Thursday 8th April 2004

They were Sea Dogs under the first administration, back when the players who toiled at Hadlock Field aspired to be Marlins.

Jesus Medrano, Brett Roneberg and Jeff Bailey now receive paychecks from the Boston Red Sox, who expect their experience will help the 2004 Sea Dogs get off to a good start.

Portland opens its 11th Eastern League season tonight at 6:35 at Blair County Ballpark in Altoona, Pa.

"If we're going to have success from a win-loss standpoint," said Sea Dogs Manager Ron Johnson, "it's going to be those guys who are going to lead us to it."

Medrano will lead off and play second base.
Roneberg will play first base.
Bailey will be the designated hitter.

Johnson said knuckleballer Charlie Zink will start tonight's opening game, followed in the pitching rotation by left-hander Abe Alvarez and righties Chris Smith, Jerome Gamble and Ryan Cameron.
Only Cameron has at least one season of experience at this level.

Medrano, Roneberg and Bailey are 25.
They all have Triple-A experience.
They spent much of spring training with Pawtucket, but understand their roles with Portland.

"All I want to do is help however I can," Roneberg said.
"People know the easiest way to move up is to play on a team that wins."

Roneberg joined the 2001 Sea Dogs in July as the franchise's second Australian.
He and Glenn Reeves both played for their native country during the 2000 Olympics.

Roneberg came north with the 2002 Sea Dogs, but on the disabled list with a ligament injury in his right hand.
He rehabbed in Florida and jumped to Triple-A Calgary before being traded to the Expos for pitcher Donnie Bridges.

Roneberg finished the season with Harrisburg (Pa.) and played last season for Altoona, a Pirates affiliate.

Medrano had his first Sea Dogs go-round in 2002, when he hit .297, stole 39 bases and played in the Double-A All-Star Game.

He signed with the Red Sox in November after the Marlins removed him from their 40-man roster.

"I needed a change," said Medrano, who last season missed two months with a back injury and two weeks with an ankle injury.
"I have some good memories here (in Portland).
The ballpark looks a lot nicer now, with the (video screen) and the big wall. . . . I had a lot of fun here and I did well.
Plus, the fans make it a great baseball atmosphere."

Bailey spent the entire 2001 season with Portland, then the next two with Harrisburg.
The Expos promoted him to Triple-A Edmonton late in the summer.

"We're not talking about guys who are ancient," Johnson said.
"I want to get these guys to the next level, where they should be, and then have them challenge for major-league jobs."

In due time, perhaps.
Before then, the old Dogs can teach the new Dogs a few tricks of the Eastern League trade.

Their first opportunity comes tonight.