51s brim with big league experience

Armed with 11 players who played in the big leagues last year, the 51s appear poised to end a string of eight consecutive losing seasons by the Toronto Blue Jays' Triple-A affiliate.

"We have a big leaguer at every position, pretty much," Las Vegas catcher J.P. Arencibia, Toronto's No. 2 prospect, said Tuesday at Cashman Field. "Except for maybe me and (third baseman Scott Campbell), every other position has major league players."

Las Vegas, which is starting a two-year player development contract with Toronto after spending its first 18 years with the San Diego Padres and the last eight with the Los Angeles Dodgers, opens its 27th season today with a game at Colorado Springs.

"We have a good mix of veterans and rookies, speed and power, and we have a lot of experience on our pitching staff, so we should be fun to watch," said 51s manager Mike Basso, who played parts of four seasons (1988, 1990, 1992, 1993) for the Las Vegas Stars.

Two 2007 first-round draft picks -- Arencibia and left-handed starting pitcher Brett Cecil -- are the top prospects on the team and two of the top three in Toronto's organization.

In 126 games at Single-A Dunedin and Double-A New Hampshire last season, Arencibia hit .298 with 27 home runs, 36 doubles and 105 RBIs. He also threw out 34 percent of runners trying to steal.

"He swings the bat well and catches very well," said Basso, a former catcher. "He's got to learn how to handle pitchers even better than he is now, but he's got a very bright future."

Arencibia, 23, tied Alex Rodriguez's career home run record of 17 at Miami's Westminster Christian High School and hit .330 at the University of Tennessee before making a rapid rise through the minors.

Cecil, a 6-foot-3-inch, 220-pounder, excelled at Single A, Double A and Triple-A Syracuse last season, striking out 129 in 118 1/3 innings. He's 9-5 with a 2.41 ERA overall.

"He just has tremendous stuff," Basso said. "He's done well since he's been in the game, and it will be a big challenge for him pitching here" at hitter-friendly Cashman Field.

Cecil, 22, expects to make his major league debut quickly.

"Like everybody's goal here, I want to make it to the big leagues, hopefully this year," he said. "If not, definitely next year."

One of three left-handers in the 51s' starting rotation, Cecil is scheduled to start Sunday at Colorado Springs, following right-handers Wade Miller and Dirk Hayhurst and lefty Bradley Mills. Left-hander Brian Burres rounds out the rotation.

Six Las Vegas pitchers saw action in the majors last season. Miller last pitched for the Chicago Cubs in 2007.

The 51s also feature five position players who played in the big leagues last season, led by former UNR star Joe Inglett, who batted .297 for the Blue Jays in 109 games.

"He's a very good player who puts pressure on the defense," Basso said. "He's a leadoff-type hitter, he can run, and he's a good utility guy."

Inglett, slated to start at second base, is not pleased to be opening the season in Triple A.

"You never want to be happy going back down to Triple A," Inglett said. "But I'm just going to keep on working hard and get back up to the big leagues."

Inglett, 30, expects the 51s to light up the Cashman Field scoreboard this season.

"We're definitely going to put up some good numbers," he said. "I've heard the ball flies here, and we've got some guys who can thump it a little bit."

After starting their season on the road for just the seventh time in 27 years, the 51s will play their home opener April 17 against Colorado Springs.

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0354.

A WINNING OUTLOOK

Armed with 11 players who saw action in the big leagues last season, the 51s appear poised to snap a string of eight straight losing seasons by the Toronto Blue Jays' Triple-A affiliate.

"We have a big leaguer at every position, pretty much," said catcher J.P. Arencibia, Toronto's No. 2 prospect. "We're going to be a pretty good team."

 

 

RISING STARS

Las Vegas catcher J.P. Arencibia and left-handed starting pitcher Brett Cecil are two of the top three prospects in Toronto's organization, but they still have a lot to prove.

"They have a lot of promise, but you know what they say about potential -- that means you haven't done anything yet, so we'll see what happens," 51s manager Mike Basso said.

 

BALANCED ATTACK

Las Vegas second baseman Joe Inglett said the 51s feature a talented mix of veterans and youngsters and pitching and hitting.

"Our pitching staff is good, and we're definitely going to put up some numbers," he said. "I've heard the ball flies here, and we've got some good guys who can thump it a little bit."

 

 

NO PLACE LIKE HOME

The 51s will open their season on the road, today at Colorado Springs, for just the seventh time in the franchise's 27 years in Las Vegas. The team, which opens at home April 17 against the Sky Sox, is 12-14 all time in season openers but has won seven of its last eight home openers.

 

 

SAY IT AIN'T SO, JOE

51s second baseman Joe Inglett, a former All-American at UNR, doesn't consider coming to Las Vegas a happy homecoming.

"No, no. I played in Reno, Nevada, not Las Vegas," he said. "I bleed (UNR) blue, not (UNLV) red."

Inglett also isn't pleased to be back in Triple A after batting .297 for the Blue Jays last season in 109 games.

"You never want to be happy going back down to Triple A, but I'm just going to keep on working hard and get back up to the big leagues," he said.

 

 

ROSTER

INFIELDERS B-T AGE RESIDENCE 2008 CLUB AVG G HR RBI

Scott Campbell L-R 24 Murrieta, Calif. New Hampshire .302 112 9 46

Howie Clark L-R 35 North Bend, Wash. Rochester .293 93 6 48 MINNESOTA .250 4 0 1

Brett Harper L-R 27 Scottsdale, Ariz. Fresno .315 123 20 59

Joe Inglett L-R 30 Citrus Heights, Calif. Syracuse .407 15 1 6 TORONTO .297 109 3 39

Randy Ruiz R-R 31 Bronx, N.Y. Rochester .320 111 17 68 MINNESOTA .274 22 1 7

Angel Sanchez R-R 25 Las Piedras, P.R. Northwest Arkansas .261 63 1 23 Omaha .221 38 1 13

 

OUTFIELDERS B-T AGE RESIDENCE 2008 CLUB AVG G HR RBI

Russ Adams L-R 28 Laurinburg, N.C. Syracuse .259 127 15 63

Buck Coats L-R 26 Lake Park, Ga. TORONTO .200 8 0 0 Syracuse .286 114 7 44

Jason Lane R-L 32 Sebastopol, Calif. Scranton/WB .236 97 16 51 Pawtucket .208 13 2 9

Aaron Mathews R-R 26 Jon Day, Ore. New Hampshire .296 72 6 51

 

CATCHERS B-T AGE RESIDENCE 2008 CLUB AVG G HR RBI

J.P. Arencibia R-R 23 Miami Dunedin .315 59 13 62 New Hampshire .282 67 14 43

Raul Chavez R-R 36 Valencia, Venezuela Indianapolis .306 26 3 13 PITTSBURGH .259 42 1 10

 

PITCHERS B-T AGE RESIDENCE 2008 CLUB W-L SV ERA

Jeremy Accardo R-R 27 Mesa, Ariz. Syracuse 0-0 0 1.93 TORONTO 0-3 4 6.57

Jonah Bayliss R-R 28 Williamstown, Mass. Indianapolis 0-3 3 6.00 Syracuse 3-2 2 3.40

T.J. Beam R-R 28 Scottsdale, Ariz. Indianapolis 2-1 5 3.09 PITTSBURGH 2-2 1 4.14

Bryan Bullington R-R 28 Indianapolis Indianapolis 4-6 0 5.52 Buffalo 1-3 1 4.75 CLEVELAND 0-2 0 4.91

Brian Burres L-L 28 Clackamas, Ore. BALTIMORE 7-10 0 6.04 Norfolk 1-0 0 0.82

Brett Cecil R-L 22 Dunkirk, Md. Dunedin 0-0 0 1.74 New Hampshire 6-2 0 2.55 Syracuse 2-3 0 4.11

Dirk Hayhurst L-R 28 Canton, Ohio Portland 2-3 2 3.75 SAN DIEGO 0-2 0 9.72

Wade Miller R-R 32 Douglassville, Pa. CUBS (2007) 0-1 0 10.54

Bradley Mills L-L 24 Tucson, Ariz. Lansing 6-3 0 2.55 Dunedin 4-0 0 1.35 New Hampshire 3-2 0 1.10

Bill Murphy L-L 27 Peoria, Ariz. Syracuse 8-10 2 5.32

Sean Stidfole R-R 25 New Bloomfield, Pa. New Hampshire 1-1 4 4.50 Syracuse 1-3 0 3.27

Brian Wolfe R-R 28 Aliso Ciejo, Calif. Syracuse 2-3 0 3.44 TORONTO 0-2 0 2.45