Article Options

Pinto faces tough decision for Miners

By D.W. Norris, For The Southern

Sunday, May 11, 2008 9:18 PM CDT

It's getting close to cut-down time for the 34 hopefuls at the Miners' spring training camp. But despite what the calendar says, it's not as close as it was two days ago.

Manager Mike Pinto said Saturday that he would probably make a decision on his first round of cuts as early as tonight after a doubleheader at Schaumburg. After watching his team in action, Pinto changed his mind.

"I'm going to hold off on that for now," Pinto replied via text message Sunday. "Some guys really stepped up and made the decision process very difficult."

The team has had four workouts and a nine-inning exhibition game since it opened camp Wednesday. It's a small sample size, and Pinto was understandably wary about putting his early impressions of specific players into print. While Pinto did not want to get into specifics about whose stock is up and whose is down, one thing is clear - the numbers game necessitates tough decisions.

Pinto said he plans on keeping 11 pitchers and 13 position players for Southern Illinois' May 21st season opener at Gateway. Given that the Miners listed 17 pitchers on their roster before Saturday's 1-0 win over Gary, the math says six must go. Four position players must also get pinched. But Pinto isn't rushing to his decisions.

"With each day we get to see more guys," Pinto said.

Pinto will have seen every pitcher in live action by the end of today's exhibitions with the host Flyers and the reigning Frontier League champion Windy City Thunderbolts. Some of those pitchers will have made multiple appearances, meaning their sample size grows. The same thing applies to new position players vying for a spot.

"If you break down what's the purpose of spring training, it's first of all to evaluate the guys you haven't seen," Pinto said. "It's about finding out who's going to make the team."

First baseman Tim Dorn is one player who doesn't need to worry about a spot. When a guy hits a baseball as hard as Dorn does, and both his singles in Saturday's win were absolute screamers, only signing with an affiliated team gets him out of a Miners uniform. Dorn said he was happy to be back in Marion, and that there was no place, other than for an affiliated team, he would rather play. He also said camp has been a positive experience despite the tenuous positions of some invitees.

"It's been real fun," Dorn said. "Normally you feel like a real competitive vibe coming from the situation, but it seems like everybody is having fun, and it makes things easier.

"If everybody is uptight and really pressing to get a job it seems like they don't do as well. But when people relax and let it go, that's when you really start to see what people are made of."

Pinto added that spring training has been positive, despite one annoying issue.

"Other than the lack of cooperation with the weather," Pinto said, "we are very happy with camp and the preseason preparation of the players and their hard work during camp."

Even with the need to trim rosters, Spring Training is more than just a numbers game. Practice time is as important a component with the regular season fast approaching. The reasons are simple, Pinto said.

"Part of it is to create repetition and get guys used to playing again who haven't played for nine months. And part of it is to get them into condition for a long season as well as get them used to a sort of chemistry, camaraderie."

dwnorris77@hotmail.com