Large island contingent down on the farm

By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

While Benny Agbayani, Chris Truby and Mike Fetters are enjoying life in The Show, 29 other players with ties to Hawai'i have found employment in the minors.

Agbayani, formerly of St. Louis School and Hawai'i Pacific, is the starting left fielder for the New York Mets; Truby, a Damien graduate, is the starting third baseman for the Houston Astros; and Fetters, an 'Iolani graduate, is a relief specialist with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Of the 29 minor leaguers, eight started the season at triple-A, or a step away from the majors.

Most notable is 15-year big league veteran Sid Fernandez, who came out of retirement by signing a minor league contract with the defending world champion New York Yankees. He has been assigned to Columbus (Ohio).

Fernandez, 38, was drafted in the third round by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1981 out of Kaiser High.

Also hoping to make a comeback after getting cut earlier this spring by the San Diego Padres is former University of Hawai'i pitcher Scott Karl. The 29-year-old left-hander was picked up by the Pittsburgh Pirates. He is at Nashville (Tenn.) along with another former Rainbow, left-handed pitcher Paul Ah Yat.

Another former Rainbow, right-handed pitcher Jay Spurgeon, is at Baltimore's triple-A affiliate at Rochester (N.Y.). Last year, he made seven appearances, including four starts, for the Orioles.

Yet another Rainbow, outfielder Jason Ross, is at Richmond (Va.), Atlanta's triple-A affiliate.

Three other players assigned to triple-A are pitcher Onan Masaoka (Los Angeles Dodgers) at Las Vegas, infielder Keith Luuloa (Padres) at Portland (Ore.) and pitcher Brandon Villafuerte (Texas Rangers) at Oklahoma.

Masaoka starred at Waiakea, Luuloa at Moloka'i and Villafuerte was born on the Big Island and still has relatives there.

Former Rainbow pitcher Mark Johnson, who spent part of 2000 with the Detroit Tigers, is at double-A Erie (Pa.).

Top draft picks from last year, pitcher Justin Wayne (Punahou) and catcher Dane Sardinha (Kamehameha) started their seasons at single-A. Wayne, the fifth overall selection, returned to Jupiter (Fla.) and Sardinha, a second-round pick, is at Mudville (Stockton, Calif.).

Former Waipahu High star Jerome Williams, the 39th overall pick in 1999 by San Francisco, is headed for double-A Shreveport (La.).

Also earning promotion to double-A is 'Iolani graduate Keoni DeRenne. The infielder, drafted by the Braves in the 12th round last year, is at Greenville (S.C.).

Three players who signed as undrafted free agents also survived cuts. Former Rainbow pitcher Corey Miller (Oakland Athletics), former UH-Hilo pitcher Thomas Ford (Orioles) and former Kamehameha infielder Billy Pieper (Royals) are all at single-A.

Former Kailua High infielder Bruddah Choy Foo, who signed late last year and attended instructional camp in the fall, is assigned to the Cleveland's rookie club at Burlington (Iowa).

Also, St. Louis graduate Jandin Thornton-Murray, an infielder in the Chicago Cubs organization, remained in Arizona for extended spring training, the Cubs' player development office said.

Six players were released in spring training. They are pitchers Jeff Martin (Kailua) from Pittsburgh, Ian Perio (Castle) from Boston, Rich Snider (UH) from Oakland and Damon Yee (Punahou) from Houston; and catcher Buster Small (Punahou) from Toronto; and outfielder Scott Suraci (HPU) from Minnesota.