ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, March 30, 1997 TAG: 9703310128
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-11 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: BASEBALL 1997
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. THE ROANOKE TIMES
Bill McGuire returns as Salem's manager, and some of the faces he'll welcome will be familiar ones.
The 1997 edition of the Salem Avalanche will not be created in the image of its parent club, the Colorado Rockies. That's probably a good thing.
Like the Rockies, though, the Avalanche should have a club built for its home ballpark. Whereas the burly Rockies generate home runs out of thin air at Coors Field, the Avalanche will generate offense with speed and contact hitting in spacious Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium.
The towering walls of Memorial have consumed power hitters for the most part in its 11/2 seasons of operation. This season, the yawning gaps of Memorial could be filled with extra-base hits.
Welcome the gap-hitters.
``Look, we're not going to have a lot of pop in the lineup,'' said Bill McGuire, who returns for a second season as Salem's manager. ``But we have some good hitters. We'll hit the gaps and get a lot of base hits. I don't want to even talk about home runs, because I don't know if we're going to hit them. I think what we'll have is an exciting team that gets a lot of extra-base hits, steals some bases and is better defensively'' than last season.
Much attention will be paid to catcher Ben Petrick, who was ranked as the Rockies' third-best prospect by Baseball America. A second-round draft pick in 1995, Petrick is solid behind the plate, should hit for average and power, and can steal bases. Although he batted only .235 with 14 homers and 52 RBI in hitter-friendly Asheville (N.C.), he stole 19 bases and should be improved at the plate this season.
``Ben Petrick is a potential five-tool player,'' said McGuire, referring to Petrick's ability to hit for power, for average, run, throw and play defense.
``He's not going to come out and blast home runs every time, but he can play. He's an outstanding individual. He has some things to work on, but he's a hard worker and should only get better.''
Petrick will be part of a solid middle of the field. Shortstop Kyle Houser (.239, 48 RBI) returns after being Salem's lone representative in the Carolina League/California League All-Star Game last summer and will again team with second baseman Elvis Pena (.223, 30 steals). Speedy center fielder Garrett Neubart, who hit .365, stole nine bases and had a .435 on-base percentage in 24 games at Salem in '96, will bat leadoff.
McGuire's projected opening-day lineup has Neubart leading off, followed by Petrick, designated hitter Jamie Taylor (if he reports to Salem after spending last year at Class AA New Haven), first baseman Justin Drizos (.265, 18 homers, 76 RBI at Asheville) in the cleanup spot, third baseman Clint Bryant (.246, 10-for-10 in steal attempts at Asheville), hard-swinging right fielder Chad Gambill (.296 at Salem, 7 HR, team-highs with 120 hits and 22 doubles), left fielder David Feuerstein (.286, 7 triples, 21 steals at Asheville), Houser and Pena.
Utility experts Chan Mayber (.208, 22 steals) and Link Jarrett (.224) will be back in their roles.
The pitching staff will be headed by two returnees from last season, lefty Mike Vavrek (10-8, 4.87 ERA) and righty Stephen Shoemaker (2-7, 4.69, 105 strikeouts in 861/3 innings), and sinkerball specialist Scott Randall (14-4, 2.74, 136 strikeouts).
Vavrek and Shoemaker showed signs of being quality pitchers at times last season and, at other times, ``they also showed signs of not being good pitchers,'' said McGuire. Both struggled with control.
``There's no secret,'' McGuire said. ``Shoe and Vavrek need to come out and get it done this year.''
Randall was the winningest pitcher in the Rockies' farm system last season. The right-hander threw 11 hitless innings, including eight perfect frames, but didn't pick up a decision as Asheville needed 18 innings to beat Augusta on Aug. 14. Randall is 21-7 in two minor-league seasons with a strikeouts-walks ratio of nearly 3-to-1.
Hard-throwing right-hander Chandler Martin (2-8, 5.87), who was 10-0 in stints at Asheville and New Haven before coming to Salem and promptly losing seven straight decisions, needs to improve his control after walking 53 batters and fanning 59 in 69 innings. Righty Tom Stepka (2-0, 0.56 in two starts at Asheville) has looked good this spring. Lefty Bobby Bevel (4-2, 3.18 in 41 games at Asheville) could crack the rotation.
Luis Colmenares, who began the season as Salem's closer before being sent to Asheville to become a starter, is back as the Avalanche closer. If he falters, McGuire has others in the bullpen, including Lariel Gonzalez (1-1, 4 saves, 53 Ks in 45 innings at Asheville) and Heath Bost (5-2, 15 saves, 101 Ks in 75 innings).
LENGTH: Medium: 88 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ERIC BRADY/THE ROANOKE TIMES. Mike Vavrek is back as oneby CNBof Salem's top pitchers. He was 10-8 with a 4.87 ERA last season.