Players calm on eve of opener Tri-City Dust Devils pitcher Sheng-An Kuo was a picture of calm after a Dust Devils practice Monday evening, not sweating his pro debut tonight against Vancouver left-hander Jose Guzman at Nat Bailey Stadium. "I'm excited. I feel peaceful," said Kuo through an interpreter when asked about any pre-start jitters. 郭勝安透過翻譯表示對於開幕戰先發的心情很興奮但也很平靜 But will he feel the same 24 hours from now after a long seven-hour bus ride into Canada? 他坐7個小時的巴士到加拿大比賽之後, 明天他還是有同樣的感覺嗎? "Good question," said the 6-foot-4 right-hander free agent signee, who will be on a 90-pitch limit according to pitching coach Doug Linton. 郭說: 這是個好問題, 投手教練說他的首次先發最多只投90球. The Dust Devils will kick off their seventh season in the Northwest League with a five-game series against Vancouver starting 7:05 p.m. tonight. The starting lineups haven't been penned in yet, but Tri-City manager Freddie Ocasio had an idea who might be in there come game time. The top of the lineup will feature second baseman Everth Cabrera and shortstop Helder Velazquez. Following them will be catcher Lars Davis, third baseman Darin Holcomb and designated hitter Nate Anderson. After that, it all depends on what pitcher the Dust Devils will face on a given night. Justin Nelson, here on a rehabilitation stint, and Kevin Clark -- the Colorado Rockies' sixth-round pick last year -- are both expected to see plenty of time in the outfield. "It depends on the situation," said Ocasio, who will try to keep a balance of left- and right-handed batters in the lineup. "The first couple of weeks, they're all going to get a chance." Brian Rike, an outfielder out of Louisiana Tech and the Rockies' second-round pick this year, is also expected to join the Dust Devils' mix of outfielders once he signs his minor-league contract. One thing Ocasio has been impressed by is his team's potential power. "They've been swinging pretty good bats," he said. "We'll have a lot of power from the left side -- hopefully." The Northwest League is a short-season Class A league, but it can still be a grind for players starting their professional careers. Ocasio knows it's still too early to make predictions. "Rome was not built in one day," he said. Linton said the 2007 pitching staff won't feature the power arms of the 2006 staff, but he's been impressed with their makeup thus far. He likes Brandon Miller's late finish on his two-seam fastball and the fact that Craig Rodriguez, who pitched for Ole Miss in the NCAA Super Regional tournament just two weeks ago, should be bullpen-ready. But it's Robinson Fabian who could be the biggest surprise of the year. "He's a late-bloomer -- a tall kid who still hasn't grown into his body," Linton said. "If everything falls into place, he could be as good or better than (2006 Dust Devil) Aneury (Rodriguez)." The starting rotation isn't quite etched in stone, but it looks like No. 1-4 will be Kuo, Fabian, Marco Duarte and Drew Coffey, while Bruce Billings -- a 30th round pick out of San Diego State -- has the inside track on the No. 5 spot. Agustine Arias will open the season as the Dust Devils closer. "Right now, we want them to find their command in the (strike) zone and throw strikes," Linton said. "We're preparing them for how the park plays." Brian Lapin, a 6-foot-6 outfielder drafted in the 18th round this year out of Fresno State, likes the team chemistry, but says the team's fortunes are up in the air until the first pitch is thrown. "I don't think anybody knows what to expect from this team," said Lapin, who pondered the importance of character and skill. "I think we have a mix of both. You throw in some hustle and we'll do pretty good." Source: http://0rz.tw/e12Lq ※ 編輯: dean 來自: 75.162.55.207 (06/19 23:58)