Minor League report: Oxspring looks forward to representing Australia

By: JOHN MAFFEI - Staff Writer | Saturday, July 10, 2004 10:11 PM PDT ∞

For decades, Cuba has ruled the world of amateur baseball.

But Cuba's reputation for excellence doesn't scare Padres minor league pitcher Chris Oxspring.

"We draw them in the first round of the Olympics, and I hope I pitch well enough in our exhibition tour to face them," the Triple-A Portland right-hander said.

Oxspring, born and raised in Australia, will leave the Beavers later this month and hook up with the Australian Olympic team in Baltimore for nine exhibition games.

The Australian team will leave for Athens on Aug. 11 and open play Aug. 15.

Oxspring, who is on the Padres' 40-man roster, is 4-3 with a 3.65 ERA in 11 starts in Triple-A. He missed nearly six weeks with a sprained ligament in his elbow.

With a fastball clocked at 91-93 mph, what Baseball America calls "the best slider in the system" and a curve and change-up that are considered at least average, Oxspring has a chance to pitch in the big leagues.

"That's why choosing to play in the Olympics was such a hard decision," Oxspring said. "Kids dream of representing their country, but when you're at Triple-A, you're so close to the major leagues.

"I talked to the Padres and asked about my immediate future. They said if I go to Athens, it won't change their opinion of me. That gave me peace of mind."

Padres general manager Kevin Towers said he had no problem with Oxspring and Fort Wayne catcher George Kottaras, who will represent Greece, playing in the Olympics.

"It's not like they're going to the world series of poker," Towers said. "They're missing part of the season with our clubs, but they'll be playing baseball on an international stage.

"It certainly can't hurt them."

Oxspring figures playing for an Olympic gold medal will help him in the future.

"I don't have a great college background like a lot of guys from the States," said Oxspring, who came to the United States in 2000, was signed by independent league Cook County and was discovered by Bill Bryk of the Padres at a cattle-call tryout camp.

"I think the Olympics will be a good stepping stone," Oxspring said. "The experience should help me if I'm ever asked to pitch in a pennant-race situation.

"I plan to go into the Games with all my guns blazing. I won't hold anything back."

Einertson on fire

Mitch Einertson (Rancho Buena Vista High) had a monster game Wednesday for the rookie league Greenville Astros, hitting three home runs against the Elizabethton Twins.

His power surge started when he led off the second inning with his fifth homer of the season. He followed with a two-run shot in the fifth and a solo blast to start the ninth.

A fifth-round pick of the Astros in June, Einertson is playing right field.

Through 16 games, Einertson is hitting .288 with 20 RBIs and eight home runs to lead the Appalachian League.

Elizabethton's manager is former Vista and MiraCosta College standout Ray Smith.

Players of the Week

Lake Elsinore outfielder Josh Carter (Fallbrook) hit .647 (11-for-17) with five doubles and five RBIs and was the California League Player of the Week for June 28-July 4.

Casper Rockies outfielder Justin Nelson (Rancho Buena Vista) hit .310 (9-for-29) with three homers and 13 RBIs and was named the Pioneer League Player of the Week for June 28-July 4.

Circling the bases

Portland right-hander Tim Stauffer, the Padres' No. 1 pick in last year's draft, posted his first Triple-A win Thursday, going 7 1/3 innings with eight strikeouts against Sacramento. He's 1-0 with a 4.91 ERA in three Triple-A starts and is scheduled to pitch an inning in today's Futures Game, a contest that will be carried at 1 p.m. on ESPN2.

With closers Bart Miadich and Brandon Puffer no longer in the organization, Portland is using a closer-by-committee scheme with lefties Mike Bynum and Eddie Oropesa and right-hander Lou Pote. Oropesa, who was a bust with the Padres, has held left-handed hitters to a .045 average (1-for-22) since he was sent to the minors.

Joey Hamilton and Donovan Osborne, two veterans the Padres were hoping would help the big club at some point this season, have both been released. Hamilton was 0-2 with a 5.36 ERA in 11 appearances at Portland and Osborne, who started the season with the Yankees, was 2-2 with an 8.56 ERA in eight games.

Portland's Jon Knott had a string of 27 straight games reaching base come to an end Thursday.

Portland's Freddy Guzman leads the Pacific Coast League with 26 stolen bases. He has been caught twice. He has 40 steals this season, including 14 at Double-A Mobile.

Mobile catcher Nick Trzesniak, one of the Padres' top prospects, is 3-for-59 in his last 20 games. He has, however, thrown out 31 of 77 potential base stealers.

Right-hander Clark Girardeau, who was 4-4 with a 5.02 ERA at Fort Wayne, was promoted to Lake Elsinore and is 2-0 with a 0.89 ERA in three starts, including a two-hit, eight-inning performance in his last start.

Contact staff writer John Maffei at (760) 740-3547 or jmaffei@nctimes.com.