The Portland Press Herald
Tuesday 23rd March 2004

Want to see prospects on the Portland Sea Dogs this year, guys with a planned path to the major leagues?

Then look first to the mound.

The 2004 Portland roster likely will again be staffed by a lot of veteran, everyday players.

Some of the starters are prospects and could include Abe Alvarez, the second-round pick from the 2003 draft.
"He's done real well," said Ben Cherington, the Boston Red Sox farm director, on Monday.

Cherington won't say much about the rosters, not with almost two weeks of spring camp to go.

It is already known that two pitching prospects are headed to Hadlock Field - Charlie Zink and Jerome Gamble.
Cherington added two more "possible" names to that twosome, Alvarez and Chris Smith (fourth-round pick in 2002).
"The starting pitching is going to be an area of strength.
We should have a deep and competitive staff (in Portland)," Cherington said.

Cherington spoke as he stood between two fields at the Red Sox minor-league complex.
The Boston and Minnesota Triple-A players played on one field, the Double-A guys on the other.

The rosters on Boston's Triple-A and Double-A teams are not set.
More players will filter down from the major-league camp, bumping others down.

As for the everyday players coming to Portland . . .

"It will be a scrappy group," Cherington said.
"The position-player mix will be sort of similar."

That mix will be both veteran and young players not necessarily touted as prospects, but still playing for a chance to move up.

Portland has some top prospects on its roster right now - 2003 first-round pick David Murphy in the outfield and shortstop Hanley Ramirez, rated Boston's No. 1 prospect by Baseball America.
Neither is expected to start the season in Portland.
Last season, Ramirez, 20, never made it out of lower Class A Augusta, Ga., and Murphy got only a taste of Class A ball.
Rushing them into Double-A ball, in the frigid "spring" conditions of the Eastern League, is not likely part of Boston's plan.
But they could be here sometime this year.

"We got some really good crops in the draft the last couple of years," Sea Dogs Manager Ron Johnson said.
"If you look at guys like Murphy and (Matt) Murton (another first-round pick), and others, they're probably a year away - or at least part of a season away."

As for the players coming in April, two former Sea Dogs from the Florida Marlins days, first-baseman/catcher Jeff Bailey and first baseman/outfielder Brett Roneberg, are expected.
Second baseman Raul Nieves should be back for a second season.
Shortstop Kenny Perez is due here after two seasons in Sarasota.
Third baseman John Hattig was promoted to Portland at the end of last season and will be back.
One outfielder should be Greg Catalanotte, who was promoted in August last year.

As for those pitchers, both Zink, a knuckleballer, and Gamble made appearances for Portland last year.
Zink was 3-2 (3.43 ERA), while Gamble was 2-0 (4.91).
Zink was an undrafted free agent and became valuable when he developed his knuckler.
Gamble has worked his way up after being drafted out of high school in the fourth round in 1998.

Smith comes from the University of California-Riverside.
He was injured at the start of last year, but then worked his way up to Sarasota at the end, enjoying two scoreless outings.

Alvarez pitched only 19 innings last season with Lowell, as the Red Sox wanted him rested after his college season at Long Beach State.
He did not give up a run in those 19 innings and has looked strong this spring.
He's a left-hander with an average fastball, but with excellent control, as well as a solid curve and change-up.

This Portland team is still being put together, but Alvarez, Smith, Zink and Gamble will be good for a start.