What a Way to finish

Illness slowed Chris Way during Ridgewood's season, but his bat and glove came in handy for Hernando.

By JOHN C. COTEY

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 6, 2000

Chris Way, a few months removed from arguably his most difficult season as a baseball player, is a champion today.

As a member of the Hernando County Dixie League majors all-star team, Way played an instrumental role in helping his team win the Dixie World Series this week in Euless, Texas.

It was the first majors title for Hernando in 17 years.

Playing rightfield in Thursday night's title game, Way singled and scored a run and made a crucial defensive play as Hernando beat Texas 7-6.

Way played high school baseball for Ridgewood and lives in Seven Hills, a tiny strip of Pasco County that carries a Spring Hill address, making him eligible to play for the Hernando Youth League.

As a Ram, Way's senior season was a miserable one. He suffered from a series of ailments that took enough out of the 6-foot-5 right-hander to cause him to struggle.

Expected to be Pasco County's top pitcher and a top draft prospect, Way was counted on to carry an inexperienced Ridgewood team. He went 3-5 with a 3.70 ERA.

Despite struggling on the mound, Way's bat remained valuable as he hit seven home runs and batted .333.

His bat was valuable for Hernando too.

Against Texas Thursday night, he singled in the first inning and came around to score on Denis Hernandez's sacrifice fly.

Way walked in the second and fourth innings.

In the bottom of the sixth, former Hernando High catcher and Florida State signee Chris Cole hit a two-run home run to give Hernando a 7-6 lead. Though Way was on deck when Cole blasted his shot over the rightfield fence, he would still get his chance to make his mark on the game.

In the top of the seventh, with one out, Way came charging in to make a spectacular diving catch of a liner to help finish off Texas.

"This feels really good, just awesome," said coach Tim Sims, who was a player on the '83 team but had seen his teams fall short of the title in four Series since. "It's a great feeling as a coach when something comes together like this. This was great baseball."

The team's coaches and 16 players planned to stop in Dallas on the way home to visit Dealey Plaza, the site of John F. Kennedy's assassination, for a dose of education after a steady diet of baseball, baseball and baseball.

"We want to have some time for learning, for a little history," Sims said.

The team had that area covered Thursday night, putting itself in the record books by winning a tournament that included state champs from nine other Southern states.

"There were some quality baseball teams that we sent home this week," said Sims, whose team lost its first game against a Georgia team but rebounded to win its next five games. "We've been together 17 days, counting the state tournament, and there hasn't been one problem. They have been so focused."

Thursday's victory gave redemption to many players.

Seven of the nine starters were on Sims' team at Hernando High, which had seen its season end with a 9-8 loss at Eustis in the regional semifinals. Cole, in particular, struck out four times against Eustis after just seven strikeouts all season, and the Florida State signee needed a solid summer of Dixie ball to get that bitter taste out of his mouth.

The same goes for Way, who will play for St. Petersburg Junior College in the fall and spring and heads off to college on a positive note.

- Times staff writer Greg Auman contributed to this report.

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