The Bangor Lumberjacks, uh? make that the Grays, are a few days away from opening training camp for the 2005 Northeast, uh? make that Can-Am, League season.

A couple weeks after finding out they would not be practicing, opening their season, or playing any games at all in Bangor this season, the players and coaches originally signed by the Lumberjacks are getting ready to travel to Elmira, N.Y., their new home away from home ? at least for the preseason.

“I am ready to get this road show going,” said Chris Carminucci, who was the Lumberjacks’ hitting coach last season before being promoted to manager this offseason. “We’re using the Elmira Pioneers’ facilities. They’ll go in the morning and we’ll practice in the afternoons.”

Carminucci went from hitting coach to manager to unemployed to the manager of the Grays ? a traveling team created and funded by the Can-Am League to fill the vacancy created by the Lumberjacks’ demise ? in the space of two months.

“The bottom line is this: I look at it as a great opportunity to really show my stuff as a manager. I feel we can win if we play hard,” Carminucci said. “I’m making the best of it. I’m sad there won’t be a team in Bangor because I love that area and wanted to make it my home, but it didn’t work out.”

The Grays will look a lot like the Lumberjacks with Carminucci managing a group including a few veteran Bangor players like two-year starting catcher Brad Hargreaves; first baseman/designated hitter Mark Burke, who played all of last season and part of 2003 for Bangor; pitcher Jerry Long, who’s recovering from offseason arm surgery; and former outfielder Willie King, who played part of last season with Bangor.

“We had to sign all new contracts,” Carminucci said. “We have everyone coming to play except a couple of guys who didn’t want to play on the road.”

Some players are not only making the best of a bad situation, they’re looking forward to it.

“I never for one second thought about going anywhere else,” said Burke, who will server as a player-coach for the first time this season. “My first priority was to sign with Chris because we have a good working relationship and friendship. Plus I personally recruited a few guys to come play for the team.”

Burke preferred not to divulge his new salary with the Grays, but Carminucci said he’s being paid $20,000 to manage ? just $5,000 less than what he would have received from Bangor. Burke and Carminucci said the players have been taken care of. Carminucci was owed some money (salary) from Bangor for his offseason work, but he has been paid part of that money.

“Basically, Chip [former owner Charles “Chip” Hutchins] has assured me he will take care of any back pay owed me,” Carminucci said. “That would have been the time and stuff I have done as a manager for the team this year. I believe him.”

Carminucci wouldn’t provide specific figures, but did say the Grays’ salary cap is only slightly less than Bangor’s. Another slight handicap is the league-mandated limit of the Grays’ training camp roster to 23 players, five fewer than the limit imposed on the other seven league teams.

Despite the restrictions, Burke and others expect the team to be very competitive.

“We have a very good core group of veteran players who I know very well and having Chris managing will make for a more comfortable and positive clubhouse atmosphere,” Burke said.

Andrew Neff can be reached at 990-8205, 1-800-310-8600 or at aneff@bangordailynews.net