Fast-Moving Maynard Leads In Steals
In a week punctuated by player moves, no one in the Seattle Mariner farm system moved more than San Bernardino's Ellerton Maynard.
The swift Spirit outfielder stole 11 bases - he was thrown out twice - in six games, boosting his season total to a California League-leading 51 thefts (in 66 attempts) in 60 games.
Maynard, 24, also improved his batting average to .236 with a 10-for-25 week.
``He's swinging the bat better, getting some hits. He's had some multi-hit games,'' San Bernardino Manager Keith Bodie said.
Maynard, a Virgin Island native, was the Mariners' 17th-round draft pick out of Miami Dade Junior College in 1987. He batted .265 and stole 40 bases for Bellingham in the Northwest League in 1988, then hit .260 with 49 steals last season at Wausau in the Midwest League.
Two of Maynard's San Bernardino teammates - Patrick Lennon and Isaiah Clark - were involved in the shifts that began with the trade of Calgary outfielder Mickey Brantley to Milwaukee for third baseman Frank Bolick.
Dave Brundage, a Williamsport sparkplug - .330 average, 30 walks, .488 on-base mark - since he was sent down from Calgary of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League May 1, returned to the Cannons to replace Brantley.
Clark (.324, 12 home runs, 45 runs batted in) and Lennon (.285, 8, 30) were promoted to the Williamsport Bills, while outfielder Mark Merchant (.175, 0, 10) was sent from the Bills to the Spirit.
Bolick, 23, who earned a spot on the California League Northern Division All-Star team for his play at Stockton, takes over at third for San Bernardino. Clark, 24, who was signed as a free agent last winter, had been selected to the Southern Division All-Star squad.
After a slow start and the death of his father this spring, Lennon, 22, Seattle's top draft pick in 1986, ``has hit pretty well,'' Jim Beattie, Mariner farm director, said. ``He's had a chance to play in good weather, get a lot of at-bats. It's about as well as he's hit in pro ball. He's learned to make some adjustments, and we think he'll be able to do that in Double A, too.''
MELENDEZ STAYS PERFECT
Calgary reliever Jose Melendez improved his record to 6-0 (2.68 earned-run average, one save), allowing only one hit and striking out five in four innings of shutout relief Wednesday night in the Cannons' 12-inning, 2-1 victory over Edmonton. Melendez has allowed no earned runs in his past eight innings.
``He's throwing strikes . . . has an effective slider and has come up with a forkball as his out pitch against left-handers,'' Calgary Manager Tommy Jones said. ``He's a legitimate major-league prospect.
Melendez, 24, was obtained from the Pittsburgh organization in the 1988 minor-league draft. He was 3-4, 2.45 at Williamsport and 1-2, 5.75 at Calgary last season.
After five days on the sidelines with a wrist sprain, Calgary shortstop Omar Vizquel made an auspicious return Wednesday. He made a diving stop to save a run in the seventh inning and doubled in the winning run in the 12th.
BILLS ON UPSWING
Rich Delucia became the first Williamsport pitcher to hurl a complete-game shutout this season in a four-hit, 1-0 victory over Canton-Akron Friday night. Mike McDonald's fourth-inning single drove in the only run. It was the third win in a row and fourth in five games for the Bills, who had won 10 of 14 since May 27. . . . Jim Blueberg (4-4, 4.53) pitched his second consecutive complete-game victory in a 10-2 decision over Hagerstown Monday. . . . At the plate, Bill third baseman Ken Pennington had an 11-for-29 week. Outfielder Ted Williams was 10 for 27.
AROUND THE FARMS
Right-hander Rick Balabon (6-2, 2.61) tossed his second three-hitter of the Carolina League season, striking out 13 and walking only one in Peninsula's 4-1 victory Monday over Prince William. Balabon has struck out 85 and walked 18 in 82 2/3 innings. . . . Prospects signed by Seattle since the free-agent draft last week reported to a minicamp yesterday in Tempe, Ariz. Players assigned to Bellingham will head north Saturday for their Northwest League opener June 18 in Everett.
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BEST OF REST
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BATTING (minimum 45 at-bats) - Barbara (Peninsula, A) 41/121, .339; Brundage (Williamsport, AA) 32/97, .330; Clark (San Bernardino, A) 81/250, .324; Bolick (Stockton-SB) 51/165, .309; Pirkl (SB) 52/172, .302; Pilkinton (P) 48/168, .286; Lennon (SB) 47/165, .285; Pennington (W) 50/179, .279; R. Williams (SB) 24/92, .261; Arguelles (SB) 21/81, .259; Keitges (SB), 54/211, .256; Bowie (W) 38/149, .255.
Doubles - Clark (SB) 15, Turang (SB) 10, McDonald (W) 10, Keitges (SB) 10, Bowie (W) 9, Stargell (SB) 9, Bolick (Stock-SB) 9.
Triples - Maynard (SB) 5, Turang (SB) 3.
Home runs - Clark (SB) 12, Lennon (SB) 8, Stargell (SB) 8, Bolick (Stock-SB) 8, Bailey (P) 5, Hooper (W) 4, Pirkl (SB) 4, Keitges (SB) 4, Turang (SB) 4.
RBI - Clark (SB) 45, Stargell (SB) 41, Bolick (Stock-SB) 36, Turang (SB) 33, Lennon (SB) 30, Keitges (SB) 27.
Stolen bases - Maynard (SB) 51, T. Williams (W) 13, Pezzoni (P) 11, Stargell (SB) 11, Tavarez (P) 11.
PITCHING
Earned-run average (minimum 20 innings pitched) - Poissant (P) 0.90 (20 ip), Gardiner (W) 1.91 (75 1/3 ip), Delucia (SB) 2.05 (30 2/3 ip) and (W) 2.41 (33 2/3 ip), Ridenour (W) 2.51 (32 1/3 ip), Woodson (SB) 2.54 (63 2/3 ip), Balabon (P) 2.61 (82 2/3 ip), Newlin (SB) 2.68 (40 2/3 ip), Figueroa (W) 3.15 (20 ip), Evers (W) 3.26 (60 2/3 ip).
Winning pct. (minimum 3 decisions) - Balabon (P) 6-2, .750; Jones (SB) 3-2, .600; Wiggs (SB) 3-2, .600; Gardiner (W), 4-3, .571; Taylor (SB) 4-3, .571; Delucia (SB-W) 5-4, .556; Evans (SB) 6-6, .500; Blueberg (W) 4-4, .500.
Saves - Newlin (SB) 10, Poissant (P) 5, Wiggs (SB) 4, Figueroa (W) 3, Rojas (W) 3.
Strikeouts - Balabon (P) 85, Gardiner (W) 57, Evans (SB) 57, Woodson (SB) 53, Delucia (SB-W) 51, Newlin (SB) 51, Salkeld (SB) 50.
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MARINER DRAFT SELECTIONS
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A partial, unofficial list of Mariner draft selections, obtained from Times sources. Lists round, player, position, school, hometown, and statistics (when available):
1. Marc Newfield, OF, Marina High School, Huntington Beach, Calif.; 1990: .467, 6 home runs, 20 RBI; 1989: .440, 10 home runs, 31 RBI.
1a. (Compensation pick between first and second rounds) Anthony Manahan # , SS, Arizona State University, Scottsdale, Ariz.; 1990: .366 avg., 10 HR, 81 RBI.
3. Dave Fleming, P, University of Georgia, Mahopac, N.Y., 1990: 3.10 ERA, 14-7, 124 strike outs, 41 walks; 1989: 12-3, 2.08 ERA.
4. Paul Brannon, OF, King's Mountain, N.C.
5. Brett Boone, 2B, University of Southern California, Villa Park, Calif.; 1990: .313 avg., team-high 12 HR (6 in NCAA regionals); Career: .304 avg., appeared in all 190 games, started in all but two, 209 hits third on USC list, holds USC RBI record with 160 (10 more than Mark McGwire), 29 home runs is fourth best; Note: son of Royal catcher Bob Boone, grandson of former Tiger and Indian infielder Ray Boone.
6. Mike Hampton # , P, Crystal River High School, Crystal River, Fla.; 1990: 10-3, 0.42 ERA, 153 strikeouts.
8. John Cummings, P, University of Southern California, Anaheim, Calif.; 1990: 4-4, 4.63 ERA.
9. David Lawson # , OF, West Covina High School, West Covina, Calif.
11. Tommy Robertson # , OF, Fairfield Central High School, Fairfield, S.C.
14. Lipso Nava # , SS, Miami Dade Community College, New World Center Campus.
17. Richard Russell # , LHP, Campbell University.
23. Greg Hunter, 3B, Washington State University, Kirkland; 1990: .327, 54 RBI, 5 HR
0s. Rob Nichols, P, Washington State University, Bellevue; 1990: 5-2, 5.53 ERA.
# Signed contract.