Despite Texas Heat, Wilson Not Sweating Over Trade Rumors

It was about 115 degrees on the field in Arkansas last week, where the only thing comparable to the heat is Jack Wilson’s burning desire to climb the minor-league ladder.

Wilson, a shortstop from Thousand Oaks High, has shed seven pounds this season while playing on artificial turf fields in the sweltering Texas League.

“You drop some serious poundage around here,” said Wilson, who plays for the Arkansas Travelers of the St. Louis Cardinals’ organization.

“And I need every ounce of those pounds. All you can do during games is drink a lot of water and go to the ice bucket and put a towel over your head.”

Wilson has been refreshed lately by the trade winds that have swirled around him.

With the major league trading deadline Monday afternoon, rumors are swirling that the Cardinals will make a move for a catcher.

One had Wilson going to the Pittsburgh Pirates in a deal for All-Star Jason Kendall. Another had him going to the Baltimore Orioles in a package for Charles Johnson.

Another scenario has St. Louis shipping other prospects, clearing the way for Wilson to move up to triple-A Memphis.

“It’s exciting,” said Wilson, who entered the weekend batting .293. “You never know what is going to happen in this game. Tomorrow, you could be on a plane heading for another team.”

Wilson, a quick leadoff batter, has developed into a prized prospect.

A career .324 hitter, Wilson was selected the most valuable player of the Tex-Mex All-Star game earlier this month in Monterrey, Mexico.

While in Mexico, Wilson scoured stores searching for a fake Rolex watch.

He couldn’t find one, but left the country with a two-foot MVP trophy of an Indian made of Indian silver.

“All the MVP stuff on the trophy is written in Spanish that I don’t understand,” said Wilson, who struggled to get the award through customs. “As far as anyone will know, it could be a dip holder.”

Jack and Andy Wilson are one of three pair of brothers from Thousand Oaks to play professional baseball.

Kurt and Rod Stillwell, and Mark, Andy and David Skeels were the others.

Andy Wilson, who attended Cal State Northridge, tore his rotator cuff at the end of last season, was released by the San Diego Padres after spring training and is playing for an independent team in North Dakota.

While glad to be moving up in the Cardinal organization, Jack sometimes wishes he could trade places with his older brother.

“Wherever he is, all I know is that he’s getting far cooler weather than I am,” Jack said.

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Outfielder Joe Borchard of Camarillo High and Stanford, who signed Friday for a reported record $5.3 million, was the 24th of the 30 first-round draft choices to agree to terms.

Pitcher Matt Harrington of Palmdale High, selected seventh by the Colorado Rockies, remains unsigned, as does catcher Dane Sardinha of Pepperdine, a second-round choice of the Cincinnati Reds.

Sardinha is one of nine players drafted in the first four rounds being advised by super agent Scott Boras.

Boras reportedly advised all of his clients before the draft last month not to agree to financial parameters.

All nine remain unsigned.

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The Milwaukee Brewers’ trade Friday of All-Star closer Bob Wickman to the Cleveland Indians might be good news for Bob Scanlan.

The journeyman reliever from Harvard-Westlake High is the top remaining short reliever in the Brewer organization.

Scanlan leads the triple-A International League with 26 saves and is 2-2 with a 1.18 ERA for Indianapolis.

At one point this season, he made 17 consecutive appearances without allowing an earned run.

As of late Friday, however, the Brewers had not recalled Scanlan.

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Three players from the region have had little trouble adjusting to professional baseball.

Catcher Ryan Hamill of Chaminade High entered the weekend leading the Appalachian League lead with eight home runs and 28 runs batted in for Johnson City of the St. Louis Cardinals organization.

Matt Merricks, from Oxnard High, has a 1.59 ERA and earned his first victory Thursday for the Atlanta Braves’ Gulf Coast League affiliate.

Tanner Trosper of Calabasas High has two saves and a 0.71 ERA for the Oakland Athletics’ rookie-level Arizona League club.

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Brett Hinchliffe and Lesli Brea, former pitchers for the Lancaster JetHawks, were traded Friday.

Hinchliffe was dealt by the Angels as part of a five-player deal with the Chicago Cubs. Brea was one of four players sent to the Baltimore Orioles in the deal that brought shortstop Mike Bordick to the New York Mets.

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Joe Yingling of Camarillo High, The Times’ 1998 Ventura County player of the year, was released last week by the Detroit Tigers. . . .

The first baseman was seven for 43 with only one extra-base hit for the Tigers’ rookie-level Gulf Coast League affiliate. . . .

Catcher Chris Parker, formerly of Westlake High, was demoted by the Detroit Tigers from Class-A West Michigan to Oneonta of the short-season New York-Penn League. . . .

Reliever Erik Hiljus of Canyon High was recalled by the Detroit Tigers on Thursday. . . . Outfielder Jorge Piedra of Notre Dame High was two for his first 10 at Daytona after the trade that sent him and Jamie Arnold from the Dodgers to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for Ismael Valdes. . . .

Andrew Lorraine of Hart High cleared waivers and was sent to triple-A Buffalo by the Cleveland Indians. . . . Infielder David Lamb was sent down to triple-A Norfolk by the New York Mets. . . .

Javier Delahoya of Grant High, who pitches for Baltimore Oriole double-A affiliate Bowie, and catcher Josh Goldfield of Calabasas High, who plays for Class-A High Desert in the Arizona Diamondback organization, were placed on the disabled list last week.

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Dave Schmidt, former major league pitcher and a graduate of Granada Hills High, and Dave Brundage, the first manager of the JetHawks, were among the coaches announced this week for the Arizona Fall League.