+Futures Game notebook for Sunday, July 11+
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By Jim Keller 
SportsTicker Senior Editor 

BOSTON (Ticker) -- Today's game at Fenway Park featured 14
first-round draft picks, one supplemental first-rounder and
players between the ages of 18-25. 

The World Team included representatives of 15 different
countries, including eight players from the Dominican Republic.
Countries with two representatives apiece included Venezuela,
Cuba and Canada. 

Other nations represented were the Virgin Islands, Mexico,
Jamaica, Colombia, the Netherlands, Taiwan, Australia, Panama,
Korea and Japan.  Each major league organization had at least
one representative but no more than two. ... 

Just like the major league All-Star Game, there were deserving
players left off today's roster due to space limitations. 

Oakland Athletics Double-A third baseman Adam Piatt was the
biggest omission. Although not considered a "can't-miss"
prospect entering this 1999 season, the 23-year-old was batting
.356 with 30 doubles, 30 homers and 98 RBI in 84 games as he
tries to become the Texas League's first Triple Crown winner
since 1927. 

Piatt, an eighth-round pick in 1997, leads the minor leagues in
slugging, homers, RBI, runs, total bases and extra-base hits.
He's not just a one-year wonder, either.  The Mississippi State
product was a Class-A Northwest League All-Star in 1997 (.292,
13 HR, 35 RBI in 57 games) and led the Class-A California League
last season with 40 doubles and 107 RBI. 

Other USA players deserving an invitation were Baltimore Orioles
Double-A catcher Jayson Werth (.317, 4 HR, 35 RBI, 18 SB);
Houston Astros Triple-A first baseman Daryle Ward (.349, 25 HR,
60 RBI); Texas Rangers Class-A second baseman Jason Romano
(.328, 7 HR, 40 RBI, 19 SB); Pittsburgh Pirates Triple-A
outfielder Chad Hermansen (.263, 20 HR, 66 RBI, 10 SB); and
Minnesota Twins Class-A outfielder Mike Restovich (.318, 16 HR,
69 RBI). 

Pitchers who merited consideration included Kansas City Royals
Triple-A righthander Dan Reichert (9-2, 3.71 ERA); Atlanta
Braves Double-A righthander Jason Marquis (6-1, 1.25 ERA); New
York Yankees Triple-A lefthander Eddie Yarnall (10-3, 3.29 ERA);
Detroit Tigers Double-A lefthander Alan Webb (9-6, 4.19 ERA);
Arizona Diamondbacks Double-A righthander John Patterson (8-6,
4.77 ERA); and Tampa Bay Devil Rays Class-A righthander Jason
Standridge (8-1, 1.96 ERA). 

Players deserving consideration that were left off the World
Team included Florida Marlins' Triple-A catcher Ramon Castro
(.283, 10 HR, 40 RBI) and outfielder Julio Ramirez (.256, 9 HR,
41 RBI, 46 SB); and Diamondbacks Class-A outfielder Abraham
Nunez (.265, 10 HR, 53 RBI, 32 SB). 

Several recent major league call-ups likely would have been
selected, including catchers Ben Davis (Padres), Angel Pena
(Dodgers) and Ramon Hernandez (Athletics); outfielder Ruben
Mateo (Rangers); and pitchers Jin Ho Cho (Red Sox), Chad
Harville (Athletics), Gil Meche (Mariners) and Octavio Dotel
(Mets). ... 

Outfielder Peter Bergeron, a local kid from Greenfield,
Massachusetts -- some 100 miles from Boston -- had 25 extra
tickets for family and friends for today's game.  But he was
limited to pinch-hitting duty because of an injury. He was the
only player with New England ties. ... 

Red Sox fans got a first-hand look at the future when Tomo Ohka,
unbeaten in 11 decisions between Double-A and Triple-A, was
selected to start the game.  He pitched a scoreless inning,
allowing one hit and striking out one.  Ohka was followed by
another Red Sox prospect, righthander Sun Woo Kim, who pitched a
1-2-3 second inning and was credited with the win. ... 

Portland Sea Dogs teammates A.J. Burnett and Pablo Ozuna faced
each other in the sixth inning, and Burnett won the battle with
a strikeout.  The game also featured a mixup in the batting
order, when the World Team's Geoffrey Tomlinson was the last
batter of the sixth and the fourth batter of the seventh. ... 

In the Celebrity Home Run hitting contest before the game, the
team of Matt Damon, Steve Garvey and Jim Rice emerged
victorious. Rice did the majority of the damage, scoring 640
points.  Garvey chipped in with 300 and Damon 100. 

Other celebrity participants included Mark Harmon, Kevin Costner
and Doug Flutie, who tallied 410 points, hit the "Green Monster"
and led his team to a second-place finish in the four-team
event. ... 

Before slugging two homers, New York Yankees prospect Alfonso
Soriano said he hoped to do something in today's game to stand
out, and that he was dedicating his performance to his mother.
After Soriano won MVP honors, he was all smiles. 

"I think now she must be the happiest woman in the world because
thanks to God, everything worked out great in the game,"
Soriano, a native of the Dominican Republic, beamed with the aid
of an interpreter. 

He hit a three-run homer over the "Green Monster" and off the
Coca-Cola bottle in the third inning and added a two-run shot in
the fourth.  Soriano said he was thinking about how happy his
mother must be back in the Dominican Republic. 

The 21-year-old infielder was signed by the Yankees last fall
for more than $2 million.  He left his homeland at 16 to play in
Japan but retired from Japanese ball last year to pave the way
for a career in the United States.  Soriano made his U.S. debut
in the Arizona Fall League in 1998, batting .254 with nine
doubles, six homers and 28 RBI in 34 games. 

He has spent all of this season at Double-A Norwich, batting
.302 with 15 homers and 68 RBI.  He has had two hitting streaks
of 11 games and another of 16, leads the Eastern League with 108
hits and is fourth in RBI. 

The 6-1, 160-pounder has wowed Eastern League scouts with his
quick righthanded bat, outstanding range and strong throwing
arm.  Although he has played shortstop his entire life, the
youngster realizes he may have to switch to another position. 

"Since Derek Jeter is there, it may be possible that they move
me to second base," he said. 

One thing Soriano does not lack is confidence. 

"Every time I walk out onto the field I feel that I can be the
best one in the game, and that I can be a superstar," he said.
... 

Team USA third baseman Russell Branyan, considered the most
prolific home run hitter in the minor leagues, is continuing to
clout homers at an outstanding pace.  But his strikeouts and
slumps are making news this season. 

The Cleveland Indians' farmhand, who has slugged 138 homers in
465 games since 1995, is on pace to shatter the all-time
minor-league strikeout record of 220, set by San Jose's Wes Kent
in 1984. Already with 156 strikeouts, Branyan has surpassed the
Buffalo team record and is on pace to fan 256 times. 

The 23-year-old, who slugged 79 home runs in 1996-97, has
endured an 0-for-47 slump this season in which he fanned 30
times and arrived in Boston in the midst of a 3-for-48 slump
with 28 strikeouts.  Overall, he's batting .210 with an
International League-leading 24 homers and 54 RBI.  He went
0-for-2 in the Futures Game, but did send a ball to the
right-field wall in the fourth inning. 

Indians officials know they must remain patient with the
lefthanded slugger. 

"He's only 23 years old and will go through periods like this,"
said Neal Huntington, director of player development.  "He's
working on making adjustments at the plate.  Russell has some
holes in his swing, but he's probably the top power-hitter in
the minor leagues." 

Cleveland general manager John Hart concurs. 

"I sent Ted Simmons to see him and he said forget the
strikeouts," Hart said Saturday.  "Ted said he played against
George Foster, who struck out a lot, and he did OK. 

"He needs to make some offensive adjustments, but he has pure
power and is improving defensively," he added. 

The droughts have cost Branyan two chances to step in and play
at the big league level this season.  Earlier this season, when
Travis Fryman went on the disabled list, the Tribe opted for
Jeff Manto.  Last week, when Fryman went to the sidelines again,
Cleveland filled the roster spot with shortstop John McDonald. 

"We don't think he's ready, Hart said.  "We decided to go with
Enrique Wilson, who's hitting .325." 

Although the organization is clearly behind its slugging
prospect, if Branyan doesn't iron out his mechanics soon, he may
be best remembered by how many times he swung and missed instead
of by how many times he hit the ball out of the park. 

st 07-12-99 00:39 et