Streak cures Stars’ Davis of playing hunches

Steve Guiremand

Friday, April 30, 1999 | 10:48 a.m.

Normally a .232 batting average isn't much to get excited about. But if you're Las Vegas Stars catching prospect Ben Davis, it's definitely reason to celebrate.

It was only a couple of weeks ago the talented 6-4, 210-pound Davis would look up at the scoreboard and see .035 next to his name following a dreadful 1-for-28 start at the triple-A level.

But thanks to a few adjustments to his batting stance, Davis, rated the 24th best prospect in minor league baseball by Baseball America, bounced back to get 12 hits in his next 28 at-bats (.428) to raise his average to .232 heading into Thursday night's 9-4 loss to the Calgary Cannons at Cashman Field.

"We got him to get his upper body more upright," Stars' hitting coach Craig Colbert said. "He was kind of hunched over before."

Why would that make much of a difference?

"It allows him to rotate his hips easier," Colbert explained. "The more bent over you get in a stance the easier it is to lose your balance. That's really the only thing Ben and I have talked about."

"I was tilting over too much," Davis said. "If you move your head that much, you're going to lose track of the ball."

Colbert had nothing but compliments for Davis' hitting the last two weeks.

"His bat speed is unbelievable right now," Colbert said.

"I've always been a slow starter," Davis said. "It's kind of a relief to put that part of my season behind me now."

* JUAN-HANDED: Shortstop Juan Melo, who will be sidelined two more weeks after breaking his left index finger two weeks ago at Iowa, continues to take his swings despite having his entire left hand in a hard cast.

Melo has been keeping in shape by playing soft toss (hitting underhand lobs into a nearby net) with one-armed swings. The switch-hitter takes between 10 to 15 swings from each side. When he bats right-handed, it looks like he's practicing his backhand for tennis.

"I want to keep my hand-eye coordination," Melo explained.

* DASCENZO RETURNS: Former Las Vegas Stars outfielder Doug Dascenzo ends a week-long stay in town as a roving outfield/baserunning instructor for the Padres.

The veteran major leaguer played briefly in Las Vegas last season and finished up the year as a player-coach in double-A Mobile for current Stars manager Mike Ramsey.

* INJURY UPDATE: Outfielder Mike Darr (pulled rib cage muscle) is eligible to come off the disabled list on Sunday but Ramsey is unsure whether Darr will be ready to return.

"We'll just have to wait and see how he feels then," Ramsey said.

First baseman Mike Mitchell (strained quadricep) could be sidelined another three or four days and could be placed on the disabled list.

* GAME RECAP: Calgary outfielder Danny Bautista, a late spring training cut by the Atlanta Braves who was picked up the Florida Marlins and sent to triple-A, hit a two-run home run in a three-run Calgary ninth as the Cannons rallied for a 9-4 victory over the Stars at rainy Cashman Field on Thursday night.

It was the fifth loss in six games for the Stars (9-12), who once again were let down by their struggling bullpen. Calgary, trailing 4-3 entering the eighth inning, scored three runs in each of the final two innings to pull it out.

* UP NEXT: The Stars conclude their homestand tonight with a 7:05 contest against Calgary. Right-hander Brian Tollberg (1-2, 5.84) will go against Cannons' righty Erik Hansen (0-1, 9.53). Las Vegas then embarks on a 12-game, 13-day road trip to Canada.