20070729 2nd half roster moves BB sports

Ducks Built for Speed and Versatility

Second-Half Roster Moves Aimed at Playoff Contention

by Brian Bohl

July 29, 2007

In the dugout, the team was getting ready to sustain a strong second-half start before a humid night at Citibank Park. The lineup supported an improved pitching staff, leading the club to a first place start after failing to secure a playoff spot with a first-half division championship.

That’s a brief description of the Long Island Ducks after their fast start propelled them to an early lead over Newark for the top spot in the North Division. But it could just as easily be applied to the team in the visiting dugout, the resurgent York Revolution. The expansion franchise lived up to their nickname, making a drastic change going 26-37 to open the 2007 season.

Since the records resettled at the All-Star break, York jumped out to a league-best 12-4 record entering Sunday night. That blazing start mirrored the Ducks’ surge, as the two were tied for the top ledger before the Revolution pulled out a come-from-behind victory Saturday.

Both franchises jumped out to three game leads, as York pulled ahead of Somerset for supremacy in the South Division. The Ducks also built a three-game edge, though the lineup took a hit when Damian Rolls suffered a season-ending thumb injury in late July.

Manager Dave LaPoint said Rolls damaged the ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb after hitting into catcher Jared Price when both went to catch a foul ball.

“His hand caught Price’s glove and I guess it tore the ligament away from the bone,” LaPoint said. “It’s a tough injury. It’s going to hurt us.”

Rolls, a former Devil Ray, batted .247 with two home runs and 30 RBIs in 64 games. Defensively, he played 32 games at third and 32 split among the three outfield positions. To fill the void, LaPoint brought in minor league veteran Dionys Cesar from Mexico, adding another bat to the bottom of the order.

“Dionys adds speed and an extra spark to our lineup, both at the plate and on the base paths,” said general manager Michael Pfaff. “He’ll play an important role in our efforts to win the second half and reach the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season,” he added.

Cesar, 30, was playing in Mexico for a third straight season when the Ducks offered him a chance to return to the United States. The Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic native recorded a career .291 batting average in 1,248 minor league games entering 2007. He advanced as high as Triple-A for the White Sox’s organization in 2004.

The last two seasons, Cesar stole 73 bases, emerging as an offensive force south of the border. By comparison, the entire Ducks team stole only 41 bases in the first 78 games. Cesar, who batted eighth and played third in his first two games since signing, said he can use his speed to set up run-producing opportunities for top of the order hitters Jose Offerman and Ray Navarrete.

“That’s my game: the running game,” Cesar said. “My legs don’t feel 100 percent yet. Hopefully I’ll get in shape the next couple of games and be able to run.”

In his home debut, Cesar still managed a two-out steal of third base in Saturday’s loss. He wrapped his body in ice after that contest, saying he felt sore but would quickly regain the stamina that allowed him to play 210 games for Monterrey during 2005-06.

Cesar said his arrival to the Atlantic League was two years in the making. He nearly came to the Ducks in 2005, but the former A’s, Brewers and Expos farmhand said he already signed to play in Taiwan. There were no such impediments when LaPoint called again, and Caesar could be the late-summer acquisition that fortifies the bottom of the order. His defensive versatility may also allow the team to rest veteran players like Edgardo Alfonzo and Offerman.

“He’s been on my radar for about four years,” LaPoint said. “He keeps going down to Mexico and makes a lot more money. He’s one of the types that I like. He’s a switch hitter who can play infield [and] outfield and he can run.

“He’s naturally a shortstop, so anytime we need to give Fonzie a day off,” the manager added. “He’s got a little bit of pop too. If he keeps showing power, he very well could move up to the sixth spot.”

As an undrafted free agent, Cesar broke into professional baseball by signing with Oakland’s organization in 1993 before being released seven years later. The 5-10, 150-pound switch hitter received a second chance from Brewers, advancing to the Triple-A level for the first time in 2001.

Now he joins a lineup featuring former major leaguers Alfonzo, Offerman and Carl Everett. While the pay is less than in Mexico, Cesar said he will have a chance to catch the eye of scouts and possibly return to an affiliated club.

“I hope it happens, but I just wanted to come here and play,” Cesar said. “I guess players come out of here more often they do in Mexico.”

More new faces could soon be entering the Ducks’ clubhouse as the season goes on and other minor league seasons start concluding.

“No,” said LaPoint when asked if he was done adding players. “We still have a couple of moves to make.”

-30-