Bournigal, A’S Hammer Mariners

Spring training

Rafael Bournigal, a non-roster infielder trying to make the Oakland Athletics’ roster, had three hits and drove in five runs Sunday as a split squad of A’s beat the Seattle Mariners 14-2 in Peoria, Ariz.

While most of the Athletics’ starters were losing a pair of games to the California Angels this weekend at Las Vegas, the squad of mostly utility players and minor leaguers left behind won 14-5 Saturday over the Giants and by a dozen runs Sunday against Seattle.

Bournigal had the first of his two doubles as the Athletics scored five runs in the second off starter Bob Wolcott. He doubled again in the fourth as Oakland scored two off Mac Suzuki. Bournigal singled in the fifth as the A’s added four unearned runs off John Farrell.

Koufax lauds Valdes

Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax was talking about the Los Angeles Dodgers’ talented pitching staff when the name of Ismael Valdes came up.

Koufax smiled, rolled his eyes, and slowly shook his head.

“He’s got a chance to be a good one,” Koufax said. “I mean, a real good one. He has everything you’d want in a pitcher.”

Valdes pitched four scoreless innings in the Dodgers’ 3-1 victory in a five-inning, rain-shortened game against the Montreal Expos, drawing more rave reviews. He has yet to permit a run this spring in seven innings.

Atlanta Brave Manager Bobby Cox predicts Valdes, 22, will one day be the finest pitcher in the National League. Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda says Valdes could one day be mentioned in the same breath as Koufax and Don Drysdale. Teammates predict he’ll be a perennial 20-game winner.

“He’ll go as far as he wants to go,” Dodger catcher Mike Piazza said. “He just needs to learn on the job. He can be outstanding, no question about it.”

The only one who needs convincing on just how great he could become is Valdes.

“I see myself just as a normal pitcher,” Valdes said.

No ordinary Paul

Paul Wilson is no ordinary non-roster spring training invitee. In fact, the prize rookie of the New York Mets could be much more than a regular in the rotation once the season begins.

As the first overall selection in the 1994 amateur draft, much is expected of him. This spring, while trying to work his way on to what appears to be the best young pitching staff in the league, Wilson is 2-0.

But what sets him aside from most 22-year-old pitchers is that success does not necessarily leave him satisfied. His self-assessment after the Mets’ 5-1 victory Sunday over Houston is illustrative of just that.

“I didn’t throw many first-pitch strikes and command-wise, I didn’t feel real strong,” he said after allowing just one hit in four innings. “My changeup worked well for me today, but I still need work on my slider and curve.”

In view of his ratio of 31 strikes to 22 balls, it shouldn’t take too much work to get everything straightened out.

His batterymate Sunday, Brent Mayne, was nearly in awe of him.

“He pitches with the experience of a 35-year-old, but has the arm of a 20-year-old,” Mayne said after Wilson pitched four shutout innings.

The right-hander allowed just one hit, struck out three and walked two.

Greene sent down

Pitcher Tommy Greene’s career appears to be winding down with the Philadelphia Phillies. Plagued by a sore shoulder for most of the past two seasons, Greene was one of five players the Phillies reassigned to their minor league camp.