Monday, April 7, 2003 | 9:22 a.m.
Manager John Shoemaker and other 51s players who are new to Las Vegas might not have dwelled much on a four-game series against Edmonton that begins tonight at Cashman Field.
Don't, however, include outfielder Bubba Crosby in that group.
After going 10-for-16 against Salt Lake pitchers in a four-game series that ended in an 8-3 victory by the 51s Sunday afternoon, Crosby admitted that he has had the Trappers on his mind.
Las Vegas finished 85-59 last season, winning the Southern Division with the best record in the Pacific Coast League. Edmonton then took three of four games from the 51s in the playoffs before beating Salt Lake in four games for the PCL championship.
"I know I feel a little bit that way," Crosby said of redemption against the Trappers. "We had the best record in the league last year. To not get past the first round, that's a little sore spot. For the returning guys, I think, yeah, there might be a little, 'Let's get back at 'em.'
"So, in some aspects, yeah. The key for us is to keep playing good baseball, stack up the wins and get confidence, as a team. We're still trying to feel each other out. But, as far as chemistry, we're coming together."
Crosby's hitting helped the 51s take three of the four games against Salt Lake in the first series of 2003. He entered Sunday's action with a gaudy 1.417 slugging percentage, second in the PCL behind Tucson's Brian Gordon (1.571).
Crosby hurt that figure by getting "only" two doubles and a single, driving in four runs in four at-bats against the Stingers Sunday. He leads the 51s with six RBIs and five runs scored.
"He's really improved over the last few years, and he's gotten off to a good start," Shoemaker said. "He's playing with a lot of confidence. He plays hard, he doesn't give away at-bats and he really seems to be alert, as far as being a contact hitter.
"He'll also stretch singles into doubles, steal a base or two and play all the outfield ositions."
Crosby continued his scorching start by knocking in two runs with a double in the first inning.
Joe Thurston led off the first with a single to right, and Chris Clapinski walked on five pitches from Salt Lake starting pitcher Brandon Emanuel (0-1). Two pitches later, Crosby hit a shot into the right-center gap.
In the third, he sliced Emanuel's first delivery off the wall in left-center to score Thurston. Crosby wound up on second, then nearly passed Clapinski, who had been on third, when he scored on a single by Chin-Feng Chen.
Crosby also singled, and Shoemaker yanked him from the final two innings. When the sun set Sunday, Crosby was hitting .625.
"The ball looks real good," he said. "I feel comfortable up there, and I feel confident with my swing. But there will be games when it doesn't look that way. The key is to be able to make adjustments, pull myself out of slumps and remember the swing I have right now."
It is a swing that new 51s hitting instructor George Hendrick helped Crosby perfect during spring training in Vero Beach, Fla.
Crosby, a scruffy 26-year-old native of Houston whose given name is Richard Stephen, barely hit .260 at Las Vegas and Double-A Jacksonville last season, so he analyzed his whole approach to hitting with Hendrick in Florida.
First, the two concluded that Crosby should crouch more at the plate, allowing him to more closely envision what was coming.
Second, Hendrick convinced Crosby to keep the barrel of his bat within the strike zone as long as possible -- instead of just swiping through it.
The younger Hendrick just completed a season in a pro league in Japan.
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