Experienced 51s ready to begin ‘04 campaign

Nick Christensen

Thursday, April 8, 2004 | 10:58 a.m.

PITCHERS

12 Matt Jarvis

28 Joel Hanrahan

29 Doug Nickle

31 Heath Totten

33 Rodney Myers

35 Tom Farmer

36 Tanton Sturtze

37 Mark Johnson

38 Edwin Jackson

40 Rick White

51 Troy Brohawn

57 Agustin Montero

CATCHERS

5 Koyie Hill

8 Ryan Kellner

56 Eric Langill

INFIELDERS

6 Eric Riggs

13 Antonio Perez

18 Luis Garcia

21 Nick Theodorou

27 Rick Bell

30 Joe Thurston

OUTFIELDERS

3 Shane Victorino

7 Cody Ross

11 Jose Flores

34 John Barnes

52 Chin-Feng Chen

MANAGER

16 Terry Kennedy

COACHES

17 Roger McDowell

25 George Hendrick

It has been a fluid week for Las Vegas 51s manager Terry Kennedy.

His team went through several different rosters, the changes continuing through the final weekend of the preseason, and even the one he has for tonight's 2004 opener isn't final. But speaking at a media session Tuesday, Kennedy said this roster is perhaps the best he has had this spring.

The roster includes such major league veterans as Rick White and Tanyon Sturtze, minor league vets such as Joe Thurston and Chin-Feng Chen, and new faces at Triple-A such as Mark Johnson and Heath Totten.

The past two weeks have been full of changes. The Dodgers, under the new philosophy of general manager Paul DePodesta, have acquired a share of Triple-A talent, including second baseman Antonio Perez and outfielders Cody Ross and Jose Flores. Pitcher Aaron Looper was also expected to start the year with at Las Vegas, but was out of options after he was traded from Seattle and will have to be traded or put on waivers.

Kennedy is a veteran of Triple-A baseball, having managed the Iowa Cubs for three years before becoming the Cubs' farm director, and often speaks of his "fatalistic" view of managing the Triple-A level.

"At this level, we don't have quite as much consistency as we would in the lower classes," he said. "Teams at this level win when big clubs are really doing well, they don't make moves."

The parent club could be in for a long year. Los Angeles' trademark pitching was less than stellar in spring training, and the Dodgers' abysmal offense from 2003 only got marginally better.

But regardless of what call-ups are made during the season, the team starts the season decent on paper. The roster includes 12 players that spent some time at the majors last year, and the opening day pitcher is one of the highest rated prospects in baseball.

Totten went 11-12 at Double-A Jacksonville last year, but had a 3.24 ERA and struck out 114 batters in 181 innings. He walked only 17 opponents in 28 games.

Farmer ended his season at Las Vegas, going 2-2 in five starts with a 2.54 ERA. A 2002 acquisition from Detroit, Farmer's arm helped guide the Miami Hurricanes to two wins in the 2001 College World Series.

Sturtze's first major league action was in 1995, with the Chicago Cubs. His last minor league action was in 1999, and has started 74 major league games since then. Last year with Toronto, he pitched 89 innings in 40 games, allowing a 5.94 ERA and striking out 54 batters.

Hanrahan, like Farmer, spent limited time with the 51s last season. Unlike Farmer, he struggled, allowing 28 earned runs in his 25 innings. But at Jacksonville in 2003, Hanrahan went 10-4 with a 2.43 ERA.

Nickle and Myers had the best performances last season. Nickle spent 2003 with Triple-A Salt Lake and Charlotte, logging a 1.82 ERA in 64 innings of relief. Myers was 9-1 with Las Vegas last season, with a 3.30 ERA.

New additions John Barnes and Cody Ross will complement Chen's power and experience. Barnes had a remarkable year with Triple-A Nashville in 2003, hitting .323 with 69 RBIs and just 41 strikeouts. Ross was a late acquisition after closer Steve Colyer was traded to Detroit. He hit .287 with Triple-A Toledo in 2003, with 20 home runs.

Flores was a part of the powerful Sacramento club that won Las Vegas' PCL division, and hit .273 in 107 games. While Garcia only hit .215 at Triple-A Buffalo last season, he also hit the ninth-inning home run in the Olympic qualifier last summer that sent his native Mexico into this summer's Olympics, and sent the U.S. team home. Perez spent most of last season with Tampa Bay, going .248 in 48 games with the Devil Rays.

Backup Ryan Kellner hit .209 in 48 games last season, but struggled mightily early in the season. Eric Langill is coming off an average season at Single-A Vero Beach.