LAS VEGAS - The Las Vegas 51s have struggled through 11 straight losing seasons, but one of their young stars, outfielder Anthony Gose, is anticipating a breakout year in 2012.
"A lot of wins, I anticipate a lot of wins," he said.
The roster is filled with several top prospects who helped AA New Hampshire win the Eastern League title a year ago.
"Winning a championship is very, very special," said 51s manager Marty Brown. "It's nice to see this group of players come up here, and they've had the opportunity to experience that."
Those prospects include catcher Travis d'Arnaud - the Toronto Blue Jays' top rated prospect who hit .311 and belted 21 homers last year at AA.
"I hear it's a really good hitter's park," d'Arnaud said about Cashman Field. "I heard you get to see a lot of fun cities."
Gose, the organization's second-highest-rated prospect, swiped nearly 200 bags in four professional seasons.
"The talent we have on this team is unreal," he said. "Our team, I guess, is as good as you can imagine for a team in the minor leagues."
The offense should be loaded. The big question mark, as in previous seasons, is the pitching. The 51s added a familiar name as their pitching coach. Bob Stanley played 13 seasons in the big leagues with the Red Sox.
"You can tell just by talking to him, he gets out on the field," Brown said. "He really enjoys being out here. He likes being around here, and he doesn't take a lot of crap either, which is nice."Â
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