Matthews, Ayala Try to Come In from the Cold

One is on his way up. The other might be on his way down.

But as of now Gary Matthews Jr. and Bobby Ayala are frozen in place.

Matthews, an outfielder from Granada Hills High, and Ayala, a right-handed pitcher from Rio Mesa, are playing for Iowa, the triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs.

The opener this week was called after seven innings. Not because of rain, although it was raining. Not because of snow, although the rain turned to snow as the night wore on.

At 33 degrees with a stiff wind, it was simply too cold.

The 354 fans--102 of whom lounged in skybox suites--packed up their parkas and went home, barely caring that Nashville beat the Cubs, 9-2. It was the smallest crowd in Des Moines since 1992.

Matthews Jr. played in Las Vegas last season and Mobile, Ala., the year before. He went to Mission College after graduating from Granada Hills in 1992.

He likes it warm, which is reflected in his one-for-14 start.

“Playing in that weather was not fun,” Matthews said. “I know it will warm up, I just hope it is soon.”

Matthews appeared in 23 games with the Padres last season, batting .222. He was traded to the Cubs on March 23 for pitcher Rodney Myers.

Growing up in Oxnard and playing five seasons indoors in the Seattle Kingdome kept Ayala out of the rain and snow. But he hasn’t been bothered by the Iowa weather, winning his only decision and notching six strikeouts in four innings. He has not allowed a run.

This might be a last chance for Ayala, who was cut by the Minnesota Twins this spring and signed to a minor league contract by the Cubs.

Ayala, 30, has 59 saves in eight major league seasons, but he had none while going 1-7 last season with two teams.

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Every ballplayer is antsy for the season to begin. But few were as impatient as Eric Cole, an outfielder from Antelope Valley High playing at Round Rock in the double-A Texas League.

Cole needs four at-bats a night to help push aside memories of being tied up and robbed at gunpoint along with five teammates in a Kissimmee, Fla., hotel room March 12.

“I was scared for my life,” Cole said.

Now Cole is putting fear in pitchers. He is batting .438 with three home runs, four doubles and 10 runs batted in in 32 at-bats. Round Rock, a Houston Astros’ affiliate located outside of Austin, is a first-year team owned by Nolan Ryan.

It’s a long way from Kissimmee, that’s good enough for Cole. He and the other robbery victims have visited the Astros’ psychological counselor several times.

Cole, 24, a 20th-round draft pick out of Antelope Valley College in 1995, were watching television when two men burst into their unlocked hotel room. Police shot and wounded one suspect and arrested another suspect.

The players must return to Kissimmee--the Astros’ spring training site--to testify against the accused. Undoubtedly, they will lock their hotel room door.

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Short hops: Left-hander Scott Radinsky (Simi Valley) of the St. Louis Cardinals is eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list Monday. Radinsky has a forearm injury. . . . First baseman Mike Mitchell (Rio Mesa) is batting .474 for Tucson, the Arizona Diamondbacks’ triple-A affiliate. Mitchell and Matthews are among seven position players from the region in the Pacific Coast League.

The others: Outfielder Brent Cookson (Santa Paula) of Albuquerque, second baseman Dan Cey (El Camino Real) of Salt Lake City, and catchers Steve Soliz (Rio Mesa) of Las Vegas, Tim Laker (Simi Valley) of Nashville and Frank Charles (Montclair Prep) of New Orleans.