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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Report scores and results to 425-339-3470 or 1-866-6-SCORES (Call after 4:30 p.m.) E-mail information including items for Tuesday's Communities Sports Roundup and Thursday's Outdoor Calendar, to sports@heraldnet.com Kevin Brown, Sports Editor kbrown@heraldnet.com   Published: Thursday, June 18, 2009 New passport rules could bench some AquaSox By Nick Patterson Herald Writer EVERETT -- The initial Everett AquaSox roster for the 2009 Northwest League season is out. The players have settled into town and taken part in two practices as they prepare for Saturday's season opener. However, one may not want to get too attached to all of them just yet. Some of the players may not stick around for Tuesday's home opener. And who's responsible for that? How about the United States government. A quirk of timing between Everett's schedule and the enactment of a new border law has complicated the opening of the AquaSox's season. The result is a degree of uncertainty as to how much of Everett's current roster will remain intact beyond Monday. "That's up in the air," said AquaSox manager John Tamargo, who's left dealing with the uncertainty. The situation came about because Everett opens its season in Canada, traveling to face the Vancouver Canadians in a three-game series beginning Saturday. This happens to come on the heels of the new legislation governing border crossings. The Western Hemispheres Travel Initiative went into effect in the U.S. on June 1. What that means is that individuals now need a passport or a passport equivalent (such as an enhanced driver's license, which is only available in a handful of border states, including Washington) to enter the U.S. from a foreign country. Therefore, players who don't have passports can't make the opening road trip. That shouldn't have been a problem for the players who spent the past two-and-a-half months at extended spring training. Those Seattle Mariners prospects had ample time to prepare for the situation. However, it's a potential headache for those who were taken in the entry draft a week ago. Estimates vary, but it's believed only about 20 percent of U.S. citizens own a passport. For those recent draftees who don't, there's the choice of a mad scramble and heavy fee to acquire an expedited passport, or sitting out the opening series of the season. It's no coincidence that only two of the 22 players on the Frogs' current roster were acquired in this year's draft. "The draft was (June 9-11), and then probably on Saturday they called me up and asked if I had a passport," said infielder Hawkins Gebbers, who along with pitcher Daniel Cooper are the only 2009 draftees currently with the team. "They called me back on Monday and had me come out to Safeco and sign a contract, then said, 'You're going to Everett for a week and after that we don't know.'" But draft picks may not have been the only ones affected. Pitchers Chris Kirkland and Taylor Stanton are not on Everett's roster and remain at extended spring training. However, they have been penciled in as Everett's Nos. 4 and 5 starters. They won't join the team until it returns from Vancouver. All of the players on the current roster will be able to travel with the team to Vancouver, so Everett is in no danger of being unable to field a team. But it's not expected that all of them will still be on the roster for the home opener next Tuesday against Spokane. The Mariners have two other lower-level teams that are just starting up -- Pulaski of the rookie Appalachian League and Peoria of the rookie Arizona League -- and some initial roster shuffling was done to accommodate Everett's opening series in Vancouver. Following that series, some players will be dispersed to locations based on their current playing level, rather than their ability to travel out of -- and back into -- the country. "It's kind of uncomfortable not knowing where you're going or what you're doing," said Gebbers, who as a 33rd-round pick from NAIA Biola may be better suited to begin at Pulaski or Peoria. "I'm really glad I'm here, I love it here and wish I could stay here. But I've talked to my coach and everything they say is, 'Don't worry about it and just work on your baseball, because you're never really going to know where you're going.' We'll see, maybe I get to stay here." Even Tamargo wasn't sure who was going to stay and who was going to go, or at least he wasn't saying. "You'll see some new faces (on Tuesday)," Tamargo said. "Hopefully the guys who are here now can stay. If they perform and I want to keep them, we'll see what we can do." It all adds up to something of a mess. But Tamargo, a veteran minor-league coach and manager, shrugged off the inconvenience. "I've been through everything," he said. "You'll scramble through the year. Sometimes you'll be playing with 21 healthy bodies and things like that. I've seen it all, it'll all get worked out. "Had it been later on it probably wouldn't have been an issue at all." In the meantime, one can only wait to find out which players are still around to step out of the dugout during Tuesday's introductions. Everett Cup: The sixth annual Everett Cup takes place at 7:05 p.m. tonight at Everett Memorial Stadium. The Everett Cup pits the AquaSox in an exhibition game against the semipro Everett Merchants of the Pacific International League. The Merchants are made up primarily of college players with local ties. The AquaSox won four of the previous five Everett Cups, including a 12-2 victory last year. The one upset came in 2007, when the Merchants shocked the Sox 10-5. Right-hander Luke Burnett, scheduled to start Monday in Vancouver, will open on the mound for the Sox, though he's not expected to remain in the game long. Many of the Sox's bullpen arms are also expected to get in some work. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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