After time with Stars, Williams hopes to catch on with Twins

Steve Guiremand

Monday, May 17, 1999 | 10:02 a.m.

Eddie Williams loves Las Vegas.

So much so, in fact, that the veteran slugger spent part of Saturday looking for a home here.

But the 34-year-old first baseman/designated hitter would have much preferred spending the weekend in Oakland.

That's where the Minnesota Twins were playing. And if not for an untimely knee injury at the end of spring training, it's where Williams more than likely would have been playing, too.

Instead, the longtime Las Vegas Stars favorite finds himself in the visiting dugout at Cashman Field as a member of the Twins' triple-A affiliate, the Salt Lake Buzz.

"I got here about three weeks ago," Williams said before going 3-for-5 in a 14-4 loss to the Stars. "(The knee) is coming along slowly. It's affected my hitting a little bit."

Williams tore a posterior knee ligament in his right knee while sliding into home plate the final week of spring training. Although the injury didn't require surgery, the knee still isn't close to 100 percent.

"Probably about 50 or 55 percent," Williams said. "I wasn't fast to begin with, but now I'm really slow."

But Williams, who made Stars' history with a memorable four-home run, 10-RBI performance on April 22, 1998 at Calgary, can still hit. He batted .336 with 20 homers and 24 doubles in just 90 games at Las Vegas in 1998 and also played in 17 games with the National League champion San Diego Padres.

But the Padres, stocked with a lot of talented young triple-A prospects like Gary Matthews Jr., Mike Darr, Ben Davis and Dusty Allen, decided to release Williams after the season.

"They didn't offer me a contract," Williams, second in Las Vegas history with 57 career homers, said. "I think they were kind of tired of me and I was kind of tired of them."

But Williams had several suitors, including the rebuilding Twins.

"They came after me early," Williams said. "I said, 'Sure, I'll sign.' "

Williams, playing for his 11th major league organization, looked like he would make it to the big leagues with his seventh different team until the knee injury.

"I was getting ready to ship my car up (to Minneapolis)," Williams said. "I was in there. It was just an unfortunate situation. Now it's like its still spring training for me. I'm just trying to get back to where I was before the injury. I was hitting the ball well, making contact, doing what I had to do."

Williams, who starred in Las Vegas during three different seasons (1990, '94 and '98), said he wouldn't mind playing for the Stars again before he retires.

"This is my home," he said. "I've spent the most time of my minor league career here. The fans are great. I miss those guys over there. I had it good over there. I liked it there a lot. If things don't go right (with the Twins), I'd love to go back there."

The feeling is apparently mutual.

When asked if the door would be open for Williams to return one day, Stars general manager Don Logan answered, "Yep."

"That's what triple-A baseball is kind of evolving into," Logan continued. "You want to get a lot of solid guys in your locker room to provide veteran leadership and help bring the young guys along. And Eddie is good at doing that."

HIT PARADE: The Stars, who conclude their series with Salt Lake tonight at 7:05 at Cashman Field, blasted six Buzz pitchers for season highs in hits (17) and runs (14) in a 14-4 win on Sunday afternoon.

Third baseman Ed Giovanola led the way with four hits, the most by a Las Vegas player in a game this season. Center fielder Gary Matthews Jr. drove in three runs and every Stars' player scored at least one run in the game including four by Giovanola.

Lefty Shane Dennis (1-1) picked up the victory for the Stars, who evened their record at 18-18.

STARS NOTES: Shortstop Juan Melo, out for a month with a broken finger on his left hand, had the cast removed on Saturday.

Stars' manager Mike Ramsey estimated it would be a couple of weeks before Melo is ready to return to action.

Two other Stars on the disabled list, first baseman Mike Mitchell (strained quadriceps) and infielder Carlos Garcia (bruised foot), are both " getting close" according to Ramsey. And starting pitcher Brian Tollberg (strained right forearm) said he could be back in "four or five more days."

UP NEXT: The Stars continue their homestand tonight at 7:05 with their series finale against Salt Lake. Right-hander Matt Whiteside (1-2, 6.05) will make his first start of the season for Las Vegas against Salt Lake left-hander Gary Rath (2-4, 3.38).