New Stingers skipper promises more aggressive team

Dino Ebel, the new manager of the Salt Lake Stingers, is eager to get to work.

After 17 years in the Dodgers' organization, Ebel has switched over to the other L.A. team — the Angels of Anaheim — as manager of their Triple A club. The Angels and Stingers report to spring training Feb. 15 in Tempe, Ariz.

Ebel (pronounced E-bull) says fans will see a definite difference in the Stingers this year.

"I love to run," he said in an interview last week while he was in Salt Lake City to get acquainted with Stingers management and tour Franklin Covey Field. "I love action, I want to see us go first to third all the time . . . I've said if I become a manager I want to run, I want guys to steal.

"Yes, you're going to run into mistakes once in a while for being overly aggressive, but I'd rather see that than laying back and getting beat by a run or two and knowing, hey, we're not running the bases the way we should. "

Last year, the Stingers got out to a fast start, then as players migrated to the Angels, the losses mounted, and before the All-Star break, Salt Lake was relegated to last place in the PCL's Northern Division. The team languished there for the rest of the season.

Ebel sees his role as helping players develop, and nothing helps players develop, he says, like winning. "We're going to win; I want to win," he said. "I know we need to develop players to get them up to the Angels and help them win a World Series. And in the meantime, winning is part of developing. I know we've got to get the players better and get them up to the major leagues, but as we're here, we're going to try and win a championship — and that's our goal. Coming out of spring training, that's the tone I want to set."

Ebel owns a career 452-431 (.512) managerial record in eight seasons as a minor league manager with the Dodgers.

"I've always been an aggressive-type manager, I love that style, the National League type," he said. "Now its going to be a change because I don't have a pitcher hitting or no double-switching, stuff like that, and I'm ready for it, and I can't wait to get the season going."

And if the losses start piling up?

"I was in a club in '93. Rick Dempsey was the manager, I was his coach in the California League. We lost 98 games that year. So I've learned what to do and what not to do. You've just got to be upbeat and convince players that every day is another day. You've got to find a way to get better."