Raising Arizona Goal for Suppan

Jeff Suppan, former Crespi High pitcher, went from one of the most tradition-bound baseball teams to one of the newest Tuesday when the Arizona Diamondbacks made him their second pick in the expansion draft in Phoenix.

Suppan, a second-round pick of the Boston Red Sox in 1993, was 7-3 with a 5.69 earned-run average for the Red Sox last season, his first full season in the major leagues.

“It is a sad and happy day for me,” Suppan said. “Sad because I have a lot of close friends in Boston, who I came to the big leagues with. But I’m happy for the change.”

Dmitri Young, former Rio Mesa High infielder, was picked by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the first round but was shipped back to the Cincinnati Reds hours later to finish a trade made Nov. 10 that sent outfielder Mike Kelly from the Reds to the Devil Rays.

Young, 24, batted .258 with five home runs and 34 runs batted in for the Cardinals last season and was traded to the Reds the same day Kelly was dealt to the Devil Rays.

Right-hander Bryan Corey, a converted infielder from Thousand Oaks High and Pierce College, was the 32nd pick of the Diamondbacks.

Although Corey, 23, pitched in relief for the Detroit Tigers’ double-A team last season, the choice was not a surprise to those following the Arizona Fall League. Corey is starting and has strung together several good games.

“In the back of my mind this is where I wanted to be,” said Corey, who makes his last start today. “It’s awesome. [Today] I’ll take the mound as a Diamondback. This is where I plan to make my home, I love it here. I’m just taking a lot of deep breaths right now.”

Suppan is destined to become a trivia answer. The Diamondbacks selected left-hander Brian Anderson of the Cleveland Indians and Suppan, 22, with the second and third overall picks after the Devil Rays opened the draft by taking left-hander Tony Saunders of the Florida Marlins.

“My nerves were jangling,” said Suppan, who watched the draft on television from his parents home in West Hills.

Many observers believed Suppan would be among the 15 players protected from the draft by Boston. He was considered one of the top prospects in the Red Sox organization and reminds some people of Greg Maddux of the Atlanta Braves in temperament and in the command he has of his pitches.

But the Red Sox have turned to veteran pitchers, signing Bret Saberhagen, two-time Cy Young Award winner and former Cleveland High right-hander, to a one-year contract and trading Tuesday for Pedro Martinez of the Montreal Expos, who won the National League Cy Young award last season.

“I think it’s an outstanding pick by Arizona,” former Red Sox manager Kevin Kennedy said. “He’s capable of winning 15-20 games a year.”

Suppan, like most of the players taken in the first round, has only a year or two of big league experience and cannot command a large contract in the near future. With one year and 70 days in the major leagues, Suppan is not eligible for arbitration until the 2000 season.

Although Suppan said he has never been to Arizona, he expects to remain there for several years once he settles in.

“That is very exciting,” he said. “This day is part of baseball history. It’s a great day for baseball. It sounds like the Diamondbacks are committed to developing good players and winning, and I’m looking forward to playing for [Manager] Buck Showalter.

“There was a lot of fan support in Boston. I loved it there. As a young player you never think you’re going to leave. It was so far in the back of my mind that I didn’t prepare myself for this day.”

One change Suppan must prepare for is batting in the National League. He does have experience--he holds Crespi’s career home run record.

“I got two at-bats last year in interleague play, but that’s it,” Suppan said.

“I’m in for a lot of changes and the more I think about them the more I’ll be ready.”