The Knoxville News-Sentinel May 12, 1982
Shuffle Works for Bearden
By BILL LUTHER
News-Sentinel Sportswriter
Gary Mahoney was worried at mid-season. Bearden had lost five in a row after starting 10-0. The record sagged to 14-8.
The coach was so concerned he shuffled four players for defensive reasons. The Bulldogs haven’t been the same since. They’ve won nine straight.
As the District 4-AAA champions head into Thursday’s Region 2 championship game with Farragut at Tennessee’s Lower Hudson Field, Mahoney says his team is playing its best ball.
It could develop into a dream game. Both coaches expect to go with their pitching aces - 6-0 Mark Snyder for Bearden and 11-1 Jeff Glover for Farragut. Bearden has a 23-8 record, Farragut 21-4.
"It was like having Cadillac parts and not knowing how to put them together," said Mahoney of Bearden’s mid-season slump. "I knew we had the players. It was just getting them into the right spots. We were committing seven or eight errors a game, not including the mental ones. Our poor play was unbelievable."
The coach moved Jimmy Bailey to third, Greg Bohannon to short, Greg Williams to right and Jimbo Hodge to center.
"It wasn’t a question of one player going into a slump. It was the whole team. Once we made the moves, everything fell into place."
Bailey, son of former major-league catcher Ed, has been the hottest of the Bulldogs, the coach said.
"Jimmy has been sensational hitting the ball," Mahoney declared. "Since we started tournament play he’s 11 for 13 and should be 12 of 13. He’s moved past Mark (Snyder) and Neil Mary in hitting (.438)."
Mahoney expects the title game to turn into a pitching duel "because at this stage of the season that usually happens. This won’t be a game for either team to fall behind four or five runs."
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