PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL
Hawaii's Triple-A players end 2006 with mixed results
Komine, Santos and Williams all spent small parts of the season in the majors
FIRST IN A SERIES
There were nine Hawaii-connected players who spent all or a significant portion of the 2006 season at the Triple-A level, the last step before advancing to the major leagues or the first step back.
Shane Komine and Chad Santos had a cup of coffee for a week or so in the majors this year with the Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants, respectively. Neither one embarrassed himself, but both were quickly optioned back to Triple-A teams.
Jerome Williams began the season with the Chicago Cubs. The right-hander struggled with his control and was optioned to the Iowa (Des Moines) Cubs in the Pacific Coast League.
Bronson Sardinha started the season with the Trenton Thunder in the Double-A Eastern League, but was promoted to the New York Yankees' top farm team, the Columbus (Ohio) Clippers in the International League, in July.
Dane Sardinha, Chris Truby, Dusty Bergman, Darren Blakely and Brandon Villafuerte are Triple-A veterans. All but Blakely have experienced some playing time in the majors.
Komine (Kalani High/Nebraska) started two games for the Oakland Athletics with mixed results, but no decisions. He pitched six strong innings in his first outing, but walked too many batters in the second when he tried to pick the corners too much.
In his first full season after recovering from Tommy John surgery in 2004, the right-hander spent the year with the PCL's Sacramento River Cats
"The beginning was up and down, but before the All-Star break I made a pretty good run," Komine said.
The adjustment the right-hander experienced was more mental than anything else. Once he realized what was wrong, things got better.
"The year before I was coming off arm surgery and was just happy to play again. I brought that mentally to this season, but was too loose. I needed to be more prepared and get that fire back again."
"I made it to the big leagues
and couldn't be happier with the way everything went." Komine said.
Santos, an offseason, free-agent signee with San Francisco, was called up by the Giants on July 15, but was optioned back to the Pacific Coast League's Fresno Grizzles nine days later when the Giants obtained Shea Hillenbrand from Toronto.
Santos (Saint Louis School), a left-handed-hitting first baseman, was 3-for-7 (.429) with a homer in his brief stint with the Giants.
In 91 games at Fresno, Santos hit .261 with 18 doubles, 14 homers and 70 RBIs when he was called up.
But Santos was caught in the numbers game when he returned to Fresno, where Lance Niekro was playing first. Santos was sent to San Jose in the California League.
"They wanted me to get at-bats in San Jose," Santos said.
However, he broke a rib on his right side while blocking a throw in the dirt and was put on the disabled list Aug. 9.
"Overall, I thought I had a good season. I don't care what they did to me because I finally made it to the big leagues. I can't complain about anything," Santos said.
He is a free agent and is waiting to hear what team his agent thinks is best for him in 2007.
Bronson Sardinha was hitting .254 for the Thunder when the Yankees moved him up to Columbus, where he finished with a .286 average. His combined totals included 20 doubles, six triples, 16 homers and 67 RBIs.
He says the improvement in his numbers at the high level were the result of improvements in his swing mechanics under the guidance of coach Kevin Long.
"My swing is the best I've had in two years. It's good to know I've got my swing back," Bronson Sardinha said. "I worked on keeping my swing more short and compact. That let me wait longer on pitches, make better contact with offspeed pitches and still catch up with fastballs."
Drafted as a shortstop in 2001, Sardinha has played there and at third, second, center field, left field and this past season in right field.
"Right field is the most comfortable spot I've been in since I started pro ball. I like the angle the ball comes off the bat. The Yankees think I've found a home there and it is good not to move around anymore," Bronson Sardinha said.
Dane Sardinha (Kamehameha, Pepperdine) was declared a free agent by the Cincinnati Reds on Oct. 9, a move that was not unexpected after the six-year pro finished the season with a .175 batting average for the International League's Louisville Bats.
His agent, Scott Boras, now can shop Sardinha's services to any other team interested in a catcher.
"Offensively, it wasn't a good season. That's about it," Dane Sardinha said. "I most definitely won't be signing with the Reds. They have their two catchers signed. A change of scenery will be good."
Truby (Damien Memorial) began the season with the PCL's Las Vegas 51s in the Los Angeles Dodgers farm system after signing as a free agent in the offseason.
"They had a bunch of young guys who needed to play. I didn't play a whole lot and never had to do that before," said Truby, who began his pro career in 1993.
He was hitting .215 when the Dodgers released him. A week later, Truby signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates and was assigned to the Indianapolis Indians of the International League.
"That was good (he lives in a suburb), but everything else was bad," Truby said. "It is tough when you go somewhere and you're not feeling your best. You don't have spring training and you're trying to get back to where you were having to make adjustments on the fly."
In 60 games at Indianapolis he hit .222, finishing with a combined .219, well below his career mark of .273.
A free agent, Truby said, "I have to get back to prove that I can still play."
Bergman signed a free-agent contract with the New York Yankees in the offseason. He was assigned to Columbus of the International League. But after 35 relief appearances and a 3.79 ERA halfway through the season, the left-hander decided his chances of returning to the major leagues weren't good. He asked for and received his release.
"I wasn't playing enough. I was looking to get called up, but they had a bunch of guys ahead of me. I wanted to go where I would have a chance."
The former UH Rainbow then signed with the San Francisco Giants and was assigned to the Fresno Grizzlies in the PCL.
But he pulled a hamstring, tried to play through it and ended up with a 13.09 ERA.
"That didn't work out so well. I'm considering playing winter ball so I can show people I don't actually suck," Bergman, a free agent, said.
Blakely (Hawaii) admitted he did not put up (the right) numbers when he had the opportunity and that was his fault.
"It was bad. It was one of those years where things don't go your way. My wife (Jessica) was ready to give birth and my mind was more on my family than on baseball," said Blakely, the proud father of 3-month-old Braylen.
The Chicago White Sox, impressed with Blakely's 2005 season, started him as an outfielder with the Charlotte Knights in the International League. He struggled offensively with a .173 batting average, was sent down to the Birmingham Barons of the Southern League and began to hit.
In 27 games, his average was .260, but a disagreement with Barons manager Chris Cron resulted in his release. Blakely was headed to independent ball when the Los Angeles Angels called and offered him a backup spot with the PCL's Salt Lake Bees.
Playing intermittently, Blakely hit .207, fanned 26 times while drawing just two walks and spent the final week of the season with the Arkansas Travelers of the Texas League.
"I'm a free agent again and facing the fact that it will be tough for me to find a club next year. I'm coping with that, but I still have the itch to play," Blakely said. "I'll be 30 when the next season starts and it depends if a team has space and opportunity. The most important thing is for me to support my family."
Williams (Waipahu) began the season in the Chicago Cubs' starting rotation, but after five games, two losses and a 7.30 ERA, was optioned to the Iowa Cubs.
At Iowa he started 16 games and came out of the bullpen 13 times. Opponents hit .324 against the right-hander and his strikeout-to-walk (52-to-35) ratio was not good. After compiling a 5-7 record with a 4.76 ERA and surrendering 145 hits in 111 2/3 innings, Chicago placed Williams on waivers at the end of the season.
He was claimed off waivers by the Oakland Athletics on Sept. 5.
Villafuerte re-signed with the San Francisco Giants and spent a second season at Fresno. The Big Island-born right-hander was used as a middle- or late-inning reliever. He pitched in 49 games, tying for the team lead in that department.
He fanned 60 and walked just 18 in compiling a 2-5 record in his 12th pro season.