Davis headed for all-star appearance

Steve Guiremand

Friday, June 18, 1999 | 10:42 a.m.

The honors keep rolling in for Las Vegas Stars catcher Ben Davis.

The 22-year-old former No. 1 draft pick of the San Diego Padres, widely regarded as the top catching prospect in baseball, has been selected to represent the United States team in the inaugural Futures All-Star Game to be played on Sunday, July 11, at Boston's Fenway Park.

Davis is the only player from the San Diego organization to make the team, which will face an international all-star squad two days before the Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Fenway.

"It's a pretty impressive list of players in the game," San Diego Padres general manager Kevin Towers, who nominated Davis for the team, said.

Davis, who extended his hitting streak to 20 games with two more hits in Thursday night's 7-6 victory over the Tucson Sidewinders at Cashman Field, grew up on the East Coast outside of Philadelphia. However, he has never been to Fenway Park.

"It's such a big thrill for me to be able to go and play in that park," he sad. "I'm really looking forward to it. It's close enough that my family will be able to come and see me play."

Davis will miss the final two games of the Stars' July 8-11 series at Fresno to play in the contest.

"That's icing on the cake for a job well done," said Stars' manager Mike Ramsey. "But his ultimate job is still to have a long and successful big league career."

* WALLY WORLD: Padres first baseman Wally Joyner, out since May 20 with a chip fracture of his left sterno-clavicular joint, will join the Stars tonight to begin an injury rehab assignment.

The 37-year-old Joyner will likely remain in Las Vegas about a week. He hopes to rejoin the Padres by next Friday.

"He needs to get to Las Vegas to get some at-bats," San Diego manager Bruce Bochy said. "He needs at least 20 at-bats."

* NEWHAN RETURNING?: San Diego outfielder Reggie Sanders, due to come off the 15-day disabled list on Saturday, could mean the Stars will be seeing second baseman David Newhan by the end of the weekend.

With the health of rightfielder Tony Gwynn (strained calf) and Sanders (strained intercostal muscle in left rib cage) both tenuous, speculation in San Diego is the Padres may prefer to keep switch-hitting outfielder Gary Matthews Jr. as insurance and option Newhan back to Las Vegas.

The Padres are also reportedly very disappointed in center fielder Ruben Rivera, who once again isn't hitting his weight (.195).

* GOOD NEWS FOR TOLLBERG: Starting pitcher Brian Tollberg went to Los Angeles on Wednesday for his meeting with California Angels' team doctor Dr. Lewis Yocum expecting the worse.

"I packed extra clothes and everything expecting to undergo surgery," Tollberg said.

Not just any surgery. Tommy John surgery to repair a torn ligament near his elbow.

Padres orthopaedic surgeon Jan Fronek had recommended Tollberg undergo the surgery. But Tollberg, who had injured his arm back in April, decided to get a second opinion upon the advice of his agent.

And Yocum, widely regarded as one of the top surgeons in sports, told the 26-year-old right-hander that no surgery was required at this time.

"The possibility remains that I could still have surgery down the road," Tollberg said. "But right now it's a partially torn ligament that can get better hopefully with rest. I hope to start throwing again in a week-and-a-half and, if everything goes right, be back pitching again in mid-July."

* THROWER TO DL?: Infield star Jake Thrower could be placed on the seven-day disabled list as early as today with a strained right hamstring suffered while running out a groundout in Tuesday night's loss to Tacoma.

"It looks like he'll be out 10 days to two weeks," Stars manager Mike Ramsey said. "He'll probably go on the DL."

"I felt a twinge just before I hit the bag," said Thrower, who is hitting .352 with two homers and 17 RBIs in his 24 games since being called up from double-A Mobile last month. "I've never had that happen before."

Ramsey said he would prefer to add a pitcher in Thrower's spot. The Stars currently have 10 on their roster but one, lefty Steve Cooke, left after just two batters (both walks) on Monday complaining of tingling and numbness in his arm.

One possibility should the Padres elect to sign a veteran free agent is former Stars lefty Pete Smith.

* GAME RECAP: Wayne Kirby's three-run pinch-hit home run in the bottom of the ninth hit the top of the fence in right field and then bounced over to give the Stars a dramatic 7-6 victory over the Tucson Sidewinders on Thursday night at Cashman Field.

It was the first home run of the season for the 35-year-old Kirby, a Las Vegas resident who was signed by the Stars two weeks ago.

Kirby's homer came off Tucson reliever Rich Batchelor (0-4) on a 1-0 pitch.

"It was a fastball middle-in," Kirby said. "In that situation as a pinch-hitter, you always look for a fastball. ... I thought I hit it well enough to carry over."

The late-inning heroics snapped a two-game losing streak for the Stars (33-34) and was only the second win in 10 games for Las Vegas.

* UP NEXT: Game 2 of the series with Tucson is tonight at 7:05 at Cashman Field. Right-hander Jose Mercedes (2-5, 4.62 ERA) will start for the Stars against Tucson right-hander Bobby Chouinard (3-1, 4.86).