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1993-04-04
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SPORTSTICKER 1993 BASEBALL PREVIEW
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ROOKIES TO WATCH IN 1993
BY KEVEN LERNER
STAFF WRITER
With the expansion Colorado Rockies and Florida Marlins entering
the picture this season, there are loads of young players, not
yet household names, who soon may be turning heads.
At the top of that list is Colorado pitcher David Nied, the top
overall pick in the expansion draft and the leading early
candidate for Rookie of the Year in the National League. The
highly touted 24-year-old Nied will be the Rockies' number one
starter in their first season. Nied was outstanding in six
appearances for the National League champion Atlanta Braves last
season, going 3-0 with a 1.17 earned run average.
Reliever Steve Reed also should make an immediate impact for the
expansion Rockies. Reed was a combined 1-1 with a 2.10 E-R-A in
Double-A and Triple-A, where he struck out 63 batters in just 60
innings and established a minor league record for saves in a
season with 43. He converted all 23 save opportunities at
Shreveport (AA), where he didn't walk a batter, and added 20
more saves at Phoenix (AAA).
Not far behind is Montreal's Wil Cordero. Cordero is the
21-year-old phenom from Puerto Rico named by managers as the
best defensive shortstop in the American Association. Cordero
hit .302 in 126 at-bats for the Expos last year and will fill
the void left by Spike Owen.
The three-time defending National League Eastern Division
champion Pittsburgh Pirates and manager Jim Leyland hope top
prospects Carlos Garcia, Kevin Young, Steve Cooke and Al Martin
can help the Bucs make a smooth transition from the loss of
superstars Doug Drabek, Barry Bonds and Jose Lind.
Pittsburgh General Manager Ted Simmons traded starting second
baseman Jose Lind to Kansas City in order to give Garcia a
chance to play every day. Garcia hit .303 with 13 home runs and
70 R-B-I while stealing 21 bases at Buffalo of the American
Association a year ago.
Young, the American Association Rookie of the Year, batted .314
with 65 R-B-I and 18 stolen bases at Buffalo. Martin hit .305
with 20 homers at Buffalo (AAA) last season.
Right-handed pitcher Rene Arocha would have made his major
league debut last year had it not been for the expansion draft.
The Cardinals delayed the move so they wouldn't have to protect
him. That won't be a problem in 1993.
The Dodgers decided not to re-sign longtime catcher Mike
Scioscia thanks to promising rookie Mike Piazza, Tommy Lasorda's
godson. Piazza, who was drafted by the Dodgers in the 62nd
round of the June, 1988, draft, batted .341 at Albuquerque, good
for fourth in the Pacific Coast League, with 16 homers and 69
R-B-I in 1992.
Los Angeles also looks to Pedro Martinez, younger brother of
Dodger ace Ramon, to bolster its pitching staff. Pedro had some
arm problems but had 124 strikeouts in 125 1/3 innings at
Albuquerque last season.
The Marlins hope outfielder Chuck Carr and first
baseman-outfielder Jeff Conine can live up to their star
billing. Carr, who has tremendous speed, hit .308 with 11
triples and 53 stolen bases at Louisville last season. He stole
71 bases, including eight in Double-A and 10 with St. Louis,
which may regret not protecting him in the expansion draft.
Willie Greene, a deadly hitter, has never played an inning at
the Triple-A level but the Cincinnati Reds are well aware of his
tremendous potential.
Greene, the Pirates' top pick in 1989, hit .279 with 27 homers
and 106 R-B-I at Cedar Rapids (A) and Chattanooga (AA) last
season. He was called up in September and started 24 games (all
at third) for the Reds and batted .269 with 13 R-B-I.
Ryan Thompson, acquired from Toronto in the David Cone deal last
August, gives the New York Mets their best center fielder since
Lenny Dykstra.
In the American League, the California Angels landed two of the
most promising rookies in J.T. Snow and Tim Salmon.
Snow, the son of former N-F-L wide receiver Jack Snow, was
acquired from the New York Yankees in the Jim Abbott trade. The
25-year-old first baseman was voted the International League's
Most Valuable Player in 1992 after posting career highs at
Columbus with a .313 average, 15 homers and 78 R-B-I.
Salmon, the Minor League Player of the Year in 1992, was rated
as the top hitting prospect in the Pacific Coast League. He
batted .347 and scored 101 runs at Edmonton and led the P-C-L in
just about every offensive category. Salmon, who fell .004 shy
of the Triple Crown, also had 38 doubles, 29 homers, 105 R-B-I
and a .682 slugging percentage.
The Yankees have their own pair of rookie standouts in Sam
Militello and Gerald Williams.
Militello was 12-2 with a 2.29 E-R-A at Columbus, where he led
the International League in E-R-A and struck out 152 batters in
141 1/3 innings. He has compiled an incredible 34-8 record with
a 1.76 E-R-A in his three-year minor league career. He was 3-3
with a 3.45 E-R-A in nine starts at the major league level with
New York.
Williams was one of the reasons the Yankees were so willing to
trade All-Star Roberto Kelly to Cincinnati. Williams hit .285
with 16 home runs and 86 R-B-I last season, while swiping 36
bases. He has 102 stolen bases over the last three years.
Right-handed power pitcher Mike Trombley should give the Twins a
big lift in their starting rotation behind 1-2 starters Kevin
Tapani and Scott Erickson.
Over the years, the Texas Rangers have developed some
high-profile pitchers, but Dan Smith is the first left-handed
starter they've produced. A number one draft choice in June
1990, Smith had a 4-to-1 ratio of strikeouts to walks in the
Texas League last year.
John Jaha of the Milwaukee Brewers proved his 1991 season at
Double-A El Paso (.344, 30, 134) was no fluke. At Triple-A
Denver last season, he hit .321 with 18 homers and 69 R-B-I in
just 274 at-bats.
Bret Boone, the first third-generation major leaguer, had a
disappointing stint with Seattle at the end of last season but
the Mariners are confident that he can fill the void at second
base left by veteran Harold Reynolds, who signed as a free agent
with Baltimore. Boone had an impressive season at Calgary with
a .314 average, 13 homers and 73 R-B-I. Boone is the son of
former major league catcher Bob Boone and the grandson of former
major league third baseman Ray Boone.
The Oakland Athletics hope slugger Troy Neel picks up where he
left off last season. The lefty-swinging outfielder had three
home runs and nine R-B-I in just 24 games for the A's in 1992.
He led the P-C-L in hitting with a .351 average, while hitting
17 homers and 74 R-B-I.