ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, April 15, 1996 TAG: 9604150066
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: Jack Bogaczyk
SOURCE: Jack Bogaczyk
Luis Colmenares doesn't speak with much English, unless he's talking with his curveball.
The Salem Avalanche spells relief with 10 letters, and Colmenares is a name Memorial Stadium occupants should learn to pronounce. It rhymes with ``closer.''
Ten days into the 52nd Carolina League season, a Venezuelan teen-ager leads the league in appearances and saves. If the Avalanche continues playing the kind of game it did Sunday, he - and not the hot tub - will be the franchise attraction.
Seven of Salem's 10 games have been decided by one run, including Sunday's series-closing 4-3 triumph over Frederick at Memorial Stadium. The Avalanche is 5-5, and Colmenares has had his right arm in each victory.
The biggest question for the Avalanche isn't why it can't draw more than 1,701 spectators on a gorgeous afternoon, although that's a good one.
No, what the club's brain trust is wondering is just who will get off the bullpen bench to get the Avalanche into a save situation, which means Colmenares.
Although the Keys didn't exactly rip him, right-hander Scott LaRock allowed two eighth-inning runs to make things more interesting than they had to be.
The first couple of appearances this season, Colmenares had to wiggle out of worries of his own creation. Another time, he got no help from his mates. However, in six appearances, the 19-year-old is 1-1 with four saves.
Salem pitching coach Billy Champion mostly likes what he's seen from his five-man starting rotation, including Mike Vavrek's impressive seven innings Sunday. He has Colmenares to finish.
``What we're looking for is someone to step forward, to take charge, to get us to Colmenares,'' Champion said. ``LaRock is going to have that opportunity.''
Right-hander Stephen Shoemaker has been plenty impressive, allowing no runs on two hits with 15 strikeouts in 10-plus innings over three appearances. He can't pitch every day, however.
Shoemaker, acquired by Colorado from the New York Yankees in the off-season in the deal for catcher Joe Girardi, is a converted starter. Last year, at two Class A stops in the Yanks' chain, the former fourth-round pick from Alabama had a 2.76 ERA over 98 innings.
If one of the Avalanche starters advances to Class AA New Haven - and that would be no shocker considering the Rockies' rocky staff in the bigs - Shoemaker is likely to move into the Salem rotation. Until then, he'll be an every-other day possibility in the pen.
``We're looking for someone to say, `I want the ball' in that situation,'' Salem manager Bill McGuire said. ``Until we find that guy, it's going to be bullpen by committee until we get to Luis.''
Colmenares is heading for the majors, too, but probably not soon. He won't be 20 until November, and while he's just a babe, he led the Colorado system with 21 saves last season at Asheville in the South Atlantic League.
``He just has an overpowering curve, probably one of the best in minor-league baseball,'' Champion said. ``He's like all of the good closers you see. He has that one pitch where he says, `Here it comes, try and beat me.'''
Colmenares also has a tough slider. If he falls behind on a hitter, he has more confidence in that pitch. When he's ahead, the curve becomes the out pitch.
Colmenares signed with the Rockies one week after his 17th birthday. In a nation that has sent mostly infielders to major-league prominence, he became a pitcher in Little League.
Turns out, he didn't look up to shortstops Luis Aparicio, Dave Concepcion or Ozzie Guillen.
``I wanted to pitch,'' said Colmenares through interpreter-first baseman John Fantauzzi. ``I like having the toughest job on the field.''
The 5-foot-10 relief ace weighed only 160 pounds when he signed. Now, he's up to 190. There was never a doubt when Rockies' brass signed him that he'd be a reliever.
``That was fine with me,'' Colmenares said. ``They said I'd be a stopper. I knew that meant I'd be out there with the game on the line.''
In his first 10 days with Salem, he certainly hasn't been disappointed, although he struggled with the cold weather early last week.
``He was running around saying, `mucho frio,''' Champion said before Sunday's game. ``When it warms up, he'll be tougher.''
It took Colmenares 14 pitches to finish the ninth Sunday. The Salem franchise record for saves is 22, by Jeff McCurry of the Buccaneers in 1993.
At his current saves rate, Colmenares would be there by June 1. He'll be glad to know it really starts to warm up around here about then.
LENGTH: Medium: 86 linesby CNB