Navarro’s improvement noticed

Nick Christensen

Friday, June 24, 2005 | 9:50 a.m.

When he was called up to the Dodgers in May, Dioner Navarro didn't so much get to taste the cup of coffee as he just got to look at it.

Navarro was called up to the Dodgers on May 27 and spent four days with the team before being sent back down to the 51s. He did not enter a game.

But since that brief stint with the Dodgers, Navarro has been on fire, raising his batting average from .252 on May 24 to .298 going into Thursday's game.

Navarro went 0-for-4 in Thursday's 9-5 loss to Sacramento at Cashman Field, the 51s' 21st of their past 25 games.

The surge attracted attention across the league, and Navarro was the lone Las Vegas player voted to represent the PCL at next month's Triple-A All-Star Game in Sacramento.

"It's pretty special, I feel proud of myself, proud of my family and proud for the whole staff that helped me go through this," Navarro said. "After I came down, I just kept hitting the ball hard and doing my job. I'm pretty happy with it. I think organization is pretty happy with it, too, and I'll just continue doing whatever I have to do to get to the big leagues."

Navarro has been the subject of a fair amount of speculation lately.

With Dodgers backup catcher Paul Bako out for the remainder of this season, some from Los Angeles have speculated that Navarro may be called up to get adapted to the major league experience.

"I haven't heard anything. I'm here, I'm playing hard, and I'll keep playing hard for my team, if it's the big leagues or here," Navarro said.

On Thursday, the Dodgers called up outfielder Cody Ross. Nobody was immediately sent down.

"Look at what it competes against. A guy builds a $2.9 billion hotel... you're competing against the best of the best in entertainment and you need a facility that promises that," said Peter Guber, chairman of Mandalay Entertainment Group.

He said that modern ballparks, particularly in Las Vegas, need to offer more than baseball to fans.

"This is an experiential process. It's about being there," he said. "That's what location-based entertainment is. It's an experience. This is a beautifully kept field but the facility should be 21st century, especially in Las Vegas."

Guber said he was unaware of any progress as Mandalay Baseball Group attempts to sell the 51s.