Future Ems season might grow longer, start earlier.

Byline: Steve Mims The Register-Guard

The Eugene Emeralds could add eight games to their Northwest League schedule and start the season in May if major-league baseball owners approve some changes to the amateur draft and minor-league system.

Baseball America reported last month that Major League Baseball is contemplating significant changes to both the draft and the structure of the lower levels of the minor leagues in an effort to save money on scouting and player development.

Eugene president and general manager Bob Beban said he has heard from the officials in minor-league baseball that such changes could occur at any time.

"They explained to me that baseball is interested in moving the draft mainly because they have difficulty signing players and getting them ready for short-season leagues because of the lateness of the draft," Beban said.

The draft has been held on the first Tuesday of June since its inception in 1965, but would be moved to the last week of June under the proposed changes.

The college players selected in the draft who are usually sent to short-season A clubs like Eugene would instead go to minor-league complexes in Florida and Arizona for a couple of months of instructional work. Major League Baseball runs the rookie-level Gulf Coast League in Florida and the Arizona League at those sites, but those leagues would be eliminated.

The Northwest League and New York-Penn League would both expand their seasons along with the Pioneer League, which would be redesignated as a short-season A league instead of a rookie-level league. That would give all 30 major-league teams a short-season affiliate.

Eugene's roster would feature mostly high school and college players who were selected in the previous year's draft and then spent that summer at the San Diego Padres' minor-league complex in Peoria, Ariz.

The Northwest League season currently runs from late June until early September, but would be moved up to start in late May and end in the middle of August. The 76-game schedule would be expanded to 84 games, so that would allow for a balanced schedule for all teams to play each other 12 times.

"I'd love it," Beban said. "From my point of view, it is nothing but positives. I've researched the weather and although it's shaky, I think with a tarp we would get games in. It would give us the opportunity to work with schools at the end of their term. We could have kids come out to the park for a field trip during the day and have various speakers for them. Just getting going earlier when baseball is very exciting and there is no conflict with basketball or football. At the end of summer, people traditionally are doing other things and our attendance seems to drop at the end of the season."

Major-league owners and farm directors have discussed the changes, but owners did not vote on them during a recent meeting. However, it is likely that owners will vote by mail on the issue within the next couple of weeks.

"From what I understand, it is something they want to implement right away," Beban said. "However, if it is not done soon it would put a lot of us in a bind. Not necessarily us in Eugene because our season would start after the high school season is over, but a lot of clubs have leases that require certain things to get done. I'd have to buy more equipment. I'd have to buy a tarp, which I'm proud to say I've never had to do before. There is a lot to do to set up for this."

ABOUT THE VOLCANOES

Hot hitters: Salem-Keizer leads the Northwest League with .294 batting average and despite losing the league's top hitter, the Volcanoes will bring the next three hitters on the list of league leaders into a three-game series at Civic Stadium beginning this evening.

First baseman William Thompson leads the league with a .384 batting average but is out for the season with a dislocated ankle. However, he has enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting crown without playing another game. He is almost assured of winning the title and his average would be the highest in the league since Ken Harvey hit .397 for Spokane in 1999.

Third baseman Mark Minicozzi ranks second in the league at .341. Minicozzi was drafted in the 17th round out by the San Francisco Giants out of East Carolina, where he was a teammate of current Emeralds Brian Cavanaugh and Billy Richardson.

Outfielder Michael Mooney and catcher Pablo Sandoval rank third and fourth in the league at .336 and .328, respectively.

Pitching prowess: Each starting pitcher that Salem-Keizer will throw during the series has an earned-run average under 3.00.

Dan Griffin, a 6-foot-7, 230-pound right-hander who was drafted in the fifth round out of Niagara, starts the series opener this evening. Griffin is 3-1 with a 2.12 ERA in six starts.

Sergio Romo is 6-1 with a 2.64 ERA entering his start on Wednesday while Dave McKae takes the mound Thursday with a 3-1 record and a 2.43 ERA.

Odd fact: Salem-Keizer is in second place in the West Division, one game behind Vancouver.

The Volcanoes have had success in odd-numbered seasons as they won the West Division in both 2001 and 2003. They went on to win the league championship in 2001.