Railroadmen Shine on a Whistle Stop

Game time was five minutes away, and the Angel players were stretching, throwing or grabbing one last pack of sunflower seeds. For the players on the other side of the field, the game could wait for a few minutes.

To the Angel players, perhaps, this was just another exhibition game. To the Aguascalientes Railroadmen, this was history, the first time a Mexican League team played a major league team in a major league ballpark. So the Aguascalientes players gathered in front of the visiting dugout for a commemorative photograph.

The Railroadmen did themselves proud. Although the Mexican League is officially classified at the triple-A level, and although scouts unofficially consider the caliber of play closer to double-A, the Railroadmen put up a spirited fight before losing, 5-2, before an announced crowd of 24,954 at Edison Field on Saturday night.

The Angels heavily advertised the game in the Latino media and distributed tickets within Latino areas of Orange County. Fans adopted the Railroadmen, waving Mexican flags throughout the stands, booing when an umpire refused to call a check-swing strike on Mo Vaughn, cheering heartily when Raymond Nunez of Aguascalientes scored the game’s first run, rising for a raucous ovation when Ruben Avila of Aguascalientes hit a home run.

The Angels answered with two home runs. Vaughn hit his second in two games in Anaheim after hitting none in Arizona, and Darin Erstad hit his first homer of the spring.

The Angels first concentrated on attracting Latino fans last year, reviving Spanish radio broadcasts, advertising in Latino media and including bilingual signs at the renovated Edison Field. They added Spanish telecasts and the Aguascalientes game this year, but the Angels believe Latino fans never will truly adopt the team as their own until Latino players join the team.

The Angels’ minor league system has not produced a player for the major league team in more than a decade, but several years of renewed investment in Latin America have yielded a small but promising crop of prospects.

The top prospect in the farm system, pitcher Ramon Ortiz, 23, hails from the Dominican Republic. So, too, do shortstops Nelson Castro, 22, and Bienvenido Encarnacion, 21. The Angels are thrilled by the defensive skill of shortstop Carlos Gastelum, 17, signed from Mexico last winter. They outbid numerous clubs for Venezuelan pitcher Francisco Rodriguez, 17, signed for a $900,000 bonus last fall.

“It’s still a ways away,” scouting director Bob Fontaine Jr. said. “We’ve only worked heavily in that area for the last two years. It’s probably a minimum six-year process. We’re hoping that, by the fifth or sixth year, we might start to have a flow of people ready for the big leagues.”

Angel Notes

The Angels hope two more days of treatment will allow center fielder Jim Edmonds, hampered by a strained groin, to play in Tuesday’s opener. If he cannot play by then, the Angels will consider placing him on the disabled list. Edmonds has not played since Monday, so the Angels could activate him as soon as nine games into the season. “I can always DH at 50%. That’s not the problem,” Edmonds said. “But I don’t want to be limited to being a DH for two months. The goal is to be 100% for Tuesday. “If that’s not good enough, then I’ll have to do something else. We’ve got more than enough guys here capable of playing the outfield.” . . . The Angels conclude the exhibition season today, playing host to Cal State Fullerton at 3 p.m. Admission is free, and the Angels will donate a portion of parking and concession revenues to the Titan baseball program. Actor Kevin Costner, a Fullerton alum, will play for the Titans. Chuck Finley, hit on his pitching arm by a line drive in his last outing Wednesday, is scheduled to start for the Angels. The Angels also want Omar Olivares to pitch.