Padres put faith in college players

By: JOHN MAFFEI - Staff Writer | Sunday, June 19, 2005 9:00 PM PDT ∞

Building for the future starts now for the Padres.

Lacking the resources to compete for free agents with such big-market clubs as the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs, Padres general manager Kevin Towers said the organization must scout and develop its own talent.

In order to cut the development process, the Padres used the first 14 picks in the recent amateur draft on college players. Nearly all are from top-flight programs.

"We wanted to bring in college players who can move quickly to Single-A and Double-A," Towers said.

Towers also said he doesn't want to push the top picks ---- pitchers Cesar Carrillo of the University of Miami and Cesar Ramos of Long Beach State ---- too quickly.

Some scouts said both could start this season at Double-A Mobile.

"I'm a strong believer in a player's first professional experience should be a good one," Towers said. "We want our guys to have some success early."

So it figures that most of the college draftees will report to Eugene, a short-season Single-A club in the Northwest League.

"I wouldn't be surprised if Carrillo and Ramos are both at Lake Elsinore by the end of the summer, but I don't want to rush them," Towers said. "We feel that if we build with strong pitching, it will help us down the road. Pitching will win games in Petco Park."

Still, the Padres didn't ignore position players. They took third baseman Chase Headley of Tennessee and catcher Nick Hundley of Arizona in the second round. Vanderbilt outfielder Michael Baxter was a fourth-round pick, Texas shortstop Seth Johnston was taken in the fifth round, speedy Princeton outfielder Will Venable was a seventh-round pick and Tennessee outfielder Josh Alley was taken in the 10th round.

Headley and Alley trip to the College World Series ended Sunday when Tennessee lost 4-2 to Arizona State in an elimination game. Johnston still is playing with the Longhorns.

"We took a lot of kids from major programs by design," Towers said. "Getting Headley in the second round was huge because that position is an organizational need. And Hundley is a fine catcher from a very solid program."

Bill Gayton, the Padres' director of scouting, compared Carrillo to Tim Stauffer.

"(He's) a guy who can move through the minors relatively quick," Gayton said. "And Ramos' stuff fits perfectly to Petco Park."

If you're looking for a draft sleeper, try left-handers Arnold Hughey of Auburn, Josh Romanski of Norco High and Brent Carter of Alabama.

Carter, a 16th-round pick, is Alabama's all-time strikeout leader. Hughey, a 13th-round pick, was a fixture in Auburn's rotation for three years.

Romanski, a 15th-round pick and the first prep player chosen by the Padres, could have been a first-round pick if he was 6-foot-1 instead of 5-10, scouts said. One way or the other, Romanski will have a San Diego connection. He has signed with the University of San Diego and will play for the Toreros if the Padres don't get him.ÝÝÝÝ

Hail the champions

Single-A Lake Elsinore won the first half title in the California League's Southern Division, ensuring the Storm a first-round bye in the playoffs.

Pitcher Jared Wells leads the pitching staff with an 8-2 record after throwing eight shutout innings in a 2-0 victory over the Inland Empire 66ers on Saturday. Leo Rosales is 6-5 with nine saves, and Paul Abraham is 2-1 with four saves an 1.10 ERA in 34 appearances.

Abraham, outfielder Steve Baker and shortstop Juan Ciriaco were named to the California League All-Star team that will play the Carolina League stars in July.

Record setters

> Triple-A Portland utilityman Ben Risinger was hit by a pitch three times in a game against Salt Lake City last month, which ties the Pacific Coast League record. Beavers outfielder Jon Knott was hit twice in the same game. The five hit batsmen in the same game set a league record set by Mission against Hollywood in 1926.

> The Beavers played a 14-inning game Wednesday that took four hours, 59 minutes and a team record for longest game by time. The previous record was 4:35 last season.

Locals watch

> Seattle Mariners left-hander Troy Cate, a Fallbrook High product, missed two months because of shoulder tendinitis. Ready now, he has joined the Inland Empire 66ers of the Cal League and will work out of the bullpen.

> Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels, a Rancho Bernardo High alumnus, has missed the first 2 1/2 months of the season because of a broken left hand suffered in a fight outside a Florida bar. The former first-round pick threw three near-perfect innings in a game in extended spring training Friday and is close to a return to action.

Around the bases

> Six Fort Wayne players ---- LF Chris Kolkhorst, SS Matt Bush, C Colt Morton and RHPs Michael Ektstrom, Clayton Hamilton and Matt Varner were named to the Midwest League's Eastern Division All-Star team. The game will be played Tuesday at O'Brien Field in Peoria, Ill.

> Hard-throwing RHP Angel Tovar, who caused a buzz in the spring, was dropped down to Double-A Mobile from Portland.

> Veteran OF Kerry Robinson, who spent time with the Padres last season, was released by Portland after he exercised an opt-out option. He recently had an 11-game hitting streak for the Beavers and was leading the PCL with 26 stolen bases.

Contact staff writer John Maffei at (760) 740-3547 or at jmaffei@nctimes.com. The minor-league report and player periscope will run each Monday through the end of the minor-league season.