Expanded rosters won’t make stars out of Stars

Tim Graham

Tuesday, Sept. 1, 1998 | 10:44 a.m.

For minor-league baseball players, this can be more exciting than Christmas morning.

Today is the day major-league teams expand their active rosters from 25 to 40 players. It's a time to reward select farmhands with the priceless gift of experiencing the Show.

But when the Las Vegas Stars arrive in the clubhouse in preparation of tonight's 7:05 game against the Tucson Sidewinders, every one of them just might find a lump of coal in their lockers. And it won't have anything to do with Monday night's 10-8 loss to the Sidewinders in 11 innings at Cashman Field.

As of Monday night, the parent San Diego Padres had shown no indication of recalling anyone from Las Vegas. With the Padres playing for the postseason, any roster change must be done with extreme care so as not to disturb team chemistry.

"This isn't the day for us," Stars manager Jerry Royster said. "Our day comes at the end of the season. Our guys aren't expecting anything to happen until then."

The Stars have seven games remaining, including three more at home.

Three weeks ago, Padres general manager Kevin Towers told the San Diego Union-Tribune he probably would call up five or six minor leaguers today. The Stars names mentioned at the time were third baseman George Arias, utilityman Archi Cianfrocco, outfielder James Mouton and pitchers Matt Clement and Roberto Ramirez.

Catcher Ben Davis at double-A Mobile also was named by Towers because Davis has a contract clause requiring a call-up by today.

Arias has been with the Padres, and pitcher Stan Spencer was called up last week. That means Davis may be the only other one summoned to the big club today.

The reasons for the Padres' unwillingness to add players is rooted in their postseason aspirations. For the first time since the league playoffs were expanded to four entries and two rounds, the team with the best record will possess home-field advantage throughout.

San Diego is 89-49, one game behind Atlanta and two games ahead of Houston in the National League race.

"They got an agenda," Royster said of the Padres. "You see that with George Arias. Here's a guy who was having a career year here -- 36 home runs, 119 RBIs -- and he isn't being used at all. Anyone else who gets called up will be used even less than he is."

Royster predicted any moves the Padres make before the end of the season will involve veterans. When every game counts, there is no time to let the crops ripen.

"They're going to be familiar faces," Royster said. "There's not going to be any conversations starting with 'Hi. How ya doin'? I'm so-and-so.'"

In addition, it's counterproductive to call up youngsters and have them sit on the bench when they could be learning and playing every day in the minors.

That's why the players most apt to get promoted are Cianfrocco (over four years of major- league service), steady second baseman Dave Hajek (71 days), Mouton (over four years) and infielder Eddie Williams (over four years).