Faces in the Crowd Can’t Inspire Gulls to Beat Bakersfield

Only about 60 fans made it to Ventura College on Tuesday to watch the Ventura County Gulls lose, 3-1, to the Bakersfield Dodgers.

The Gulls gave an uninspired performance before the unimpressive crowd that included at least a few observers who were hoping to be impressed.

Three Toronto Blue Jay administrators, including chief executive officer Norman Edgar Hardy, puffed on fat cigars while watching the Gulls get smoked by the Dodgers. They ate Cracker Jack and sipped soda between puffs.

Two Gull errors and a wild pitch helped the Dodgers, the worst team in the California League, waltz to the win. Rob Rowen, a high-kicking left-hander, evened his record to 6-6 by allowing one run on seven hits in 6 innings. Geronimo Berroa’s leadoff home run in the seventh accounted for the Gulls only run.

Jay Ray replaced Rowen with two on and none out in the seventh and struck out Domingo Martinez and Kevin Batiste to end the threat. Ray also struck out the side in the ninth.

Dodger scout Mike Brito, who gained fame by discovering and signing Fernando Valenzuela, was in attendance to file a report on the Class-A Dodgers. Brito, who was also smoking a fat cigar but was without his trademark radar gun, said Rowen is a top prospect.

“He changed speeds well and moves the ball around,” Brito said. “I like what I see.”

The band of Toronto brass, which leaves today after meeting with Gull owners Jim Biby and Ken McMullen, may not have liked what they saw Tuesday. However, they like the way Ventura County has developed players. Knoxville, Toronto’s Double-A affiliate, is in first place in the Southern League largely because of the contribution of former Gulls.

“Todd Stottlemyre and Rob Ducey have made solid contributions,” said Gord Ash, Toronto’s director of player personnel. “We’ve had an unbelieveable number of injuries in our organization this year and it’s had a domino effect all the way down the line. The players we’ve brought up from Ventura have been ready when they’ve been called upon.”

The promotions of starting pitchers Stottlemyre, Jose Mesa and Jeff Musselman have made Hugh Brinson the ace of the Gulls’ staff. Brinson, who began the season as a spot starter, lasted 6 innings Tuesday and was his own worst enemy.

With a runner on third with two out in the fourth, Brinson’s curve ball in the dirt could not be handled by Gull catcher Greg Myers and skipped to the backstop for a run-scoring wild pitch. With runners on first and third in the sixth, Bert Flores broke from first with Brinson in the stretch position. The pitcher panicked and threw the ball into center field to allow Jovan Edwards to score.

Bakersfield scored again in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Ted Holcomb.