Rios Is Laterally Mobile for Reds

Fernando Rios had an idea that the post-game invitation to the Clinton LumberKings manager’s office wasn’t for a surprise party.

Just like in the scenes from “Bull Durham” and “Major League,” the door closed behind him.

In hushed tones, he was told the parent club, the Cincinnati Reds, wanted to make a change. He was being shipped to the Dayton Dragons.

“It was just like the movies,” the former Glendale High outfielder said of the meeting earlier this month. “I asked them if they could do anything about it, but they said they couldn’t. I really wanted to stay there.”

Within the organization, it was a lateral move, Rios’ second in as many seasons. Clinton and Dayton, a first-year franchise, play in the Class-A Midwest League.

Last season, Rios was sent from Burlington to Clinton.

Since signing in 1997, Rios has played for five Reds’ affiliates, none above Class-A.

After missing the last 23 games of the 1999 season with an arm injury and sitting out the first month of this season recovering from off-season arm surgery, Rios was just starting to get comfortable.

He was batting .333 (41 for 123) and would have qualified for last week’s Midwest League All-Star game had he had enough at-bats.

Since his move to Dayton, he is batting .188 in eight games.

“That will come around,” said Rios, a career .281 hitter. “I’m not worried.”

A move from Clinton to Dayton would have pleased most minor league players.

Clinton plays in aging Riverview Stadium, built in 1937, and attracts an average of 987 fans a night.

Dayton, owned by a group that includes Magic Johnson, plays in Fifth Third Stadium, a new multimillion-dollar facility, and is on pace to set league attendance records. The Dragons are averaging 8,141 fans per game.

“It’s all nice,” Rios said. “But I was comfortable at Clinton.”

At least he isn’t far from his old buddies, and Clinton travels to Dayton this week to begin a four-game series with its sister affiliate on Monday.

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Jon Garland, the former first-round pick out of Kennedy High, was the only player unanimously voted to the triple-A All-Star Game between the International and Pacific Coast leagues, which will be played July 12 at Rochester.

Garland (9-2), who pitches for Chicago White Sox affiliate Charlotte, leads the International League in victories, ERA (2.14) and innings (96 2/3).

Also on the International League roster: Norfolk (Mets) first baseman Ryan McGuire, formerly of El Camino Real High; Rochester (Orioles) pitcher Javier Delahoya, who played at Grant; Indianapolis (Brewers) reliever Bob Scanlan, a graduate of Harvard-Westlake.

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Former Hart High pitcher Andrew Lorraine was promoted on Saturday to the Cleveland Indians, who designated struggling Jaime Navarro for assignment. Lorraine, signed by the Indians from the Chicago Cubs earlier this season, was 3-1 with a 3.46 ERA for Buffalo, Cleveland’s triple-A affiliate.

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First baseman Craig Kuzmic of the JetHawks was named California League batter of the week for June 12-18 after going 10 for 23 and scoring 10 runs to help Lancaster clinch the South Division first-half title.

Former JetHawk Joel Pineiro of Tacoma was selected Pacific Coast League pitcher of the week for June 12-18 after pitching consecutive shutouts.

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Josh Lake, formerly of Buena High and Oxnard and Ventura colleges, signed with the Milwaukee Brewers, who assigned him to Helena of the rookie-level Pioneer League. . . . Former Cal State Northridge outfielder Eric Gillespie was placed on the disabled list last week by the Toledo Mudhens, the Detroit Tigers’ triple-A affiliate. . . . Brandon Knight, formerly of Buena and Ventura College, won his third consecutive start for triple-A Columbus (New York Yankees) and is tied for the International League lead with three complete games.