by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Scanning the Southern League, one thing is apparent — the 10 cities that comprise the league are the variety pack of towns in Dixie.
No other city can compare to Orlando’s theme parks and related attractions. At the same time, the picturesque backdrops that Greenville and Raleigh-Durham offer are tough to top. Birmingham and Huntsville are Alabama’s largest cities and Chattanooga is a short drive from Atlanta.
Then, there is Jacksonville. And, believe it or not, many of the 2002 Suns — the Double A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers — players are excited about playing in Jacksonville. About 25, including the manager and coaches, arrived Monday from spring training camp in Vero Beach to get ready for Thursday’s opening night.
Pitcher Tim Harrell played here last year and, with a wife and two kids in tow, says Jacksonville is certainly not the worst place to spend a summer.
“I like Jacksonville,” he said. “I’ve got a family so I don’t do much at night. But the beach is awesome. It’s easy to get around and it’s the biggest city I’ve ever played in.”
Harrell has been in the Dodgers organization for several years, playing in such towns as Vero Beach, San Bernardino, Ca. and Yakima, Wash. Jacksonville outshines them all, he says.
“It’s the nicest. Vero is small and very hot,” said Harrell. “In San Bernardino, the traffic is horrible, the people are rude and the smog is terrible. It all drifts down from Los Angeles. Yakima is in the central part of the state and there’s not much there.”
While last year’s success certainly made baseball life enjoyable, Harrell said the Suns family — from management to the players — went out of their way to make the ball park a pleasant experience for his whole family. His two and half year old son loves Wolfson Park and everybody at the park likes chasing him around.
Center fielder Wilken Ruan played in Harrisburg, Pa. last year as a member of the Montreal Expos organization. Ruan, from the Dominican Republic, only spent one week in Vero before coming to Jacksonville. Although he speaks limited English, he said he has heard good things about Jacksonville and is looking forward to seeing what Jacksonville has to offer.
Pitcher Steve Colyer spent last season in Vero with the Dodgers’ A team. Like Harrell, Colyer is looking forward to playing in a bigger town. The move for Colyer is not only one of geography, but it also represents progression up the baseball ladder.
“I’m sure this is better than Vero,” said Colyer, unpacking after the drive up from Vero. “I’m happy to be here. It’s a move up and that’s all I can ask for. I know there are a lot more things to do here than in Vero, but every place is different. I don’t even know where anything is right now.”
Catcher Koyie (rhymes with boy) Hill may be the best prospect on the team. After a solid showing at spring training, he has been assigned to Jacksonville but may not finish the season here. Regardless, Hill said he and his wife will make the most of Jacksonville.
“It’s big enough that there is plenty to do,” said Hill, who lives in Lawton, Okla. during the off season. “My wife will be here soon. She spends the seasons with me. There’s a nice beach here that will get used a lot. We have a 100-pound Rottweiler and we like to walk on the beach a lot.”
Unlike the bachelors on the team, Hill said he plans to keep a low profile when a rare day off comes around. Off time, he says, is wife time and dinners and movies together.
Like others, Hill said he quickly realized the team has good chemistry and a well-regarded manager in Dino Ebel. Those two factors, more than anything, can make adjusting to life in a new city easier, especially for the team’s younger players.
“There are a lot of good guys on the team and that helps,” said Hill. “Dino Ebel is a great manager to play for. I played for him last year and so I know what to expect.”
In addition to the beach and warm weather, the area’s golf courses haven’t gone unnoticed.
“Golf is big on this team,” said Harrell, admitting that he doesn’t play very often. “A lot of the guys have been asking me where to play.”