Monday, Oct. 20, 2008 | 6:58 p.m.
Each of the World Series teams will have several former Las Vegas players on its roster when Philadelphia starts the championship series Wednesday in Tampa Bay.
That includes Willy Aybar, one of the stars Sunday night in the Rays' series-clinching 3-1 victory over Boston in St. Petersburg, Fla. Aybar's solo homer in the bottom of the seventh gave Tampa Bay its 3-1 lead.
Tampa Bay pitcher Edwin Jackson was picked by Los Angeles in the sixth round of the 2001 draft, and he went 6-4, with a 5.84 earned-run average, for the Dodgers' Triple-A club in Las Vegas in 2004. That season Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino hit .235 for the 51s.
In 2005, Jackson went 3-7, with an 8.62 ERA for the 51s.
Moreover, Philadelphia outfielder Jayson Werth hit .412 for the 51s in 2004 and .367 in 2005. The Dodgers had obtained him in a trade from Toronto. The Phillies signed Werth, 9-for-37 in this postseason with a solo home run, as a free agent in December 2006.
In January 2006, Jackson and Chuck Tiffany were traded from the Dodgers to the Rays for Danys Baez and Lance Carter.
Jackson threw in two games against the Red Sox, giving up no hits and two walks while striking out four over 2 1/3 innings.
Victorino, plucked by Philly from the Dodgers in the Rule 5 draft in December 2004, has hit a triple and two homers this postseason and driven in 11 runs. In 2003, Victorino hit .390 in Las Vegas.
Aybar, a switch-hitting third baseman for the Rays, hit .297 for the 51s in 2005 and .315 in 2006. Aybar hit .421, with two homers and six RBIs, in the Rays' series against Boston.
The Dodgers signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2000. In July 2006, the Dodgers dealt Baez and Aybar to Atlanta for Wilson Betemit. In January, the Braves traded Aybar to Tampa Bay.
Los Angeles ended its affiliation with Las Vegas after the 2008 season. Toronto will begin using the 51s organization as their Triple-A franchise starting in 2009.
Those aren't the only former 51s who will be in the World Series.
George Hendrick, who played 18 seasons in the Major Leagues and has served as first base coach of the Rays for the past three seasons, resides in Las Vegas and was the hitting instructor for the 51s in 2003 and 2004.
Tampa Bay catcher Dioner Navarro played in 2005 and 2006 for Las Vegas (2005-06) and batted .253. The Rays acquired him in a trade from the Dodgers in June 2006.
Philadelphia third base coach Steve Smith goes even farther back in Las Vegas than the 51s. He managed the Stars in 1988 (winning a Pacific Coast League title) and 1989.
Join the Discussion:
Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.
Full comments policy