Lane seems eager

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A bit of an unknown to most, Jason Lane could prove to be invaluable to Houston this season, especially if Daryle Ward is traded as rumors persist.

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Lane isn't resting this offseason

By Alyson Footer / MLB.com

Apparently, Jason Lane isn't big on vacations. The Astros' outfielder, who returned to his native California in mid-December after political strife caused the Venezuelan Winter League to shut down indefinitely, is now playing for the Estrellas club in the Dominican League.

"He decided at the last minute to go back," Assistant GM Tim Purpura said. "He went right after the first of the year."

Judging from his stats, it's obvious Lane didn't have a problem picking up where he left off in Venezuela. As of Jan. 14, Lane was batting .333 (10-for-30) with three homers and six RBIs in nine postseason games. His Estrellas club has a 6-5 playoff record, just one game behind 7-5 Aguilas.

Lane joined the Estrellas club right around the time that shortstop Julio Lugo left the team to return to Houston in anticipation of the arrival of his son, who was born on Jan. 13.

Octavio Dotel also has joined postseason action in the Dominican. Playing for Escogito, which is tied with Estrellas with a 6-5 playoff record, the right-hander is 0-1 with a 0.00 ERA over six relief appearances. Dotel has allowed two unearned runs on four hits over seven innings with one walk and eight strikeouts.
Lane isn't the only minor leaguer spending the last precious weeks of the offseason getting ready for the 2003 campaign. Under the tutelage of Astros strength and conditioning coach Gene Coleman, a handful of big league hopefuls have been taking advantage of the opportunity to work out in the Astros' clubhouse at Minute Maid Park.

This year marks the third offseason that the Astros have extended the invitation to minor leaguers who want to get a jump on the season. While some prospects live in Houston, others come from out of town -- and everyone is responsible for his own living expenses.

Infielders T.J. Soto and Mickey McKee and outfielder Jon Topolski, to name a few, have been participating in the program since its inception three years ago.

"It's for players who want to get a head start," Coleman said.

Participants report to the clubhouse at 8:30 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and partake in a variety of drills including stretching exercises, lifting weights, running and throwing on the field and hitting in the cage.

The sessions allow for the minor leaguers to interact with many Astros veterans who are also working out in the clubhouse, including Jeff Bagwell, Shane Reynolds, Lance Berkman, Gregg Zaun, Geoff Blum and Morgan Ensberg. The program will run until the second week in February when the clubhouse moves its operation to Kissimmee, Fla. for Spring Training.

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This is the crummy part of the business, the numbers game ... Lane has busted his butt to get tot his point, but a lot of factors are playing against him, beginning with the signing of Kent and Biggio move to the outfield, and ending with the Victor Hall Rule V situation ... In between you have the need for more lefty sticks and the need for more speed on this team ... Can't do anything as a fan but hope he goes to AAA, tears up the PCL and either gets called back up to the bigs or they can then trade him to fill another void and Lane can put his talents on display somewhere else.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/bb/astros/1795181

Lane on outside looking in

Promising outfielder tries to ignore numbers game

By Jose de Jesus Ortiz ... Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Jason Lane tries not to delve too much into his odds of cracking the Astros' opening-day roster. His life is much easier if he ignores the other outfielders in front of him on the depth chart.

He simply goes about his business, arriving at Osceola County Stadium at 8:30 a.m. for early batting practice and agility drills before the workouts begin at 10. Lane finds the blinders he needs from reality by focusing on the tasks required during workouts.

"Our regular outfield is set, and we have (Orlando) Merced and (Brian) Hunter as our fourth and fifth outfielders," Astros general manager Gerry Hunsicker said. "Unless we take a sixth outfielder or someone is injured or traded, it will be difficult for Jason or any other outfielder to make this ballclub."

When Lane's mind wanders into the odds, the reality hits him like a Lance Berkman line drive to the gut.

Ever since Jeff Kent signed with the Astros in December, prompting Craig Biggio's move to the outfield, Lane has known it would be difficult for him to earn a spot on manager Jimy Williams' 25-man roster.

"The Kent signing was when I realized it's not looking good for me," Lane said. "That's when you can get frustrated and get down, but that's when I really decided not to think about it."

Lane understands it will be tough to crack the roster with starters Berkman, Biggio and Richard Hidalgo and backups Merced and Hunter. Speedy outfielder Victor Hall, who must be returned to the Arizona Diamondbacks if he doesn't make the 25-man roster, also appears ahead of Lane on the depth chart.

"I'm just trying not to think of the outcome or what decisions they're going to make or who they're going to keep," said Lane, who hit .290 with four home runs and 10 RBIs in 69 at-bats in 44 games last year with the Astros. "It can only hurt you if you keep track of what they're doing."

Lane, 26, finds little solace when Hunsicker says he is ready to play in the majors. He has little left to prove at Class AAA New Orleans, where he hit .272 with a team-high 15 home runs and 83 RBIs in 111 games last season.

Lane also led the Zephyrs with 201 total bases and a .484 slugging percentage, earning the New Orleans Most Valuable Player award. He has succeeded at every level the Astros have placed him since drafting him in the sixth round out of USC in 1999.

He has won four team MVP trophies over four professional seasons, beginning at Class A Auburn in 1999, Class A Michigan in 2000, at Class AA Round Rock in 2001 and at New Orleans.

At Round Rock, where he earned the Texas League Player of the Year award, he challenged for the league's Triple Crown. He finished third in the league with a .316 batting average, second with 38 home runs and first with a minor-league best 124 RBIs.

After Lane's breakout 2001 season, the Astros felt comfortable enough to promote him to the majors last season May 9. He made his major-league debut a day later. He was sent back to the New Orleans on May 15, but returned to Houston on Aug. 6.

He played in 11 games, including two starts, before returning to New Orleans on Aug. 20. Lane, who hit .353 (6-for-17) in August, returned to the majors Aug. 24 and played out the rest of the season with the Astros.

In case there were any doubts, Lane proved his worth by hitting .298 (14-for-47) with four home runs and eight RBIs over 23 games in September. He started 13 of those 23 games, hitting safely in 10.

"I believe he's ready to play at the major-league level," Hunsicker said. "He just has to wait for the opportunity."

Hunsicker views Lane the same way he did Berkman in the spring training of 2000. The Astros had little doubt Berkman was ready for the majors, but there wasn't a place for him. At the time, the Astros considered it best to have Berkman playing at New Orleans instead of sitting on the bench in Houston.

Once Roger Cedeño suffered an injury sliding headfirst into first base, Berkman found his opportunity and capitalized. Three seasons and two All-Star berths later, the Astros' two-time MVP empathizes with Lane.

"It's tough because you know from a physical standpoint Jason doesn't need to go back to the minors," Berkman said. "He's ready for a shot in the majors. In 2000, I felt like I was in the same situation. I had to go down to New Orleans.

"It's hard to stay positive because it feels hopeless sometimes, but anything can happen. There could be injuries or a trade and all of a sudden you're in the majors. I just encourage him to be ready because at any moment things can change. He can go from being the odd man out to starting in the majors."

Lane is only 10 months younger than Berkman, which is another reason he has a sense of urgency. He doesn't wish an injury upon a teammate, and publicly, at least, he isn't saying he wants somebody traded.

Although he isn't in a position to demand a trade, he will welcome a chance to play anywhere as long as it is in the majors.

"The only way to force the issue," Lane said, "is to be prepared well. If you take care of business and have faith, there will be some job somewhere."

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Story by Alyson Footer / MLB.com (http://houston.astros.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/hou/news/hou_news.jsp?ymd=20030306&content_id=212022&vkey=spt2003news&fext=.jsp)

Who's on first? Lately, it's Lane

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- When Jason Lane was selected by the Houston Astros in the sixth round of the June 1999 draft, he was actually taken as a first baseman.

That put him in good company with Lance Berkman and Daryle Ward, two former Astros prospects who came into the organization as first basemen and quickly realized that they need to find something else to do if they're going to make it to the big leagues as an Astro.

See Bagwell, Jeff.

But an interesting twist has emerged at camp in Kissimmee this year. Lane, groomed as an outfielder soon after turning professional in '99, has spent notable time taking grounders at first base during batting practice this spring. This experiment started almost from Day 1 when position players reported to camp on Feb. 18.

Twice since the Grapefruit League play started a week ago, Lane has taken over at first as a defensive replacement late in a game. And when the season opened at Viera on Feb. 28, Lane started at first in place of Bagwell, who did not make that trip.

Could this be a ploy to groom Lane as the club's new first baseman in 2003? Hardly, considering Bagwell is locked up through at least 2006. And Lane, who can play all three outfield positions as well as first base, certainly is not being trained to make the team as a backup first baseman who would likely see no more than eight or 10 starts in a season.

For now, the explanation is quite simple. It's Spring Training, and the Astros want to give Lane as many at-bats as possible. He is right on the cusp, clearly ready for the big leagues, but with five outfielders and a first baseman already locked up, there's just nowhere for him to go. Yet.

Lane, 26, might be a bit confused as to what the club is planning for him, but he is nonetheless encouraged by his manager's interest in finding ways to get him to the plate.

"They're just finding another place to play to maybe make the team," Lane said. "The outfield spots are taken, first base is taken. Hopefully, we can find a way to keep me in the running to make the team. It definitely is encouraging. It makes me confident that they want to try me in different places."

Lane could make this year's team as a bench player, but not necessarily as a backup outfielder. The Astros have decisions to make -- do they take six or seven infielders, five or six outfielders, 11 or 12 pitchers? If Lane the outfielder can also show this spring that he can handle first base, he might be able to squeeze onto the roster in a jack-of-all-trades capacity.

"We hadn't seen him play first," said manager Jimy Williams. "Now we played him at first, so we have an idea how he plays there now. It gives us another asset, another tool.

"He can play first, all three outfield spots, he can pinch-hit, pinch-run. (Playing first) is just a way to get him in there. I worked him out there again today."

For Lane, a .294 hitter through four minor league seasons who hit .290 during his 44-game stay on the big-league level last year, any playing time is welcome. The eternal optimist, Lane has shown no signs of frustration year after year when he leaves Spring Training at the end of March wearing the same label as when he arrived -- "top outfield prospect."

"Maybe there will be a way to get on the team," he said before Thursday's game.

Lane might get his wish. A few scenarios could play out over the next few weeks. Lane could be traded. He could move into one of the outfield spots if another player, such as Brian Hunter or Orlando Merced, is traded. He could make the team outright if the team decides to carry six outfielders.

Right now, Williams is going to take advantage of the time that he rests Bagwell to see how Lane responds to the extra exposure, whether it's at first base or in the outfield. Lane has been impressive through the first week of spring games, batting .375 (6-for-16) with three RBIs.

"He's tremendous," Williams said. "He has a great attitude, he works hard, plays hard. To me, he does things the right way out there on that field.

"How many outfielders do we have? A lot. We're trying to get him some more at-bats. (First base) is just another way to do it during Spring Training. We're not pushing (Bagwell) to play every day, so it can't hurt."