PVBL: Kamloops Blazers
Optimistic Blazers Ready To Play Ball
March 9, 2000

When the Kamloops Blazers kick of the season tomorrow, they're going to feel like a stronger ball team than the one that finsished with the second worst record in the league last year.

"We only have a few changes since last year, but you should have seen some of these kids crush the ball this past month," veteran C and player/manager Bill Haselman said after the last day of spring training. Haselman was referring to Jermaine Dye, Brooks Kieschnick, Tony Birdsall, Wilson Delgado and Dmitri Young, all of which have cracked the opening day lineup.

He went on to comment that the team was a lot more confidant with their pitching: "With the recent acquisitions of Joe Burns and Bob Peterman, we're going to have a much stronger rotation, and we're going to be able to move some of the weaker arms that we had starting last year into the bullpen."

The core of the lineup will be made up of the "Insane Jermaines": Jermaine Allensworth and Jermaine Dye. The Blazers are expecting a lot from them.

Coach Haselman's prediction for the team this season? "We're not looking to make the playoffs, but we're going to do a hell of a lot better than we did last year."

OPENING DAY LINEUP
                        CH  PH  SP
2B Morandini, Mickey    71  33  60
LF Birdsall, Tony       62  66  56
CF Allensworth, Jermaine51  72  69
RF Dye, Jermaine        73  81  22
LF Kieschnick, Brooks   51  83  46
3B Snopek, Chris        45  93  39
1B Young, Dmitri        52  74  45
SS Delgado, Wilson      59  41  45
C Haselman, Bill        50  61  36

Twenty-one year old Bartolo Colon will get the ball for the Blazers in tomorrow's game.
                         Pitch Ratings
T  Name                 AS  EN  CO     FB  CU  SI  SL  CB
R  Colon, Bartolo       80  66  93     86   0   0  61  50

Good luck to everyone in the upcoming season (except for teams in my division, of course ;)

--written by Paul Glass