Salt Lake Bees: Team looks loaded at infield positions
"We sure have plenty of talent on paper," Wood said. "We just need to see what we can do in the games."
So far, so good. The Bees opened the season with seven straight road victories, a franchise record. Salt Lake will open at home on Friday night at Franklin Covey Field.
Here's a closer look at the Bees' seven infielders:
MATT BROWN: He played all over the field last season for the Bees — first, second and third base as well as 21 games in the outfield — but will primarily be a third baseman this season. Brown was second on the Bees last year with 19 home runs and fourth with 60 RBIs. In three different games last season he hit two homers. He also spent two short stints with the Angels last season.
KENDRY MORALES: First baseman has split time between Anaheim and Salt Lake in each of the past two seasons. The switch hitter played in 64 games with the Bees, hitting a team-high .341. He also played in 43 games with the Angels, batting .294 with four homers and 15 RBIs.
Morales, a 24-year-old native of Cuba, is expected to once again spend time both in the majors and with the Triple-A Bees this season.
GARY PATCHETT: Back for his second season as an all-around utility player for the Bees, Patchett is able to play all the infield positions. He spent the entire 2007 campaign with Salt Lake, batting .253 with two doubles and 18 RBIs in 77 games.
ADAM PAVKOVICH: Now in his fourth season in Salt Lake as a utility infielder/outfielder. He's already played in 298 games in a Salt Lake uniform, with his best season in 2005 when he hit .269 with eight homers and 51 RBIs. Pavkovich spent all of last season with the Bees, batting .267 with two homers and 32 RBIs in 88 games.
SEAN RODRIGUEZ: He was added to the Angels' 40-man roster during the off-season as the parent franchise showed they believe he's one of their top prospects. Rodriguez, at 22, is the youngest position player and the second youngest player on the Bees' opening day roster. He spent all of last season in Double-A Arkansas where he hit .254 with 17 homers and 73 RBIs. The Miami native is no stranger to Utah, however, as he spent the 2004 season with the Provo Angels where he hit .338. He is slated to be the Bees' every day second baseman.
FREDDY SANDOVAL: He had a break-out season in Arkansas a year ago, hitting .305 with 72 RBIs in 111 games. He will play both third and first base for the Bees as well as being the team's fifth outfielder. Sandoval is a native of Mexico and still lives there in the offseason but the 25-year-old switch hitter played high school and college baseball in San Diego.
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