February 15, 2005

51s bring back two of team's leaders
Thurston, Chen enter fourth year with Triple-A club
By Nick Christensen <[e-mail]>
LAS VEGAS SUN

After three years in Las Vegas, one might think Joe Thurston and Chin-Feng
Chen would be looking for a change of scenery -- preferably, one that might
have a major league uniform with their names on it.

But Thurston, the Las Vegas 51s' all-time leader in triples and who's second
in singles, total bases, at-bats and hits, was designated for assignment by
the Los Angeles Dodgers on Jan. 12.

Chen, the 51s' leader in home runs, total bases and strikeouts who's second
in runs batted in, was designated two days later.

Designation for assignment happens when players on the major league roster
are out of options to go to the minor leagues. Teams can then claim the
players off waivers and the player can leave the team, or choose to go to the
minors with his original club.

After the designation, neither was claimed off waivers, and to the surprise
of some, both opted to return to the Dodgers organization.

Enter Jerry Royster, the former Milwaukee Brewers manager who takes the reins
in Las Vegas this April. Out doing "daddy-dos" in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.,
with his 11-year-old daughter Kara on Friday, Royster said he thinks Thurston
and Chen are a big part of why he was chosen to lead the 51s this year.

"My job is to give the guys, the Chin-Feng Chens and the Joe Thurstons,
something new to show these people. That's what I'm going to do," Royster
said. "That's why I get excited about being a Triple-A manager. As an
instructor the last two years, I had so much fun teaching these kids things
to do. Now I'm a manager, I can propel them to the major leagues."

Dodgers general manager Paul DePodesta said his organization still has hope
for Chen and Thurston.

"Last year we had both guys up in September, and we also had them up at
different points in the course of the year," he said. "That probably speaks
to what we think of them."

Royster said he's looking to bring the two back to their pre-2002 form,
particularly Thurston, who all but had the Dodgers' starting second baseman
job locked up heading into spring training in 2003 before slumping back to
Las Vegas.

In that 2002 season, Thurston hit .334, leading the Pacific Coast League in
hits (196) and runs (106).

"For me, what I'm going to try and do is to get Joe back to where he was
before," Royster said. "Chin-Feng is the same way. This past season was a
good season, the season before I thought he had gotten over the hump, but our
major league team is very very thorough. It's hard for some guys to break in
and get the opportunity to show what they have."

Chen and Thurston will not be alone in the stuck-in-Triple-A caucus of the
Dodgers' minor league roster. Catcher Mike Rose and outfielder Mike Edwards
will probably join Chen and Thurston in Las Vegas this year, after spending
several years at Oakland's Triple-A affiliate in Sacramento.

DePodesta got a chance to see Rose and Edwards while he was the Athletics'
assistant general manager.

"Mike Rose I had at Oakland -- he's another switch-hit catcher, a very good
and accomplished offensive player," DePodesta said. "Mike Edwards is a very
good right-handed bat, a guy that's versatile defensively and fits in nicely
with an NL team, either as a pinch-hitter or a double-switch type player."

Tony Schrager, a middle infielder from the Boston system, also signed with
the Dodgers this winter. And former RiverCat Jose Flores will probably return
to the 51s come April.

DePodesta said the rejuvenation of the Dodgers farm system has enabled his
organization to shift focus when it comes to acquiring Triple-A players.

"Now we're at a point where we're probably a year away from being very strong
top-to-bottom, all with internal candidates," he said. "If we're going to
sign a guy, we're going to look for a guy that I think can help us at the
major league level. With each of these guys I think we have that."

The Dodgers also acquired top pitching prospect Dioner Navarro from the New
York Yankees by way of Arizona. Barring a superb spring training coupled with
slump or injury by Los Angeles catchers David Ross and Paul Bako, Navarro
will start the year in Las Vegas.

But it's the veterans with whom Royster, a three-year manager of the then-Las
Vegas Stars, is concerned.

"Guys like Edwards, like Flores, and we also got some borderline pitcher
guys, we've got some work to do," Royster said. "I did it in '96 to '98, when
I was there with the Padres, we had the same situation. We got some guys to
the major leagues that were kind of dead, and felt like they were dead. I've
got to think Joe Thurston thinks like that."