THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 31, 1996 TAG: 9603310216
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORT ST. LUCIE, FLA. LENGTH: Medium: 82 lines
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - It is common for young players to go south after the regular season to play winter baseball, but Kevin Morgan took the concept to extremes.
Morgan, as part of an ongoing experiment by the New York Mets, was one of three Mets minor leaguers who went to Australia in the offseason to play in an eight-team baseball league Down Under.
For 3 1/2 months Morgan played for the Melbourne Monarchs on Friday nights with Saturday doubleheaders, traveling to such stops as Brisbane, Perth and Sydney.
``I figured the more at-bats I got over the winter, the better I'd be this season,'' Morgan said. ``Plus, by playing only three times a week, there wasn't the risk of burnout.''
After just three weeks of down time between seasons, Morgan is in the Mets' minor-league camp, refreshed and ready to man second base for the Norfolk Tides when they open their season Thursday night at Harbor Park.
Regulars at Harbor Park should remember Morgan, who hit .323 in a utility role after being called up in mid-August. He hit .277 as an everyday shortstop at Binghamton.
``He does the little things,'' Tides manager Bobby Valentine said. ``He'll do things at the plate that will move runners up. And that's a necessity.''
He also filled a role for the Mets in his venture to Australia. More and more, organizations are scanning Australia for talent, said Mets assistant general manager Steve Phillips, who served as director of minorleague operations last season and extended the Australian invitation to Morgan.
Seven other major-league franchises also supplied three players each for the league.
``We hadn't had a presence in Australia and we needed to open that avenue,'' Phillips said. ``Plus, it's an avenue for development for players. A guy like Kevin goes down there for a winter and comes back better prepared for the next level. Or even ready to skip a level.''
It was the second consecutive year the Mets sent a group of players to Australia. Morgan was joined by Class A catcher Vance Wilson and minor-league pitcher Erik Hiljus, who was since traded to St. Louis as part of the Bernard Gilkey deal.
Morgan points out a major selling point:
It isn't winter in Australia in January.
The season's flip-flop below the equator and Morgan and wife Loni were able to wrap warm-weather sightseeing trips around the team's weekday practices.
``It's a city of three million people, but with a laidback atmosphere,'' said the 6-foot-1, 170-pound Morgan, who grew up in Louisiana. ``They see a lot of Americans down there and find us amusing. They told me I had the accent. In some ways, Melbourne is behind the times, but in a pleasant way.''
Phillips said the Mets don't want to be behind the times if Australia turns into a hotbed of baseball talent.
``There have already been five or six Australians make it to the major leagues,'' Phillips said. ``The time to get into the action is now. Actually, we're behind the times.
``Other organizations have had more of a presence and are signing players. We're just beginning to cultivate relationships and form a network. So far, the (Atlanta) Braves and (Toronto) Blue Jays are the ones who got a jump on the competition.''
NOTES: Starting righthanded pitcher Reid Cornelius, who had been in the Mets' camp, cleared waivers Friday and joined the Tides Saturday. He will be the Tides' fifth starter and pitched five innings for the St. Lucie Mets while the Tides traveled to West Palm Beach Saturday. The addition of Cornelius (7-0, 0.90 ERA while in Norfolk last season) leaves the Tides with 12 pitchers. Pitching coach Bob Apodaca said one is being shopped. The Tides intend to carry 11 pitchers. Also optioned to Norfolk were Jerry Browne and Ryan Thompson. ... Norfolk beat the Richmond Braves 5-1 Saturday with Shawn Gilbert and Alberto Castillo both supplying two-run singles in the fourth. Alex Ochoa went 3 for 4 and drove in a run with a triple. Dave Mlicki, getting a final start before flying north to join the Mets, pitched seven innings, giving up four hits and one run. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
L. TODD SPENCER/The Virginian-Pilot
As part of an experiment, Tides shortstop Kevin Morgan went to
Australia in the offseason to play in an eight-team baseball
league.
by CNB