Everett Pitcher Thrown For A Loop In July
The universe’s powerful, unseen forces took umbrage with Everett pitcher Rafael Rivera in mid-July.
Rivera developed flu symptoms while the AquaSox visited Yakima July 16-18.
Back in Everett, good news arrived in the form of a bonus check. Eager to assist wife Maria and newborn daughter Valeria in Puerto Rico, Rivera attempted to cash the check.
Sorry, Mr. Rivera, said the cold-hearted banker. You’ll need an identification card.
Unable to secure the card before the weekend, Rivera rushed to Memorial Stadium for a pregame shave.
No, he didn’t accidentally slash a main artery. Instead, the towel he draped around his neck while shaving had been washed with a detergent that caused a severe allergic reaction.
His host parents in Everett, Vic and Marty Blea, rushed Rivera to the hospital for two shots.
Bored with antagonizing Rivera, the universal forces released their grip and turned their attention elsewhere. Rivera pitched two innings of hitless relief July 24 and another perfect inning July 29.
Doing the Turner Turnaround
Bellingham unseated Everett for the North Division lead the day Shane Turner took over as manager.
In Turner’s first game, July 27, Bellingham beat Everett 4-1 as Ken Vining hurled six shutout innings.
Turner replaced Ozzie Virgil Sr., who was sent to manage parent club San Francisco’s team in the Dominican Republic. Virgil replaced former major leaguer Matty Alou - brother of Montreal manager Felipe Alou - who was injured in a car wreck.
Shirts off their backs
Seattle pitcher Chris Bosio kept a souvenir from his July 23 rehab assignment at Everett.
“You can bill me $500 if you want to, but I’m taking this with me,” Bosio told owner Bob Bavasi as he packed away his AquaSox jersey.
As Everett prepared for Saturday’s rehab stint by Mariners ace Randy Johnson, Bavasi predicted the Big Unit begged for the assignment to secure an AquaSox jersey.
Bavasi said the team had a jersey waiting for Johnson, but the 6-foot-10 southpaw should bring his own pants.
You snooze, you lose
Portland’s Doug Livingston led the NWL with a .322 batting average when a sore hamstring sidelined him.
In his absence, five batters have zipped by him in the league standings, including Spokane’s Brandon Berger, whose .335 heading into the weekend topped the list.
Swinging for the fences
Eugene, with 54 homers in 44 games, is on pace to break the short-season league record of 86 set by Walla Walla in 1978.
Steve Hacker (14 homers) and Corey Pointer (11) could break Eugene’s short-season club record (17) set by Bob Hamelin in 1988.
Spokane is close to Eugene, with 51 homers in 44 games.
New look in Everett
Everett unveiled plans for $5.3 million in stadium renovations last Tuesday. Bids will be accepted Friday through Sept. 5, and construction should be completed for next season.
Improvements include expanded grandstands, added concession stands, new dugouts, improved lighting and sound systems, and a message center in left field. A monument is planned to mark the spot Ken Griffey Jr. hit his first professional homer, while playing for Bellingham in 1987.
, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: SUPCAT = COLUMN - Northwest League Notebook