51s mix a little new with the old

Victoria Sun

Thursday, April 4, 2002 | 11:48 a.m.

At 22, Joe Thurston is the youngest player on the Las Vegas 51s by five months and 24 days.

The speedy second baseman is keenly aware that before he gets the privilege of hearing his name called over the P.A. system at Dodger Stadium, he must first make an impact for the 51s.

To do that, Thurston, rated the organization's third-best prospect by scouting website topprospectalert.com and fifth-best by Baseball America, plans on learning everything he can from the veterans that litter the Las Vegas roster.

"I'm very excited about being here," Thurston said. "Being a young guy in our organization, it's a great experience for me because there aren't a lot of young guys on our team.

"We've got a good group of guys. I have to sit back and listen to what they're saying. There's nothing but knowledge around me."

The 51s open the 2002 Pacific Coast League season at 7 tonight against the Calgary Cannons at Cashman Field. The teams will play a four-game series with night games scheduled for Friday and Saturday followed by a Sunday matinee.

Thurston, the Dodgers' minor league player of the year in 2000, hit .267 with 80 runs, 46 RBIs and 20 stolen bases at double-A Jacksonville last season.

Along with Taiwanese import Chin-Feng Chen, Thurston will be counted on to help bring some excitement and respectability to a team that finished 68-76 and third in the Pacific Coast League's Southern Division last year.

"We hope to be a very competitive ballclub and I think we have the talent to do it," first-year 51s manager Brad Mills said.

Last season, Chen, 24, split time between single-A Vero Beach and double A where he hit .313 with 17 home runs and 50 RBIs in just 224 at-bats.

He began his career as an outfielder, but the Dodgers moved him to first base at the start of spring training after the parent club acquired outfielder Brian Jordan in addition to already having Shawn Green.

The Dodgers are grooming Chen to be a possible replacement for their veteran 34-year-old first baseman Eric Karros.

Chen was rated the second-best prospect in the Dodgers' farm system by Baseball America and first by topprospectalert.com.

Right-fielder Luke Allen, 23, is another young player expected to provide the team with a boost. In 125 games at Jacksonville last season, Allen hit .290 with 16 home runs and 73 RBIs.

He had two hits in nine at-bats after being promoted to Las Vegas for two games July 28 and 29.

While the 51s roster features a few youngsters, it is loaded with Major League journeymen such as outfielder Mark Whiten, reliever Ricky Bones and third baseman Jeff Branson, who spent most of last season in Las Vegas.

The 51s' pitching staff will be anchored by 6-foot-2 right-hander Mike Johnson, the team's opening day starter.

Johnson, 26, has major league experience pitching for Baltimore and Montreal. He was traded to the Texas Rangers from the Expos last season and finished the year at triple-A Oklahoma where he went 3-5 with a 4.58 ERA in 23 games.

"He can do a lot of things with his fastball," Mills said. "His command is good and he has a good breaking ball.

"He knows how to pitch and is a good athlete on the mound."

Left-hander Victor Alvarez, also on the 40-man roster, is back for the 51s and will be the No. 2 starter in the rotation.

Alvarez, 25, started 20 games in Las Vegas last season compiling a record of 7-4 with a 4.27 ERA.

The third spot will be held by free agent signee Kevin Beirne, who started last year with the Toronto Blue Jays. Beirne missed three months of the season with an injury and split time at triple-A Syracuse where he was 1-1 with a 1.57 ERA in 28 2/3 innings.

Right-handers Robert Ellis and Stan Spencer are battling to be the No. 4 starter while the fifth spot will go to knuckle-baller Dennis Springer, who went 7-7 with a 5.27 ERA at Las Vegas last season.

Spencer was 5-6 with a 5.09 ERA at triple-A Portland last season. Ellis pitched for the world champion Arizona Diamondbacks after a stint in triple-A Tucson and between time on the disabled list.

With the Diamondbacks, Ellis was 6-5 with a 5.77 ERA in 19 games.

"We have an older veteran team with young guys mixed in," Ellis said. "Selfishly, I expect a lot out of the guys that we have here because we have guys who know how to pitch, guys who swing the bat well.

"I think it's a great mix to win."