Opening day nears for Silver Sox

RENO - Six days and counting.

That's when the Reno Silver Sox, the newest members of the Golden Baseball League, will open the 2006 season at home against the Long Beach Armada at 6:35 p.m. Friday

The Silver Sox, under the watchful eye of manager Les Lancaster and assistant coaches Mike Hartley and Rafael Melchione, started an abbreviated training camp earlier this week at Peccole Park.

"Ten days is tough," said Lancaster, who pitched several years in the majors. "You've got guys getting injured trying to impress too quick. Three weeks would be a lot nicer. The guys reported in good shape."

Lancaster has been playing intrasquad games all week. He'll get a better impression of his team tonight when it faces the Chico Outlaws at 6:30 p.m. at Peccole Park. Admission is free to the exhibition game.

There has already been one change in the league rules that has frustrated Lancaster. Originally, there was to be 23-man rosters and the league was going to play National League rules, meaning pitchers would have to hit. The league decided to trim league rosters to 22 players and use a designated hitter instead.

"I would have brought in a couple of boppers," Lancaster said.

Lancaster said he will be trimming six players from his current roster by the time the regular season starts.

Currently, the Silver Sox have only two players - ex-San Francisco Giant Marcus Jensen and left-handed pitcher Mike Spiegel - that qualify as veterans. Lancaster doubts that he will add any more veterans until the stretch run where he can pick up players from the Mexican League when their season is over.

Here's a position-by-position look at the first-year Silver Sox: Pitchers - Jason Conrad (rookie), William Krout (rookie), Mike McKernan (rookie), Chris Marini (experienced player), Jason Martinez (EP), Hideki Nagasaki (EP), Scott Schneider (EP), Josh Shackelford (EP), Nate Sevier (EP), Spiegel (veteran) and Ben Thurmond (EP).

Lancaster said he will keep 11 or 12, and since the team plays nearly everyday, he plans to use a five-man starting rotation consisting of Marini, Spiegel, Nagasaki, Martinez and Thurmond.

"I had him (Marini) last year," Lancaster said. "If he hadn't gotten signed (by Bakersfield and then released), he would have been the top pitcher in the GBL last year. He knows how to pitch. He has a live fastball and his second pitch is a change-up.

"Spiegel has some Triple-A time in. Nagasaki, Martinez and Thurmond, it's their job to lose."

Sevier, who pitched at Daytona in the Florida State League, will be the team's closer. Sevier throws a nice four-seam fastball and comes right at hitters.

"He's got experience at Single-A and Double-A with it," Lancaster said. "He's definitely ahead of the hitters and ready to go."

The remaining four or five spots will be up for grabs.

Lancaster said Conrad, who pitched at San Francisco State last year, threw 92 during tryouts. Krout throws in the 88-89 range. Kunes pitched in the Northwest League last season for Salem-Keizer before being released. Schneider pitched for Salt Lake's Triple-A Stingers last season and throws in the low 90s.

Catchers - Jensen (veteran), Wayne Astrauskas (EP), Claudio Gutierrez (rookie) and Dennis Peters (rookie) are currently in camp. Jensen is the starter, and the other three are battling for the No. 2 job. Astrauskas played independent ball for Mid-Missouri last season.

Jensen played for Lancaster at Mesa last year, and what he may have lost physically through the years, he has made up for it in savvy.

"He calls a great game still," Lancaster said. "He probably swings the bat better than he did in the majors.

"Wayne has two or three years of independent experience. I'm not so much looking for offense here (in back-up role). I'm more concerned about catching and throwing."

First base - Doug Gredvig (EP), Jensen.

Gredvig hit 20 homers for Lakewood in the South Atlantic League, according to Lancaster. He also has Double-A experience. It's hard to believe an organization could release somebody with 20 homers, but Lancaster is happy to have Gredvig on his side.

"After three or four years, organizations decided that a guy isn't going to make their Major League roster for some reason and they let guys go," Lancaster said. "I'll use Marcus occasionally here, just to give him some rest from behind the plate."

Second base and shortstop - Mike Done (EP), Evan Sobel (rookie), Bub Madrid (rookie), Adam Callen (rookie), Ramon Downing (EP)

Done, who played for Lancaster in Mesa last year, will start at second and Sobel, who played at Penn last year, starts at short. Madrid, Callen and Downing will battle for the remaining job or two. Madrid can play second, short and third, and Downing is a third baseman and shortstop. Callen played for Saint Mary's College.

"Done came in as a third baseman," Lancaster said. "He struggled with the bat and had some personal problems. He has one of the strongest arms in the infield."

Third base - Edgar Varela, Madrid and Downing

Varela hit nine homers and batted .308 for Lancaster in the California League. He's a solid defender, making just 12 errors all last season.

Outfield - Hector Zamora, Victor Hall, Caleb Maher, Phillip Grau, Marini and Paul Rottman.

Zamora (right), Hall (center) and Maher (left) are the starters, and all bring in strong credentials. Zamora played for Tampa in the Florida State League, while Maher and Hall started for Mesa last season.

"Hall has plus speed and an average arm," Lancaster said. "He'll have the green light to run whenever he's on.

"Caleb has power to all fields. It's amazing the way the ball jumps off his bat. Grau has been out of baseball for two years, but he has good speed and a plus arm plus pretty good pump for a little guy (5-foot-9)."

Lancaster could keep just four outfielders because Marini, who was a JC All-American, also can play the outfield and excels at the plate.