Staff of 51s must be aware of heat

Nick Christensen

Thursday, June 12, 2003 | 9 a.m.

With game time temperatures above 90, baseballs were flying Wednesday night at Cashman Field. Two of the 51s' eight runs were off home runs as they beat the Omaha Royals, 8-6, in a Pacific Coast League game that saw the two teams combine for 31 hits.

Although longtime Las Vegans would say 91 in June is nowhere near hot, most of them aren't playing baseball for three hours every night, combined with another hour or two of workouts in the middle of the afternoon.

But even with the heat stifling, 51s players are well prepared to deal with high temperatures.

"The coaching staff is in charge of getting the club prepared every day," said manager John Shoemaker. "During a hot game, we try to keep the ballclub focused, and keep enthusiasm on the bench."

Catcher Koyie Hill, in his first year at Triple-A, said the heat has had more of a mental impact than a physical one.

"The more tired you get," said Hill, "the harder it is to care. But where the outfielders and infielders can turn around and take a break, I'm always thinking about the next pitch."

51s trainer Jason Mahnke is charged with keeping the team physically prepared to take on the heat.

"I think there's an acclimation factor," said Mahnke. "Players who are used to playing in this kind of weather, it's easier to get through the hotter part of the day."

Mahnkee makes sure the players get plenty of electrolyte replacement through sports drinks, as well as protein and electrolyte supplements.

Mahnke, who has been a trainer since 1994, said he'd never seen a baseball player have any of the side effects of heat exhaustion, such as dehydration and fatigue. But he said that he tries to make sure new players to the Las Vegas environment know what to expect when they get here.

"I just try to let them know the difference in settings. At (Double-A) Jacksonville, players realize it, because they sweat more," Mahnke said. "Players don't necessarily sweat in this humidity. They don't necessarily realize the amount of water they go through."

Shoemaker said players' biggest problem is just thinking about the heat. "Players who start to get too worried about the heat, start to focus on 'I'm hot' instead of playing."

Hill said he had a similar remedy for beating the heat.

"I try to trick myself into thinking that playing in 100-degree weather is fun."