BATON ROUGE — Eleven former LSU baseball players, all of whom played for American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame coach Skip Bertman during his 18-year tenure with the Fighting Tigers, are on the opening-day rosters of Major League Baseball clubs, including two who are part of an opening day roster for the first time in their professional careers.
The opening day rosters were released on Sunday by the Major League Baseball office in New York and published in Monday’s edition of USA Today.
Cincinnati Reds infielder Brandon Larson, who set an LSU and SEC single season record with 40 home runs in the Tigers’ national championship season of 1997, had been up in parts of both 2001 and 2002, but had never made the trip north with the big club out of spring training until this season. Larson was the starting third baseman in the Reds’ initial game at Great America Ballpark on Monday and went 0-for-4 in a 10-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Atlanta Braves pitcher Trey Hodges, who was the Most Outstanding Player of the 2000 College World Series in leading the Tigers’ drive to a fifth national championship, ascended rapidly through the Braves’ minor league system and was called up as part of the September roster expansion. Hodges is expected to be a part of the Braves’ middle relief corps in his first full season in the big leagues.
Hodges is one of five former Tiger pitchers on opening day rosters. The others are Kurt Ainsworth of the San Francisco Giants, Mark Guthrie of the Chicago Cubs, Curtis Leskanic of the Milwaukee Brewers and Russ Springer of the St. Louis Cardinals.
Guthrie, part of Bertman’s first team in 1984, pitched a scoreless eighth inning for the Cubs in their 15-2 rout of the New York Mets at Shea Stadium. Guthrie is entering his 15th major league season and is in his second stint with the Cubs, one of eight major league uniforms he has worn.
Leskanic and Springer, who were teammates at LSU from 1987 through 1989, faced each other on Monday in St. Louis. Springer was credited with the win after pitching the eighth inning of the Cardinals’ 11-9 victory, while Leskanic pitched 1/3 of an inning.
Another teammate of Leskanic and Springer, catcher Keith Osik, is also on Milwaukee’s roster, but did not play on Monday.
Osik and Larson are two of four LSU position players on active lists in the big leagues. Todd Walker, a three-time All-America second baseman at LSU from 1992-94, started at second base for the Boston Red Sox on Monday, scoring two runs and going 1-for-4 in the Red Sox’ 8-6 loss at Tampa Bay. Outfielder Armando Rios, a part of LSU’s 1991 and 1993 national championship teams, is with the Chicago White Sox, but did not play in a 3-0 loss at Kansas City.
Right-handed pitcher Paul Byrd, an All-Star in 1999 with the Philadelphia Phillies and a 17-game winner for the Royals in 2002, is one of two former Tigers who start the season on the disabled list. The other is Baltimore Orioles outfielder Albert (Joey) Belle, who has not played since the 2000 season but is still on the Orioles’ payroll. Belle was part of LSU’s first CWS team in 1986.
Several other Tigers will begin the 2003 seasons in the minor leagues, with most leagues beginning their seasons on Thursday. A complete listing of former Tigers in the minor leagues will be released when those rosters are set later this month.
A total of 44 former LSU players have reached the major leagues. The following is a complete listing of players on 2003 opening day rosters:
Player, Position Years at LSU 2003 ML Team
Kurt Ainsworth, RHP 1997-99 San Francisco Giants
Albert (Joey) Belle, OF 1995-97 Baltimore Orioles (60-day DL)
Paul Byrd, RHP 1989-91 Atlanta Braves (15-day DL)
Mark Guthrie, LHP 1984-87 Chicago Cubs
Trey Hodges, RHP 1999-2000 Atlanta Braves
Brandon Larson, SS 1997 Cincinnati Reds
Curtis Leskanic, RHP 1987-89 Milwaukee Brewers
Keith Osik, C 1987-90 Milwaukee Brewers
Armando Rios, OF 1991-93 Chicago White Sox
Russell Springer, RHP 1987-89 St. Louis Cardinals
Todd Walker, 2B 1992-94 Boston Red Sox
Source: USA Today, March 31, 2003