[ MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL ]
Island athletes vie
for major league spotsMajor League teams
have to trim their rosters
from 40 down to 25
players this week
When the 30 major league teams began spring training a month ago, there were 31 players with Hawaii ties in camp trying to earn a spot on a big-league roster or move up the minor league ladder.
Justin Wayne, Jerome Williams and Tyler Yates, all right-handed pitchers, are on the 40-man rosters of the Florida Marlins, San Francisco Giants and New York Mets, respectively.
Third baseman Chris Truby and shortstop Brandon Chaves (Pittsburgh Pirates), catcher Dane Sardinha (Cincinnati Reds), left-hander Dusty Bergman (Anaheim Angels), outfielder Shane Victorino (Los Angeles Dodgers) and right-hander Brandon Villafuerte (Arizona Diamondbacks) were nonroster players invited to the big-league camps.
Saint Louis graduates -- first baseman Chad Santos (Kansas City Royals) and right-hander Brandon League (Toronto Blue Jays) -- made brief appearances in big-league games.
This week is decision time as the major league teams have to trim their rosters to 25 players for opening day.
Williams struggled early, but was deemed to being close to season-ready by Giants manager Felipe Alou after throwing 4 2/3 innings and allowing one run vs. Colorado last Thursday.
Williams, a Waipahu High School graduate, has appeared in five games, pitching 18 innings, allowing 23 hits, walking eight, fanning 15 and posting a 7.00 earned-run average. He will get one more spring start.
Yates (Kauai High School, Hawaii-Hilo) is fighting Grant Roberts, James Baldwin and Scott Erickson for the fifth spot in the Mets starting rotation. Yates helped his cause by pitching five shutout innings against Houston last Wednesday when Al Leiter was scratched due to shoulder tendinitis.
Yates has an impressive 0.64 ERA. He has allowed just one earned run in 14 innings.
Wayne is battling right-hander Blaine Neal and left-handers Tommy Phelps and Matt Perisho for one of two spots open in the Marlins' bullpen. The Punahou and Stanford graduate has pitched 11 innings, giving up six hits and no earned runs.
Truby (Damien), who can also play first base, was reassigned yesterday by the Pirates to Triple-A Nashvile. He was 14-for-41 (.341) with four doubles and a home run in his latest attempt to return to the big leagues.
The Big Island-born Villafuerte, a reliever who signed with Arizona as a free agent, was still with the Diamondbacks yesterday. He has pitched in seven games, surrendered five earned runs, walked nine and fanned seven in 8 2/3 innings.
Sardinha (Kamehameha, Pepperdine), Victorino (St. Anthony), Chaves (Hilo, UH-Hilo) and Bergman (Hawaii) have been sent to their respective minor league camps for re-assignment.
Sardinha was 2-for-8 with a homer in eight games for the Reds. Victorino was 5-for-17 with a double and triple for the Dodgers.
Chaves had two hits in 12 at-bats for the Pirates. Bergman had a 12.46 ERA in four appearances for the Angels.
Santos went to bat five times for the Royals and singled once. League pitched 5 2/3 innings for the Blue Jays, allowing seven hits and three earned runs. He did not walk a batter and struck out four.
