Northwest league 2004

EAST DIVISION Spokane Indians

Affiliate: Texas Rangers

Manager: Darryl Kennedy

Last year’s record: 53-26, division and NWL champions

Extra bases: The Indians, who celebrated their 100th baseball anniversary with a league title are chasing No. 7 since 1987 this year. They will host a league All-Star Game Aug. 3 as part of the league’s 50th anniversary celebration. Among the players assigned are a dozen taken in this year’s draft. Among them are a fifth-rounder, catcher Mike Nickeas from Georgia Tech, who will arrive on Sunday, and sixth-rounder, outfielder Billy Susdorf from UCLA, who joins the team this weekend in Boise.

Yakima Bears

Affiliate: Arizona Diamondbacks

Manager: Bill Plummer

Last year’s record: 45-31, division runner-up

Extra bases: The Bears last year had their second-winningest season in franchise history, in its fifth consecutive season in the league. Yakima was an original NWL franchise team back in 1955. The Bears were short-handed as of Tuesday with just nine players in camp, but second-year manager Plummer told the Yakima Herald-Republic that he had a starting rotation chosen. Included were Josh Perrault, promoted from Missoula and Keith Whatley from Lancaster. Five players of a 26-man roster played for him last year, three of them pitchers. Matt Wilkinson, who had 30 saves and struck out 80 in 63 Midwest League innings, returns from after a two-year absence. And the team has added 6-foot-4, 215-pound Garrett Mock from Missoula. The University of Houston player was a third-round Diamondback’s pick.

Tri-City Dust Devils

Affiliate: Colorado Rockies

Manager: Ron Gideon

Last year’s record: 33-43, division third-place

Extra bases: One of the original seven teams when NWL formed, Tri-City returned to the league in 2001 (relocated from Portland) after a 16-year absence. Brett Sports, which also owns the Spokane Indians, took over ownership of the Dust Devils this year, with George Brett listed as principle owner. Among 35 players assigned to the Dust Devils this week were 10 selected in the MLB first-year player draft. Included, were the Rockies’ third, fifth, seventh, eighth and 10th picks. University of North Carolina catcher Christopher Iannetta batted .336 with five home runs and 71 RBIs and was one of three finalists for the Johnny Bench Award presented to the nation’s best catcher. Second-team All-America third baseman Matthew Macri of Notre Dame was first-team All-Big East after leading the league in hits (67), runs (76), triples (7) and total bases while batting .367. Six players return from last year’s team including pitcher J.P. Gagne who led the 2003 Dust Devils in saves with 16.

Boise Hawks

Affiliate: Chicago Cubs

Manager: Tom Beyers

Last year’s record: 27-49, divisional last place

Extra bases: Boise drew over 100,000 fans for the 16th straight season. The Hawks will host Spokane Friday night. Eight players who have played there before are among early-roster designees for the Hawks. One newcomer is Luis Montanez, the third-overall pick in the 2000 first-players draft after three years in Daytona. Other new faces on the squad are 2003 selections catcher Tony Richie from Florida State and pitcher Darin Downs, plus 2004 draftees Jonathan Hunton from Lamar and Jerry Blevins from Dayton, also pitchers.

WEST DIVISION Salem-Keizer Volcanos

Affiliate: San Francisco Giants

Manager: Joe Strain

Last year’s record: 43-36, division champs, swept by Spokane in the NWL playoffs.

Extra bases: The Volcanoes have won three divisional titles over the past six years and will greet their one millionth fan this season. The team has been selected nationally as the short-season’s top franchise. This year’s team nucleus will come from 20 2004 draftees. Among them is Florida State 20-year-old Eddy Martinez-Esteve, a 6-foot-2, 215 pounder called by one coach the “Manny Ramirez of college baseball,” as reported on the team Web site. He was San Francisco’s top pick after batting .391 with 19 home runs and 81 RBIs. Another prospect from the draft is Long Beach State outfielder John Bowker, a .332 hitter. Three selections from the 2003 draft have also signed with the Giants.

Eugene Emeralds

Affiliate: San Diego Padres

Manager: Roy Howell

Last year’s record: 39-37, division runnerup

Extra bases: The Emeralds will celebrate their 50th anniversary season along with the league this year. A charter member in 1955, Eugene has more wins than any other franchise and this year will win their 2,000th NWL game. In 49 years the team has attracted 4,581,032 fans. Five players – pitchers James Darby and Ronnie Robinson, catcher Colt Morton, third baseman Billy Hogan and outfielder Ruben Mora – are expected back on a roster than could change as draft picks sign and players are assigned and reassigned. Morton was a third-round draft pick out of North Carolina State in 2003. Outfielder Mark McRoberts, a Rule 5 pick signed from Philadelphia, hit 17 home runs at long-season A Lakewood. Shortstop Sean Kazmar, a fifth-round selection, is top pick from this year’s draft.

Vancouver Canadians

Affiliate: Oakland A’s

Manager: Dennis Rogers

Last year’s record: 35-41, division third-place

Extra bases: The Canadians enter their fifth year in Vancouver since moving from Medford, Ore. Attendance has increased each year with 137,026 entering the turnstyles last season.

Everett AquaSox

Affiliate: Seattle Mariners

Manager: Pedro Grifol

Last year’s record: 32-44, division last place

Extra bases: The AquaSox are in their 10th years as a Mariners affiliate and recently signed a two-year extension with the major league club. They drew 110,000 fans during their 20th season in Everett. The team played Wednesday against the Everett Merchants, a semipro member in the Pacific International League, in the first Everett Cup. Phil Cullen, a 6-foot-9 pitcher from Chelan who played basketball in college at Utah is coming off a couple years of injuries. Yung-Chi Chen, an undrafted free agent, is the second Mariners signee from Taiwan and a member of that country’s Olympic team. Omar Falcon comes to the Sox from Eugene as a Rule 5 draftee. Only three Seattle draft picks have been assigned to Everett.