SPECIAL

Newest GreenJacket leads way

Web posted June 21, 1998

By Rob Mueller
Staff Writer

It's easy to see why they call him Captain Happy.

Because he was always so upbeat, always so positive in his approach to the game, Eddy Furniss' teammates at Louisiana State University gave him the unusual nickname.

When you swing the bat like Furniss, you have the right to be downright giddy, and the right to go by the ridiculous nickname of your choice.

The newest GreenJacket gave his new teammates reason to smile in his professional debut at Lake Olmstead Stadium, as the Jackets swept Savannah in a doubleheader, 8-2 and 8-1.

Batting third in both games, the Pittsburgh Pirates' fourth-round draft pick had quite a doubleheader -- 3-for-5 with two doubles, a walk, three RBI and three runs scored in the doubleheader.

In his first career at-bat, Furniss ripped a two-run double to center field in the first inning off Savannah ace Aaron Bond. The sweet-swinging left-hander rom Nacogdoches, Texas, finished his inaugural game 2-for-2 with three RBI.

Game 2 belonged to Jackets stater Andy Bausher (4-5). The Sand Gnats broke up Bausher's no-hit bid in the fifth inning, but the left-hander tossed six scoreless innings, allowing two hits with a career-high 12 strikeouts. The last nine outs Bausher recorded were all by strikeout, including the final six batters he faced.

The Jackets again got happy on Gnats pitching in Game 2 with Bo Hundt and Jose Reyes feasting, belting back-to-back home runs in the fourth inning. Hundt's three-run blast was his first of the year.

Based on more than reputation, the happiest Jacket of all Saturday had to be Furniss, who led LSU to back-to-back College World Series titles as a sophomore and junior, and to the semifinals in May.

Furniss batted .413 with 27 homers and 75 RBI this season, finishing his illustrious college career as the all-time Southeastern Conference leader in home runs, hits, RBI and double while ranking in the top five in NCAA history in four categories, including homers and RBI.

The three-time All-American was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the 14th-round of the 1997 draft but the 4.0 student returned to school to complete his studies and put the exclamation point on his LSU career.

Two weeks ago, Furniss won the Dick Howser Award, given to the nation's most outstanding college player as selected by the American Baseball Coaches Association. The award recognizes moral character, leadership and courage, and is named after the former Florida State coach and Kansas City Royals manager who died in 1987.

In the seven-inning Game 1 contest, the Jackets' top five hitters were a combined 6-for-12 with seven runs and seven RBI. Augusta (2-0) was led by Furniss and Derrick Lankford, who belted his eighth home run of the year, a two-run shot in the third inning.

The support was plenty for Chris Combs (3-2) who, in his third start, scattered five hits through 5 2/3 innings with five strikeouts. Reliever Larry Williams came on with two out in the sixth and closed the door, retiring the four Sand Gnats batters he faced.

Bond (7-4), who pitched in the South Atlantic League All-Star in Charleston, S.C., on Tuesday was charged with eight earned runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings.

NOTES: Carlos Rivera's solo home run leading off the fifth inning gave the Jackets their first three-homer game at The Lake in more than three seasons. ... Pirates' first-rounder Clint Johnston, who made his pitching debut on Thursday night, pinch hit in the sixth inning and singled. Johnston, who the Pirates took primarily as a pitcher, was best known for his hitting prowess at Vanderbilt. The 20-year-old batted .424 with 19 homers and 74 RBI for the Commodores this season. ... Savannah pitcher Jorge Carrion, who was shelled in Thursday night's loss that gave the Jackets the first-half title of the SAL Southern Division, has apparently retired. After the Jackets scored 10 runs in the first inning off Carrion in an 11-2 win, he reportedly got a ride from a teammate to Bush Field, rented a car and drove back to Savannah, where he boarded a plane and flew home to New York. The 21-year-old right-hander is 5-5 with a 5.65 ERA. ... In the three-game series, the Jackets have scored 15 runs on 10 hits in the first inning. ... Left-hander John Grabow will be activated from the disabled list today to make his first start in three weeks.

Game 1

Savannah -- 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 -- 2
Augusta -- 3 0 2 1 2 0 x -- 8

LOB -- Savannah 5, Augusta 2. 2B -- Hafner (5), Evans (7), Furniss 2 (2). HR -- Lankford (8). SB -- Piniella (24), DeHaan (23), Gutierrez (31), Lankford (6). SF -- Burns.

Game 2

Savannah -- 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 -- 1
Augusta -- 2 0 0 4 1 1 x -- 8

E -- Cordero (16), Lina (6), Hundt (3). LOB -- Savannah 4, Augusta 6. 2B -- Fisher (12), Bryant (2), Burns (11), Pena (7). HR -- Hundt (1), Reyes (3), Rivera (4). SB -- DeHaan (24), Gutierrez (32). CS -- Romano (9), Burns (4). SF -- Furniss.