SHAPPI WILL BE ON DISPLAY.Byline: Nathan Kurz Special to the Daily News LANCASTER - It's time It's Time was a successful political campaign run by the Australian Labor Party (ALP) under Gough Whitlam at the 1972 election in Australia. Campaigning on the perceived need for change after 23 years of conservative (Liberal Party of Australia) government, Labor put forward a for JetHawks newcomer A.J. Shappi to audition for the playoff rotation. Shappi, the Diamondbacks' ninth-round pick in the June amateur draft, was promoted from Single-A short season Yakima (Wash.) on Monday and will start for Lancaster tonight against Lake Elsinore. ``Right now, we're eyeing him as a starter,'' JetHawks pitching coach Dan Carlson
It will be a quick test for Shappi. There's only five days left in the regular season, but it appears that one outing will determine whether he gets a start in the postseason for the JetHawks. ``We'll see what he's about after the second or third time through the lineup,'' Carlson said. ``If he breezes through the lineup a couple of times, then he's got the stuff to start here right away. If he only gets through the lineup once and then gets dinged up, well, that happens to a lot of kids. Then he'll be in the bullpen.'' Shappi started for Yakima on Sunday and arrived in Lancaster on Monday. He threw a bullpen session with Carlson, who said he was impressed by Shappi. ``He had some nice sink to his fastball, a sharp slider A block of material that holds the read/write head of a magnetic disk. See flying head. and a good change,'' Carlson said. ``He was quick out of the stretch and he seems like a good athlete in good shape.'' Shappi dominated hitters while at Yakima. He went 4-1 with a league-best 1.75 ERA, 65 strikeouts and only eight walks in 67 innings INNINGS, estates. Lands gained from the sea by draining. Cunn. L. Dict. h. t.; Law of Sewers, 31. . But don't be fooled. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Shappi isn't a power pitcher In baseball, a power pitcher is a pitcher who relies on the velocity of his pitches, sometimes at the expense of accuracy. Power pitchers usually record a high number of strikeouts and statistics such as strikeouts per 9 innings pitched are common measures of power. . His fastball tops out at 88 miles per hour and he relies more on location and changing speeds to get hitters out. ``I've just got to try to mix things up - it's all I can really do,'' he said. While pitching at UC Riverside, Shappi compiled similar numbers - a 25-10 record over three seasons with a 3.81 ERA. He struck out 217 and walked only 70 in 307 2/3 innings. Shappi was an excellent student in college, too. He majored in chemistry and earned a 3.6 grade-point average. He insists, however, that the cerebral exercises did little to aid him in his mental games of chess with hitters. ``Pitching is about keeping yourself in the game and reminding yourself that you've got the stuff to get people out,'' he said. ``In chemistry, everything's already proven, and you're just memorizing a bunch.'' He missed the last three weeks of the season at UC Riverside with a strained flexor flexor /flex·or/ (flek´ser) 1. causing flexion. 2. a muscle that flexes a joint. flexor retina´culum see entries under retinaculum. tendon in his right arm. But the Highlanders didn't qualify for the NCAA Tournament NCAA Tournament can mean: Men's Sports
Lancaster Municipal Stadium is a notoriously bad park for pitchers because of its location at a high elevation and a consistent wind blowing out. But don't tell that to Shappi, who wants to keep climbing the minor league ladder. ``I know this park is tough, but if I try to change how I pitch, it will eat me up,'' he said. ``I just have to try to keep the ball down and my team in the game.'' --Mix and match: JetHawks starter Sam Smith made his first appearance Monday since being moved to the bullpen. He pitched a scoreless eighth inning and recorded two strikeouts. Smith was the odd man out when the JetHawks decided they'd switch to a four-man rotation for the playoffs. Enrique Gonzalez and Jesus Silva will probably be the first two starters. Shappi might be the third. Adam Bass and Pete Zamora (UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX ) are both in the mix for the last spot, though Carlson admitted he was more comfortable with Bass, who went 2-0 with a 3.60 ERA in August. Zamora had a 8.90 ERA and allowed 50 hits in 31 1/3 innings during the month. Acting manager Eric Fox Eric Hollis Fox was born on August 15, 1963 in Lemoore, California. The 5'10", 180 pound former Major League Baseball player attended Fresno State University. A switch hitter who through left handed, Fox was taken in the 22nd round (566th overall) of the 1984 draft by the said Smith will serve as the set-up man for closer Justin Wechsler for the rest of the year and could close if necessary. CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1) Jesus Silva is expected to be one of the JetHawks' top starting pitchers Noun 1. starting pitcher - (baseball) a pitcher who starts in a baseball game baseball, baseball game - a ball game played with a bat and ball between two teams of nine players; teams take turns at bat trying to score runs; "he played baseball in high school"; when postseason play begins later this month. (2 -- ran in AV edition only) SMITH Michael Owen
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