Rodgers Studies His Vigilantes

MISSION VIEJO — In his 12 seasons managing four major league teams, including the Angels, Buck Rodgers was never short on candor.

So it’s no surprise that, with the third Western Baseball League season approaching for the Vigilantes (formerly the Long Beach Barricuda and Riptide), Rodgers doesn’t flinch in his assessment of the two-time single-A independent league champions.

“I’ve had to lower my standards a bit,” Rodgers said.

“I can’t look at them as everyday major leaguers. Some of them have major league potential, but even that potential is a role player--the reserve who comes off the bench or the eighth, ninth, or 10th pitcher on the staff.”

Even if Rodgers doesn’t have the next Ken Griffey Jr. or Greg Maddux on the 25-man roster the Vigilantes will have by Friday’s home opener against the Chico Heat, he will have a nucleus good enough to seek a third consecutive league title.

What the Vigilantes would like even more, however, is to become an attraction in Mission Viejo. That’s something they never were--at least from their perspective--in Long Beach, despite their winning ways.

So the team moved to Mission Viejo in January, lured partly by the city council’s offer to build a $6 million, state-of-the-art minor league park on the Saddleback College campus.

What happens off the field is not Rodgers’ concern. Working and developing players into a competitive team is.

After being fired by the Angels in 1994, and less than enthralled with being a West Coast scout for Philadelphia in 1995, Rodgers stayed away from the game in 1996. Toward the end of the year, however, he started letting it be known he wanted back in baseball.

An eight-team, independent (read: no major league affiliation) league in its third year of operation, where players can be signed by major league teams at any point of the year, was not atop Rodgers’ wish list.

But team officials, after determining Manager Jeff Burroughs did not want to leave Long Beach and join the team in Mission Viejo, vigorously pursued Rodgers and hired him in March.

“I love managing, but developing players is the biggest thing for me now,” Rodgers said. “I have a group here, ranging from 21 to 29. Some had a chance [with major league organizations] and washed out. Some never got a chance. Some are late bloomers. Some had talent but somehow got screwed up along the way.

“I want to try and help them get another shot.”

The Vigilantes have two of the league’s top pitchers in right-hander Paul Anderson (12-4, 2.68 earned-run average), who will start Friday, and right-hander Mark Tranberg (9-3, 2.93).

“Neither belongs here. Both will move on,” pitching coach Brad Lesley said. “Both of them have big league stuff and enjoy dominating hitters.”

They’d better. The Vigilantes’ staff won’t be pitching in expansive Blair Field, where mistakes could still be run down by outfielders.

Saddleback’s matchbox dimensions (315 feet down each line, 380 feet to straightaway center) are shrunk further by afternoon and early-evening ocean breezes that turn even fly balls hit by wooden bats into doubles and home runs.

“No lead will be safe here,” Lesley said. “Pitchers will have to stay ahead in the counts and not walk people; otherwise it can make for some big innings.”

Lesley said he is still hasn’t determined who will be the team’s closer. He also hasn’t decided on who becomes the fifth starter after Anderson, Tranberg, John Homan (5-1, 3.29) and Steven Certko, who attended Columbia University last year. But he is confident about the 11-man staff that will start the season.

The offense will miss outfielder Cobi Cradle (.281, four home runs, 26 RBIs, 36 steals), who retired. But returning is outfielder Alan Burke (.327, 13 home runs, 53 RBIs), who was the league championship series MVP last year.

Also back are catcher Eric Brooks (.292, seven home runs, 38 RBIs), outfielder Reuben Smiley (.311, eight home runs, 59 RBIs) and shortstop Jose Montilla (.233, two home runs, 33 RBIs).

Among the newcomers is catcher Carl Nichols, who had an All-Star season at Reno (.317, 20 home runs, 89 RBIs) last year.

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Vigilantes Information

* Home Field: Saddleback College.

* Schedule: Friday--Chico; Saturday--Chico; Sunday--Chico; Monday-Chico; Tuesday--Salinas; May 28--Salinas; May 29--Salinas; May 30--at Chico; May 31--at Chico; June 1--at Chico; June 3--at Bend; June 4--at Bend; June 5--at Bend; June 6--at Reno; June 7--at Reno; June 8--at Reno; June 10--Grays Harbor; June 11--Grays Harbor; June 12--Grays Harbor; June 13--Tri-City; June 14--Tri-City; June 15--Tri-City; June 17--at Tri-City; June 18--at Tri-City; June 19--at Tri-City; June 20--at Grays Harbor;June 21--at Grays Harbor; June 22--at Grays Harbor; June 24--Bend; June 25--Bend; June 26--Bend; June 27--Reno; June 28--Reno; June 29--Reno.

July 1--at Sonoma County; July 2--at Sonoma County; July 3--at Sonoma County; July 4--at Sonoma County; July 5--Sonoma County; July 6--Sonoma County; July 7--Sonoma County; July 9--at Salinas; July 10--at Salinas; July 11--at Salinas; July 12--at Salinas; July 13--Salinas; July 14--Salinas; July 15--Salinas; July 16--Salinas; July 18--at Bend; July 19--at Bend; July 20--at Bend; July 21--at Reno; July 22--at Reno; July 23--at Reno; July 25--at Salinas; July 26--at Salinas; July 27--at Salinas; July 29--Grays Harbor; July 30--Grays Harbor; July 31--Grays Harbor.

Aug. 1--Tri-City; Aug. 2--Tri-City; Aug. 3--Tri-City; Aug. 5--at Tri-City; Aug. 6--at Tri-City; Aug. 7--at Tri-City; Aug. 8--at Grays Harbor; Aug. 9--at Grays Harbor; Aug. 10--at Grays Harbor; Aug. 12--Reno; Aug. 13--Reno; Aug. 14--Reno; Aug. 15--Bend; Aug. 16--Bend; Aug. 17--Bend; Aug. 18--Chico; Aug. 19--Chico; Aug. 20--Chico; Aug. 21--at Sonoma County; Aug. 22--at Sonoma County; Aug. 23--at Sonoma County; Aug. 24--at Chico; Aug. 25--at Chico; Aug. 26--at Chico; Aug. 27--at Chico; Aug. 29--Sonoma County; Aug. 30--Sonoma County; Aug. 31--Sonoma County (2)

* Game times: Home games begin at 7:05 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 1:05 p.m. Sunday.

* Tickets: Season tickets, mini-plans and individual game tickets available by calling (714) 699-1616. Tickets also available at box office two hours before game time. Prices range from $5 to $9 per game, and discounts are available for seniors, children younger than 12 and Saddleback College students with valid ID. Parking is $3.

* Radio: KKSM-AM 1320

* TV: Cox Channel 37A (audio only)

* Website: www.vigilantes.com

* For more information: (714) 699-1616.