Triple play -- Three anchor revolving Salt Lake Bees roster

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Aug 14, 2007 | by Loren Jorgensen Deseret Morning News

There have been 84 roster transactions to date for the Salt Lake Bees this season. In other words, most of the current players in Bees uniforms have played in other jerseys this summer, too. Several have been back and forth a couple of times.

The revolving door between Salt Lake, Anaheim -- where the parent Los Angeles Angels play -- and double-A Arkansas has been a constant challenge for Bees manager Brian Harper.

But at least there have been a few constants for the second-year Bees skipper. Three of Harper's position players -- Casey Smith, Mike Elyward and Adam Pavkovich -- have been mainstays for the Bees. All three Southerners, who also spent the 2006 season playing in Salt Lake for Harper, have been unsung heroes for the division- leading club.

"I can't say enough about the guys who have been here all season," said Harper. "Guys like Casey Smith, Elyward, Pav (Pavkovich) have been huge for us to help us keep our team stable with all the roster moves we've had to deal with."

While Pavkovich has been out of the lineup for nearly a week with a sprained thumb, the other two played major roles in Salt Lake's first series sweep of the season, completed Monday night with an 11- 4 win over the Portland Beavers. Monday's star was Kendry Morales, whose two home runs powered the Salt Lake win.

But on Saturday, it was Smith's three-run double in the bottom of the ninth that secured the Bees' come-from-behind win. Elyward, meanwhile, followed that up with a three-run home run in Sunday's victory.

Salt Lake is now 65-57 with 21 games remaining in the regular season. They lead Colorado Springs by three games in the PCL Pacific Northern Division standings.

One of the things Harper loves about Smith, Elyward and Pavkovich is their versatility. All three play multiple positions.

Smith, a 28-year-old Alabama native now in his fourth season in Salt Lake, is a middle infielder who has started 52 games at second and 37 at shortstop this season. His 334 hits in a Salt Lake uniform since 2004 puts him in eighth place in franchise history.

"Casey is just a ballplayer," said Harper. "In my two years, he's helped us win games all the time. He does a lot of little things that help you win games and comes up with big hits. He's a great ballplayer, but more importantly, he's a great guy. It's fun when guys like that have success."

In fact, Harper says there's not a player on his roster he would rather have up in a pressure situation than Smith -- despite the fact that he usually hits near the bottom of the batting order, often in the No. 9 spot.

Smith got off to a slow start this season from the plate, with his batting average hovering around .200 for the first couple of months. But he's been on fire since the All-Star break. During the month of July, for instance, Smith hit .390, the fourth-best average in the PCL. His average for the season is now up to .284.

"I've been feeling good at the plate for awhile now," said Smith.

Before his recent hot streak Smith changed both his bat -- going with smaller, lighter lumber -- and his batting stance slightly.

"I thought I'd try something different," said Smith. "I changed my stance a little bit. I'm standing up more and things just started working."

Elyward, who was born and raised and resides in Florida during the offseason, has been one of the most consistent Bees hitters all season. The 27-year-old, after hitting .314 for the Bees in 109 games in 2006, is batting .289 this season while alternating between first base, third base, left field and designated hitter. His 64 RBIs are third on the team behind the Angels' top major-league prospects Brandon Wood (68) and Terry Evans (66).

"Elly's a good hitter and he comes up with big hits all the time," said Harper. "He's just like Casey. They are winners and help you win games. You can't say enough about them."

Pavkovich, a 25-year-old from Alabama, is the ultimate utility player. He's played second, short, third, all three outfield positions and designated hitter this season. He also is one of the team's big practical jokers, quick to hit a teammate who is being interviewed on live television with a shaving cream pie or to dive on the infield tarp like it's a giant slip-and-slide during a rain delay to entertain the soaked but hearty fans.

"We have a lot of guys that have played together for a few years and we all get along," said Elyward. "That makes for a good clubhouse to be in. We're happy for the guys who get called up, and when it happens, someone else steps up and gets the job done. Then the guys that get called up from double-A have fit in well, too."

But while the players that have come and gone with regularity have fit in, the guys that have been around all year -- like Smith, Elyward, and Pavkovich -- have been the glue for the Bees.

BEE LINES: Wood hit a two-run single -- over the left field fence -- in the eighth inning on Monday. It should have been a three-run home run, but he passed Morales between first and second and was called out on the play ... Angels second baseman Howie Kendrick was back in a Bees uniform Monday night for his second rehab stint of the season. He has been on the disabled list with a fractured left index finger. He went 0-for-2 before coming out of the game in the sixth, but did drive one ball to the warning track in deep center ... Greg Porter had three hits Monday, increasing his home hitting streak to 17 games ... Bees starter Henry Bonilla became the PCL's first 11-game winner of the season on Monday night ... The Bees open another homestand tonight at 7 when the Tucson Sidewinders come to town.