DODGERS NOTEBOOK: VALDEZ KEEPS ON WAITING.Byline: TONY JACKSON
Anthony (Antonio) Jackson, best known as Tony Jackson Staff Writer LAKELAND, Fla. -- For Wilson Valdez, the torturous waiting game has reached the late innings. He is three days from finally knowing the answer to the question that has run through his mind so many thousands of times these past few weeks, that being whether his spectacular spring will be enough to get him on the Dodgers' Opening Day roster. In a technical sense, that answer already appears to be no. By itself, Valdez's .359 average probably won't be enough. Nor will the fact he is out of minor-league options. Nor will the fact he had a spectacular season at Triple-A Las Vegas Las Vegas (läs vā`gəs), city (1990 pop. 258,295), seat of Clark co., S Nev.; inc. 1911. It is the largest city in Nevada and the center of one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the United States. last summer. What will get Valdez on the club is a factor completely beyond his control: specifically, the health of shortstop Rafael Furcal Rafael Antoni Furcal[1] (born August 24, 1977 in Loma de Cabrera, Dominican Republic),[2] nicknamed "Fookie", is a shortstop in Major League Baseball who plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers. . Although no one in the organization has said it, all indications are that it's an either-or proposition for Valdez. If Furcal furcal /fur·cal/ (fur´k'l) shaped like a fork; forked. fur·cal adj. Forked. furcal forked. isn't healthy enough to play in Monday's season opener at Milwaukee or shortly thereafter, Valdez will make the team, at least temporarily. But if Furcal can go, Valdez can go away. "I just have to keep playing the way I can play and wait for their decision," said Valdez, who was hitless in three at-bats in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game, a 3-3 tie with the Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are a professional baseball team based in Detroit, Michigan. The Tigers are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Tigers have played in Comerica Park. in front of 5,972 at Marchant Stadium. "But I feel better now than I did at this point last spring." Valdez, who last appeared in the majors with San Diego San Diego (săn dēā`gō), city (1990 pop. 1,110,549), seat of San Diego co., S Calif., on San Diego Bay; inc. 1850. San Diego includes the unincorporated communities of La Jolla and Spring Valley. Coronado is across the bay. in 2005, also sizzled in the Cactus League last year before Kansas City Kansas City, two adjacent cities of the same name, one (1990 pop. 149,767), seat of Wyandotte co., NE Kansas (inc. 1859), the other (1990 pop. 435,146), Clay, Jackson, and Platte counties, NW Mo. (inc. 1850). shipped him to the Dodgers in a minor-league trade at the end of camp. He now says he figured something bad was afoot before it even happened. "I told my wife I didn't think I was going to make the team," he said. "I was only getting one at-bat a game, and that was in the late innings. If they're really looking at you as a utility man, you're going to get more playing time than that. But this year, I think it looks better for me. I'm getting a lot of opportunities to play." For a few moments in the first inning, it looked like Valdez's window of opportunity had been shoved wide open. After going deep in the hole at short to field a grounder by Gary Sheffield
Gary Antonian Sheffield (born November 18, 1968 in Tampa, Florida) is a Major League Baseball designated hitter and outfielder for the Detroit Tigers. , Valdez threw to second a fraction of a second too late to force Placido Placido may refer to any of the following: People Placido is a traditional Spaniard clan name (see Clan Placido) and it is now a common given name and a less common surname. It is also a fairly common surname in Southern Italy. Polanco, who slid into the right ankle of second baseman second baseman n. Baseball The infielder who is positioned near and to the first-base side of second base. Noun 1. second baseman - (baseball) the person who plays second base second sacker Ramon Martinez Ramon Martinez is the name of several people:
Martinez left the game with a sprain sprain, stretching or wrenching of the ligaments and tendons of a joint, often with rupture of the tissues but without dislocation. Sprains occur most commonly at the ankle, knee, or wrist joints, causing pain, swelling, and difficulty in moving the involved joint. . But when it was over, manager Grady Little said the injury was so mild that Martinez could play in tonight's Freeway Series opener. Like Valdez, Martinez is a utility infielder. But unlike Valdez, Martinez also can play first base and has a guaranteed, major-league contract. More waiting: Although non-roster outfielder Larry Bigbie appears to have the team made, club officials prefer not to set the roster before the Sunday deadline. But Bigbie could force the Dodgers' hand in the next three days. Bigbie's window for exercising the escape clause in his contract officially opens today and runs through Sunday. As long as that window is open, Bigbie has all the leverage -- he isn't going to spurn a big-league offer from another club if the Dodgers can't guarantee him a spot on the Opening Day roster. "My agent (Sam Levinson) is talking to other teams, but I told him I don't want to think about it," Bigbie said. "I want to think about playing (for the Dodgers)." This normally is a tough time for players to catch on with other clubs because teams are cutting players, not adding. But in theory, another club's plans could change dramatically if it saw a chance to add a veteran major leaguer like Bigbie who is hitting .352 for the spring. All of which raises the question of why the Dodgers don't render the whole thing moot by purchasing Bigbie's contract now. They need a fourth outfielder because Jason Repko, who had successful hamstring surgery in Los Angeles on Wednesday, is lost for the season. Not yet: Another non-roster veteran who seems to have the team made is reliever Rudy Seanez. But manager Grady Little wouldn't rule out Chin-hui Tsao for that final spot. Tsao has a 2.53 ERA in 11 appearances, but because of injury hasn't pitched in the majors since 2005. CAPTION(S): photo, box Photo: The Dodgers' Wilson Valdez stretches before a spring training game earlier this week. Bob Jordan/Associated Press Box: BEYOND THE BOX SCORE - Tony Jackson |
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