By Randy Whitehouse,Staff Writer

PORTLAND – Jared Sandberg peered up into the clear blue sky and glanced at the flag blowing straight out to right field at Hadlock Field.

“The wind’s howling. It’s pretty nice,” said the Portland Sea Dogs third baseman.

Perfect conditions for a home run derby, it would seem.

Sandberg was one of 10 participants in the pre-game home run derby and hoped the elements would help him.

“I’m just going to hit it high and far and let the wind take it,” he said.

This was Sandberg’s second home run derby. When he was with Double-A Durham in the Tampa Bay Devil Rays organization, the big club came to town for an exhibition game and held one, which Sandberg won under mysterious circumstances.

“It was a questionable call,” he said. “It was down the left field line and over the foul pole. Everyone’s like It’s foul. It’s foul,’ and I just walked off. I won $100 out of the deal.”

Jonathan Van Every of the Akron Aeros was a derby rookie yesterday, hoping the wind blowing out to right would be advatageous for left-handers like him.

“I’m not going to do too much, just take a nice easy swing at the ball and let the contact take it out,” Van Every said. “I’m just going to look for good pitches to hit and try not to overdo it.”

The “Gone with the Wind” strategy didn’t serve him too well, or Sandberg. The veteran hit just two homers, the rookie three, and neither made it out of the first round. Sandberg still pocketed $100 though, as a member of the winning North team.

Shelley Duncan of the Trenton Thunder won the contest, beating Mike Jacobs of the Binghamton Mets. He hit 12 home runs in the three-round derby and earned $500. The event also raised a $5,000 donation from Western Union to the Maine Children’s Cancer Program.

Claus doesn’t mind being out in the cold

Portland Sea Dogs and Eastern League manager Todd Claus echoed the sentiments of many players and coaches in declaring Tuesday night’s lobster bake gathering for the All-Star squads the highlight of the two-day event.

Some of the players complained about the cool evening on the Peaks Island home of Sea Dogs owner Dan Burke, but it was fine with Claus.

“It was 20 below when I came here in January, so 60 degrees, I was lovin’ that,” he said. “There were no mosquitoes, so I was fine.”

Claus said he didn’t have much time for chit-chat with the players, just a few handshakes and congratulations. He planned on continuing that laid-back approach managing his first All-Star Game, particularly since he didn’t have to worry about the game determining home field advantage in the playoffs, as his Major League counterparts did.

“That definitely helps. There might be a little more micro-managing going on in that case,” he said. “For me, there’s not going to be a whole lot of managing going on. It’s going to be managing health and giving the guys the best opportunity to showcase themselves.”

Claus said the league had a contingency plan to determine the winner in the event of a tie after nine innings – another home run derby.

Dogs in the house

A franchise record six Sea Dogs were named to the Northern Division roster. Claus wrote three into the starting lineup. Shortstop Hanley Ramirez led off, right fielder Brandon Moss hit fifth and Sandberg, playing third base, batted sixth. Pitcher Jon Lester, coming off a one-hit shutout in New Hampshire on Monday in which he threw 95 pitches, sat the game out. Outfielder Chris Durbin and second baseman Kenny Perez, a two-time Eastern League All-Stars, also represented the Sea Dogs.

All-Star quickies

This was the third year the Eastern League held an All-Star game with a North vs. South format. The two divisions split the previous two games. … The list of All-Star Game MVP’s includes Jim Thome (1991), Rondell White (1993), and Matt Stairs (1994), as well as the immortal Pork Chop Pough (1995) and Wonderful Monds (1998). Todd Dunwoody, who was the MVP in 1996, is the only Sea Dog to win the award. … The Altoona Curve will host the 2006 All-Star Game on July 12 at Blair County Ballpark. … President George Herbert Walker Bush was to throw out the ceremonial first pitch last night, but he was “on the DL” and let his grandson, Robert Cook, do the honors instead. … A large contingent from Reading, Pa., attended the game, giving their Phillies a big hand whenever they were introduced … The Sea Dogs open the second half with a six-game homestand against Akron and Reading, which starts tonight.