Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 2, 1995 TAG: 9504040002
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MARK BULLOCK STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Ever since the Salem Rebels burst onto the scene in 1968 and ran away with the Western Division pennant, Carolina League baseball has been a fixture in the Roanoke Valley.
The Rebels buried the field that season, fashioning an impressive 85-55 record under the tutelage of manager Don Hoak and finishing 16 games ahead of runner-up High Point-Thomasville in the regular-season standings.
Since then, Salem has had affiliations with the Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers and Pittsburgh, again.
Another high point for the franchise was the 1974 season, when the Salem Pirates assembled a powerhouse lineup that included Carolina League player of the year Miguel Dilone, catcher Steve Nicosia and pitchers John Candelaria and Rick Langford, all of whom enjoyed productive major-league careers.
The low point, most likely, came in 1982, when Salem's relationship with San Diego produced a team so wretched even the players' parents surely were embarrassed. The Redbirds lost 101 games that season and won only 39, compiling a 17-53 record in the second half. On Aug.13, Durham reliever Rick Hatcher threw a seven-inning perfect game against the Redbirds when injuries to Durham's starting rotation left no one else to pitch.
But win or lose, many future major-leaguers have worn a Salem uniform, among them Dave Parker, Moises Alou, Ed Ott, Jerry Browne, Al Holland, Tony Pena, Kent Tekulve, Art Howe, Ed Whitson, Luis Salazar, Orlando Merced and Mitch Williams.
Not all of those players were part of a winning team. In fact, most of them were not, although their considerable talents were recognized, developed and honed in the Carolina League.
This season, Salem embraces a new affiliation, with the Colorado Rockies. A fresh relationship always renews one's enthusiasm, and Salem general manager/vice president Sam Lazzaro is no exception.
In addition, though, to the excitement generated by a new team and a new stadium the Salem Avalanche will call home, is something Lazzaro secretly has coveted: a new attitude.
``The Pittsburgh Pirates were great to work with,'' Lazzaro said the other day in his office. ``We had a long and enjoyable relationship with them.
``But the bottom line is that they weren't concerned about winning here. We've had 13 straight losing half-seasons, and that had something to do with our decision [to part company].''
The last winning record the Salem Buccaneers had was in the first half of the 1988 season. That did not sit well with Lazzaro, and when Salem's working agreement with Pittsburgh expired last season he began talking to other clubs about their minor-league philosophy.
``It would be nice to play above .500 once in six years,'' he said. ``We feel the fans deserve better.''
When Colorado entered the picture, Lazzaro liked what he heard from Dick Balderson, the Rockies' director of player development.
``They believe that the novelty of being an expansion team has worn off now,'' Lazzaro said. ``They intend to win on every level, and we like that attitude. We like that their philosophy is that winning is part of player development.''
And, believe it or not, there is a huge difference. According to Lazzaro, Salem has sent 42 players to the major leagues since 1987, which was the last time the Buccaneers won the Carolina League playoffs. That is a lot of talent for teams that have struggled every season since then.
``A lot of organizations believe that the low minors are for players to get experience, learn how to play and then move on,'' Lazzaro said. ``If they win, that's great.
``Other organizations go too far the other way. One organization virtually assured us a championship. They said they would go out and buy players and do whatever it took for us to win. I have to admit, that offer was enticing.
``The happy mix is player development and to put a competitive team on the field. That is Colorado's philosophy, and that coincided with what we believe we're here for.''
Lazzaro said he received assurances from Balderson that player development and winning can co-exist.
``We believe that one generates the other,'' Balderson said from Colorado's spring-training camp in Tucson, Ariz. ``We want a winning atmosphere'' at all levels of the minor-league system, ``but our main goal is to develop major-league players.''
Balderson sees Salem's main objective in the overall system ``to develop players and get them to the next level.''
However, that doesn't mean that as soon as an Avalanche player begins performing well fans can expect him to be moved up and a fresh face in the lineup the next day, as was often the case with Pittsburgh.
``We don't like to move players around,'' Balderson said, ``but [because of the strike] that may be more necessary this year, at all levels. There are certain players, though, who need to be in Salem, and they'll be there.''
The strike has had a trickle-down affect on all levels of baseball this spring, not just the major leagues. Because of the depleted talent pool, players have been getting a much better chance of making clubs at a higher level than they would if the regular players were in major-league camps.
How that will affect the Avalanche can best be explained by a trickle-up theory: If replacement players are used, the number of minor-leaguers on the big-league roster will determine how many spots will be filled on each respective roster by players who probably would have played at a lower level.
Balderson said the philosophy that runs through the Colorado minor-league system will apply to Salem as well.
``We'll treat Salem like any other team in our system,'' Balderson said. ``They are an important part of our overall goal to be successful, and we'll do what we should to make these players better.''
As far as Lazzaro is concerned, sweeter words were never spoken. He won't guarantee that Salem's losing ways are now history, but at least he knows that somebody up above cares.
by CNB