Portland’S First Game A Bit Rocky

More than 13,000 people turned out last Tuesday as the defending Northwest League champion Portland Rockies opened at home against Southern Oregon.

Portland lost 5-1, managing just three hits and striking out 13 times. Returner Jason Franklin, who hit .237 for the Rockies last year, struck out three times and made two errors.

One Rockies highlight came from 5-foot-8, 148-pound shortstop Chone Figgins, who performed a pregame backflip for fans, a la former St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Ozzie Smith.

“I just loved watching Ozzie Smith play and I started doing it when I was 6 years old, in Tee-ball,” Figgins said of the acrobatic move.

Eugene

Outfielder Brian Cox arrived from Florida State with a 25-game hitting streak. He went 0 for 4 in his Eugene debut, struggling with the change from aluminum to wooden bat.

“It makes a big difference,” Cox said. “You can’t make as many mistakes. Aluminum has a bigger sweet spot.”

Everett

The AquaSox showed off their $6.5 million stadium renovation and defeated Yakima 12-2 to open the season.

The facelift increased seating capacity from 2,200 to 3,700, with new restrooms, concessions and amenities. Odd caroms are expected in the new asymmetrical outfield.

Portland State’s Rick Southall, in his first AquaSox game, had a grand slam, double and two walks. Southall also homered in his second game.

Yakima

Left fielder Kimani Newton has returned for his third season with the Bears. Newton, from the Virgin Islands, just turned 19 years old.

Former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tom Lasorda, now a vice president/ambassador with the Dodgers, attended the Bears’ Friday and Saturday games.

Boise

Tom Kotchman, the dean of NWL managers, began his ninth season. Eugene’s Jim Saul, in his third year, is second in league tenure.

Kotchman is the Anaheim Angels’ scout in Florida. His 1998 Boise roster includes 13 players from the Sunshine State.

Southern Oregon

Third baseman Matt Howe, the son of Oakland A’s manager Art Howe, went 3 for 3, including a triple, in his professional debut.

Pitcher Ara Petrosian, Portland’s closer last year, was traded from the Colorado organization to Oakland last week. Petrosian, assigned to Southern Oregon, pitched against his ‘97 team on Thursday.

Salem-Keizer

The San Francisco Giants stocked the Volcanoes with several high draft choices, including ‘98 first-rounders Tony Torcato and Nate Bump.

Torcato, from Woodland (Calif.) High, was the 19th selection overall. He played shortstop in high school but is at third base with the Volcanoes. Bump, a right-hander from Penn State, was chosen 25th overall.

Around the league

Every established NWL team except Spokane dropped in attendance from 1996 to 1997, but the overall attendance rose 15,000 to a record 1,054,805.

Accounting for the difference was the Giants’ move from Bellingham to Salem-Keizer. Bellingham drew 48,417 in ‘96, and S-K drew 136,836 during its initial season.

Spokane’s attendance grew from 180,903 in ‘96 to 185,304 in ‘97.

Portland led the NWL with an attendance of 213,242, down 36,753 from its league-record draw in ‘96.

Players from Spokane, Everett, Boise and Yakima live with host families during the season. Other NWL players live in hotels and motels.