Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2005 | 9:36 a.m.
After three years in Las Vegas, one might think Joe Thurston and Chin-Feng Chen would be looking for a change of scenery -- preferably, one that might have a major league uniform with their names on it.
But Thurston, the Las Vegas 51s' all-time leader in triples and who's second in singles, total bases, at-bats and hits, was designated for assignment by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Jan. 12.
Chen, the 51s' leader in home runs, total bases and strikeouts who's second in runs batted in, was designated two days later.
Designation for assignment happens when players on the major league roster are out of options to go to the minor leagues. Teams can then claim the players off waivers and the player can leave the team, or choose to go to the minors with his original club.
After the designation, neither was claimed off waivers, and to the surprise of some, both opted to return to the Dodgers organization.
Enter Jerry Royster, the former Milwaukee Brewers manager who takes the reins in Las Vegas this April. Out doing "daddy-dos" in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., with his 11-year-old daughter Kara on Friday, Royster said he thinks Thurston and Chen are a big part of why he was chosen to lead the 51s this year.
"My job is to give the guys, the Chin-Feng Chens and the Joe Thurstons, something new to show these people. That's what I'm going to do," Royster said. "That's why I get excited about being a Triple-A manager. As an instructor the last two years, I had so much fun teaching these kids things to do. Now I'm a manager, I can propel them to the major leagues."
Dodgers general manager Paul DePodesta said his organization still has hope for Chen and Thurston.
"Last year we had both guys up in September, and we also had them up at different points in the course of the year," he said. "That probably speaks to what we think of them."
Royster said he's looking to bring the two back to their pre-2002 form, particularly Thurston, who all but had the Dodgers' starting second baseman job locked up heading into spring training in 2003 before slumping back to Las Vegas.
In that 2002 season, Thurston hit .334, leading the Pacific Coast League in hits (196) and runs (106).
"For me, what I'm going to try and do is to get Joe back to where he was before," Royster said. "Chin-Feng is the same way. This past season was a good season, the season before I thought he had gotten over the hump, but our major league team is very very thorough. It's hard for some guys to break in and get the opportunity to show what they have."
Chen and Thurston will not be alone in the stuck-in-Triple-A caucus of the Dodgers' minor league roster. Catcher Mike Rose and outfielder Mike Edwards will probably join Chen and Thurston in Las Vegas this year, after spending several years at Oakland's Triple-A affiliate in Sacramento.
DePodesta got a chance to see Rose and Edwards while he was the Athletics' assistant general manager.
"Mike Rose I had at Oakland -- he's another switch-hit catcher, a very good and accomplished offensive player," DePodesta said. "Mike Edwards is a very good right-handed bat, a guy that's versatile defensively and fits in nicely with an NL team, either as a pinch-hitter or a double-switch type player."
Tony Schrager, a middle infielder from the Boston system, also signed with the Dodgers this winter. And former RiverCat Jose Flores will probably return to the 51s come April.
DePodesta said the rejuvenation of the Dodgers farm system has enabled his organization to shift focus when it comes to acquiring Triple-A players.
"Now we're at a point where we're probably a year away from being very strong top-to-bottom, all with internal candidates," he said. "If we're going to sign a guy, we're going to look for a guy that I think can help us at the major league level. With each of these guys I think we have that."
The Dodgers also acquired top pitching prospect Dioner Navarro from the New York Yankees by way of Arizona. Barring a superb spring training coupled with slump or injury by Los Angeles catchers David Ross and Paul Bako, Navarro will start the year in Las Vegas.
But it's the veterans with whom Royster, a three-year manager of the then-Las Vegas Stars, is concerned.
"Guys like Edwards, like Flores, and we also got some borderline pitcher guys, we've got some work to do," Royster said. "I did it in '96 to '98, when I was there with the Padres, we had the same situation. We got some guys to the major leagues that were kind of dead, and felt like they were dead. I've got to think Joe Thurston thinks like that."
archive
