Carpenter Is Still Hammering -- Clutch-Hitting Shortstop Helps Studs To Series

Scott Carpenter enjoyed a dream season playing semipro baseball for the Everett Merchants in 1988.

That's about when his dream of playing professional baseball ended.

Carpenter, a 1988 graduate of the University of Washington who works in Bellevue and lives in Redmond, still loves to play the game. He jumped to the Seattle Performance Radiator Studs this season, becoming the regular shortstop.

If Carpenter's 1988 accomplishments weren't enough to earn him a pro shot, nothing will, he figures. That season, he was the Western International League's most valuable player, batting .460 and leading the league in runs batted in.

At the National Baseball Congress World Series, in front of scouts from virtually every major-league team, Carpenter hit .333 and was named to the all-tournament team as the Merchants won the championship.

No one seemed to notice.

"That was about the most perfect season I'd ever had," he said. "I had a good tournament and we were showcased by winning it. Nothing came out of it. I figured that was my best shot, so it was time to move on."

Playing just for fun

At this week's NBC World Series in Wichita, Kan., Carpenter will just play for fun. The Studs earned a third straight trip by winning a third consecutive league title (it's now the Pacific International League). The Studs open against Jacksonville, Fla., Friday at 3 p.m. PDT.

Carpenter played five more seasons with Everett after his big 1988 season, then decided, at 28, it was time to join another team. The Studs, known for their veteran players, seemed the perfect choice.

"Everett has a lot more younger players and they try to get them the most playing time," said Carpenter, a graduate of Oak Harbor High School who manages a paint store. "I felt I would have a better chance playing with the Studs."

Jeff Scanlan, a long-time Studs player who took over as head coach this season when Barry Aden left to help start the Tacoma semipro team, expected Carpenter to be a utility infielder. Juanita graduate Greg Hunter, released by the Seattle Mariners last summer, was the returning shortstop. But Hunter developed a sore arm early in the season and Carpenter has been a fixture since.

Carpenter leads the team in runs scored (28), is second in RBI (17) and is batting .311 in the No. 2 spot.

"Scott has been a savior," said Scanlan, another UW graduate ('82) who works in Bellevue and lives in Mercer Island. "He's just been clutch. He's been our MVP out there."

Injuries have plagued the Studs (29-13). Mickie Schmith, last year's leading pitcher at 10-1, experienced arm trouble during the offseason and has thrown fewer than five innings. He continues his duties as general manager. Dean Banks, a Redmond High School graduate who started at second base last season, hasn't played since hurting his back in an auto accident in May. Infielder Rich Mialovich, a Juanita High product, also has arm trouble and has been limited to designated-hitter duty. Scanlan, in his 15th year with the team, had rotator-cuff surgery last fall and plays sparingly at first base.

To top it off, Dan DiMascio, the team's top hitter and usual first baseman, could not make the trip to Wichita. Second baseman Mike McCain and the Dow brothers, Dan and Mark, also are staying home. Dan Dow is an assistant coach and part-time player. His wife is expecting a baby. Mark, the regular left fielder, has a broken finger. Both are Interlake High graduates.

Carpenter must return from Wichita by next Wednesday for his company's mid-year meeting. The tournament runs through the following Sunday, Aug. 12.

40th-anniversary season

The Studs are celebrating their 40th anniversary. The late Ben Cheney, owner of the Cheney Lumber Company in Tacoma, started the team in 1954. The Studs won the National American Baseball Congress championship in 1960, and won three straight Casey Stengel World Series titles (1976-78).

Former major-leaguers Ron Cey and Bob Stinson played for the Studs. Current pros Kevin Stocker (Phillies) and Mike Blowers (Mariners) are also alums. The 40th-anniversary program lists nearly 100 former Studs with professional experience.

Pitcher Mark Yockey joined the team at midseason after being released from the Florida Marlins' Class AA farm club. Others on the team with professional experience are Hunter (Mariners), McCain (Twins), DiMascio (Tigers), Dave Ross (Phillies, Cubs) and John Tsoukalas (Blue Jays).

Notes

-- Juanita High grad Bill Cook plays center field and bats leadoff, hitting .361 with 27 runs scored and 13 RBI. Other Eastsiders on the team are pitcher Dan Crow (Mercer Island) and catcher Curt Wright (Redmond).

-- Aden, the Studs' coach from 1990-93 and a longtime player, is baseball coach at Liberty High School of Issaquah. He was head coach and pitched this season for the Tacoma Timbers. The Timbers earned the PIL's second berth to nationals by winning the Northwest qualifying tournament last weekend. The Tacoma roster includes Redmond's Tom Magruder, who plays first base.