The Eugene Emeralds have just kicked off their 54th year as a minor-league baseball team and their record 50th season in the short-season Single-A Northwest League. Three games into their season, the team is 2-1.
This season, the team is led by first-year minor-league manager Pat Murphy, the former manager at Arizona State. Murphy led the Sun Devils for 15 years before joining the Emeralds’ parent organization, the San Diego Padres, as a special assistant to baseball operations in 2010. He was Baseball America’s Coach of the Year in 1998 and Pac-10 Coach of the Year four times. Murphy replaced Greg Riddoch, the Northwest League record-holder for most games managed.
Although he tries to win every game, Murphy knows the short-season teams are in place for player development; because the team just came to Eugene from the Padres’ spring training facility in Peoria, Ariz., earlier in the week, he and his coaching staff have yet to get a full outlook on what to expect from individual players on the Emeralds.
“We’re just getting to know them,” Murphy said Thursday. “It’s too early to tell. They haven’t been in an evaluation environment.”
Still, Murphy has already set his objective for the 2011 season.
“We have a job to do, and that’s to teach winning baseball,” Murphy said.
The Emeralds’ players are enthusiastic to get their season started in earnest.
“It’s a lot of fun playing in front of fans for once,” opening day starting pitcher Johnny Barbato said.
Barbato, a 2010 sixth-round draft pick of the Padres, is one of many top San Diego prospects starting out their seasons in Eugene. Also included in that list are a pair of 2011 first-round picks, second baseman Cory Spangenberg and shortstop Jace Peterson, and 2011 third-round pick starting pitcher Matt Andriese.@@http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=t_ros&cid=461&stn=true&sid=t461@@
Both Spangenberg and Peterson signed quickly for first-round draft picks, as many wait until the Aug. 15 deadline to sign with their parent organizations.
“It’s not about the money for me,” Spangenberg said. “I just wanted to get out and play.”
Peterson expressed a similar opinion, saying, “I’m ready to get my pro career started.”
Peterson’s enthusiasm to play this season is reflected in his desire to take advantage of his opportunity to gain as much baseball knowledge as he can.
“It’s going to be a learning experience,” Peterson said. “You want to have a sponge effect and soak up as much as you can.”
Donavan Tate, the third overall pick in the 2009 draft, is also on the Emeralds to start their season. He was with the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps early this season, but injuries have derailed him for the second consecutive year.@@http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/index.jsp?sid=t584@@
“I want to stay healthy, stay on the field and play the whole season,” Tate said.
Historically, the Emeralds have not been successful in terms of wins and losses. The team has not won a Northwest League championship since splitting one with the now-defunct Bellingham Mariners in 1980, and haven’t won an outright NWL championship since taking back-to-back titles in 1974 and 1975. The Emeralds have an all-time NWL record of 2,239-2,270, @@subject to change today; add a win or a loss@@ both of which lead the NWL by more than 500 games.
However, the team has had a solid history of player development in its decade as a San Diego affiliate, producing major league all-star Jason Bartlett, along with such major league starters as Khalil Greene, Chase Headley, Nick Hundley, Will Venable, David Freese and Mat Latos.@@http://www.google.com/search?q=Khalil+Greene%2C+Chase+Headley%2C+Nick+Hundley%2C+Will+Venable%2C+David+Freese+and+Mat+Latos.&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a@@