… Meanwhile on the farm

Nick Christensen

Thursday, Dec. 16, 2004 | 9:48 a.m.

By the way, Las Vegas still has a minor league baseball team. And as of Wednesday, the Las Vegas 51s figure to have a major league manager in 2005.

"I'm pretty sure I'm going to be the manager of the Aliens," said Jerry Royster, a former Milwaukee Brewers manager who has recently served as a minor league instructor for the Dodgers. "We've pretty much decided on that. I don't know that they've made an announcement but it's pretty safe to say I'm definitely the guy that's scheduled to be there."

Royster, 52, played parts of 16 seasons in the major leagues before becoming a minor league manager in 1989. He managed the Las Vegas Stars, then the Triple-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres, to a 199-224 record from 1996 to 1998.

He has also served as a major league coach, and while Royster expects to manage Las Vegas next season, an official announcement has yet to be made. The parent-club Los Angeles Dodgers are still finalizing their 2005 major league coaching staff, and it is believed Royster was and could still be a candidate for other major league coaching jobs if not the Dodgers.

"It's kind of a multifaceted situation," said 51s general manager Don Logan. "I think the Dodgers, they want Jerry, and (Dodgers farm director) Terry Collins, who's in charge of making the call, wants Jerry to do it here. There are some changes going on in L.A., and Jerry may fit into one of those slots. Jerry's also had dialogue with other major league teams and the Dodgers would allow him to explore that."

Royster would not comment on whether he may yet end up in the major leagues. But after two years as a roving infield instructor in the Dodgers' farm system, Royster said he was ready to manage again.

"As a past Triple-A manager, and as a past major league coach and manager, I wanted to get back in," Royster said. "Tommy Lasorda was very instrumental in that. He also was encouraging me to get back in it, and things worked out for me and my family. It's going to enable me to go back and do it again."

At times, it seemed as though Royster had never left. On frequent visits to Las Vegas in the past two seasons, Royster's camaraderie with players and Las Vegas front office personnel was apparent. While the Stars' best record under Royster was 73-67 in 1996, he remains the only manager in the 21-year history of the Las Vegas franchise to have been at the helm for three seasons.

"They were three very memorable seasons. It was really a stepping stone for me to the major leagues," Royster said.

"I have quite a love affair with that city for a lot of different reasons. ... I know everyone that works in that office. I've worked with them before. I had a three-year relationship that was never severed, so I just think that the opportunity to work in Las Vegas for the L.A. Dodgers is something that I can't pass up.

"I don't know that I would want to be doing what I'm doing, being a Triple-A manager, anyplace else."

If Royster does indeed end up in Las Vegas, he would replace Terry Kennedy, who managed the 51s to a 67-76 record last season. Kennedy is now the manager of an independent team in San Diego.