Stars’ Newhan could join Phils

Steve Guiremand

Monday, Aug. 7, 2000 | 10:08 a.m.

David Newhan may have played his final game as a Star on Sunday afternoon at Cashman Field.

If so, it wasn't a bad swan song for the popular second baseman, who singled and drove in the Stars' first run in a 6-1 win over the Edmonton Trappers.

Newhan is one of several players on a list that the Philadelphia Phillies will choose from as the "player to be named later" in Friday's trade that sent shortstop Desi Relaford to the San Diego Padres, parent club of the Stars.

And although at least one other Las Vegas player is reportedly on the list -- relief pitcher Matt Whiteside -- speculation in the San Diego Union-Tribune and on several Internet sites is that Newhan is the player Philadelphia will eventually take.

When the Phillies will take him is the big question.

Newhan said he had heard nothing about the move from anybody in the San Diego organization.

"My sister called me and told me she read it," Newhan said. "If it happens, hopefully it will be a good situation for me where I can go and play. But I haven't heard anything about it from the Padres."

Stars manager Tony Franklin said there is a possibility the trade could be finalized by the end of the week.

"On something like this, you just don't know," Franklin said. "It could last until next year. A lot of it depends on when they decide on who they want. But if we do lose him, I think we will be losing a pretty good baseball player."

Although the announced paid crowd for the game was 2,888, media members counted fewer than 200 fans in the seats at the start of the game.

Little wonder. The temperature at game time was a stiffling 109 degrees.

Lawrence, 24, has an 0.77 ERA in two starts with the Stars. He has yet to record a decision, but he has allowed just one earned run in 11 2/3 innings. He also has 13 strikeouts and has yet to walk a batter.

Simmons went so far as to say that Lawrence, a 17th-round pick in the June 1996 draft out of Northwestern (La.) State who spent most of the year at double-A Mobile, had passed the likes of Buddy Carlyle, Junior Herndon and Rodrigo Lopez in the Padres' plans.

"He really has an outstanding feel for pitching and knows what to do," Simmons said. "He's passed everybody. ... If Kevin Towers needed another pitcher, I'd feel good about Lawrence. The guy is real savvy."

Lopez (7-5), who struck out the side in the fifth and sixth innings, allowed just six hits and one run in 6 2/3 innings to pick up the victory for the Stars. Brandon Kolb pitched 2 1/3 innings to garner his 16th save.