynie are with the Lynchburg (Va.) Hillcats of the high Class A Carolina League, an affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Chrysler, who went on to star at Stetson, was a 17th-round draft pick of Seattle in 1997. He was picked up by the Pirates last December.

As the set-up man, Chrysler is 2-1 with a 2.65 ERA on a club with a 33-56 record. In 32 appearances, he has four saves, walked 11, struck out 39 and held opposing batters to a .205 average.

Haynie, who went from Lakewood to the University of South Carolina, has a 2-7 record as a starter with a 5.67 ERA. In 601/3 innings, he has given up 24 walks, struck out 44, and his opponents' batting average is .305.

Chris Heintz (Countryside/South Florida) is catching and batting .212 for the Birmingham Barons of the Double A Southern League, an affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.

He has 1 homer, 17 RBI, 29 hits, 1 triple, 12 walks and 18 strikeouts.

Kurt Bultmann (Seminole/Clemson) is playing the infield for the Hickory Crawdads of the Class A South Atlantic League, an affiliate of the Pirates. He's batting .205 with one homer and nine RBI.

SWIMMING: Two Texas A&M swimmers from the county have qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, which will be held in Indianapolis starting Aug. 9.

Monica Williams, a former state champion for Dunedin in the 50 and 100 freestyle, has qualified in the 100 and 200 free and the 200 individual medley.

A senior majoring in psychology, Williams finished third at the Big 12 championships in the 200 IM and fourth in the 100 and 200 free.

"I just started swimming the IM this year," said Williams, a product of the Dunedin Aquatics Club and West Florida Lightning Aquatics. "It will be great going back to Indianapolis having reached the Olympic Trials. I'll be going with six Aggie teammates, so it will be fun. However, making the team going to Sydney is something else. Only two qualify in each event."

Williams, the daughter of Boston Red Sox manager Jimy Williams, has applied to graduate schools in the Boston area, where she plans to study for a master's degree in business. Jerrod Kappler (Tarpon Springs) will compete for a place on the Olympic team in the 50 and 100 free. He graduated in May with a degree in engineering. He wasn't eligible to swim for the university this spring but did compete for the Aggie Swim Club.

VOLLEYBALL: Kellie Haire, a member of the Times 1999 all-Pinellas first team playing for state champion Clearwater, will face a familiar opponent and friend when Presbyterian (Clinton, S.C.) College playes Gulf South Conference rival Carson-Newman this fall.

Her sister, Stacie, is a standout for the Eagles from Jefferson City, Tenn., also by way of Clearwater. Stacie led Carson-Newman in aces, 28, and passing percentage, .983, last season.

This fall, the sisters will compete against each other Sept. 6, Oct. 5 and Oct. 27.

Also, Presbyterian will be at Saint Leo for a tournament Aug. 26-27.

TRACK: At Florida State, Jason Dean (Clearwater High), who ranked among the top 50 pole vaulters in the nation last year with a mark of 17 feet, 43/4 inches, has resumed vaulting after breaking his wrist in February.

He won the ACC indoor title last year but was not able to compete this season.

The Olympic Trials qualifying mark for vaulters is 18-41/2. The men's pole vault will be shown today by WFLA Ch. 8.

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