FanPost

Atlantic League news, transactions June 5-19

Welcome back to another installment on here recapping Atlantic League news and transactions from the last two weeks. I’ve been publishing this on my blog for the last three years but figured I’d move it over to this website since it’s more of an overall view of the league and includes quite a few familiar names baseball fans would know.

Don’t know what the Atlantic League is? Well, the Atlantic League is an independent baseball league consisting of seven teams in the northeast part of the United States and one in Texas. It has been in existence since 1998. The league is mostly made up of players with triple-A or big league experience. Baseball fans might recall Roger Clemens pitching for an independent team down in Texas a couple of years ago. Well, that was in the Atlantic League with the Sugar Land Skeeters. Or fans might have heard former NBA All-Star Tracy McGrady trying to go pro in baseball. Where is he pitching? Yep. You guessed it. With Sugar Land.

A total of 36 players and all eight Atlantic League teams were involved in transactions the last two weeks. Eight of the players are former big leaguers. Three players were picked up out of the league by major league organizations. Through June 19, a total of 22 players have been picked up out of the Atlantic League by big league clubs so far this season. Before we get to the transactions, though, below is recap of some Atlantic League-related newsworthy items:

- Voting is underway for the 2014 Atlantic League All-Star game, set to be held July 16 in Sugar Land. Click here to vote.

- Making a one-game managerial appearance, baseball legend Pete Rose managed the Bridgeport Bluefish to a win over Lancaster on June 16 in front of a Bridgeport season-high 4,573 fans. Click here to check out the game story, including quotes from Rose himself, written by Connecticut Post Bluefish beat reporter Rich Elliott.

- Players of the Week: Long Island Ducks outfielder Lew Ford hit .450 (9-20), with two doubles, four home runs, six RBI and seven runs scored to earn Atlantic League Player of the Week honors for June 9-15. Sugar Land Skeeters righty Matt Wright went 2-0 and struck out 15 over 13.0 innings pitched while allowing just two earned runs to earn Atlantic League Player of the Week honors for June 2-8.

- Players of the Month: Long Island Ducks’ outfielder Lew Ford and Southern Maryland Blue Crabs’ left-hander Brian Burres were selected as the Player and Pitcher of the Month for the month of May. Click here for more details.

- Bluefish dedicate seats to Sandy Hook victims: On the night of June 26th at The Ballpark at Harbor Yard, the Bridgeport Bluefish and Where Angels Play Foundation are teaming up to honor the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. The date for this event is to represent the six teachers and 20 students that lost their lives Dec. 14, 2012. The Bridgeport Bluefish will be designating 26 seats along the first base side, with six of those seats wrapped in white for the six teachers that passed away and 20 seats wrapped in blue for the students who passed away. A portion of the pre-ordered tickets for the game on June 26th will be donated to Where Angels Play Foundation using the code 26Angels. Click here for more information.

In The Press: Below is a list of articles and features of Atlantic League players from beat reporters across the league over the last two weeks:

Bridgeport: Connecticut Post Bluefish beat reporter Rich Elliott had an article on how Bridgeport general manager Ken Shepard is trying to boost attendance this season, mostly focusing on the guest appearance by Pete Rose. Elliot also had a nice piece on right-hander D.J. Mitchell, who made four relief appearances with the New York Yankees two seasons ago, a feature on former Oakland Athletics/Chicago White Sox prospect Michael Richard, and an interesting read on former big leaguer Joe Mather recapturing the love for the game in Bridgeport.

Lancaster: Lancaster Newspapers’ Barnstormers’ beat writer Burt Wilson had a nice piece on Lancaster outfielder Cole Garner.

Somerset: mycentraljersey.com’s Patriots’ beat reporter Mike Ashmore had an article on Pats’ coaches reflecting on the passing of Tony Gwynn, the Pats’ retiring the jersey number of former longtime Pats’ manager Sparky Lyle, a piece on newly-signed Somerset infielder and former big leaguer Brian Barden reflecting on his Olympic experience, and a piece on former big leaguer and current Somerset pitcher Matt Maloney.

York: York Daily Record freelancer Colin Snyder wrote a terrific piece on longtime Revs’ pitcher Corey Thurman returning to the team after the death of Thurman’s father, Kelvin. In the spirit of Father’s Day, YDR reporter Frank Bodani penned a wonderful column on Revs’ reliever and former big league pitcher Mark Hendrickson, giving more insight into Hendrickson’s life growing up without a father, who died when Hendrickson was an infant.

Now on to the transactions….

BRIDGEPORT BLUEFISH:

Signed: RHP Kyle McMillen

Released: RHP TyRelle Harris

Trade(s): Acquried INF Austin Gallagher from Rockford (Frontier League)

The case of McMillen, 24, is a curious one. The 6-foot-1 right-hander was a fourth-round draft pick of the Chicago White Sox out of Kent State University in 2011. He pitched in just two games in 2011 with the White Sox rookie ball club then missed all of the 2012 season with an elbow injury. He returned to action in 2013 and struggled in 14 games at the rookie ball level and single-A level. The Ohio native then earned a roster spot with Bridgeport out of spring training earlier this year but has been on the inactive list until now.

Gallagher, 25, is a former Los Angeles Dodgers prospect who hasn’t played above the High Class A level in eight pro seasons. He began this year with the independent Atlantic League’s Lancaster Barnstormers, batting .232 in 25 games before being dealt to Rockford, where he hit just .167 in three games.

Harris was 0-6 with a 6.93 ERA in eights starts this season for Bridgeport.

The Bluefish roster is one below the league max of 25 active players, with 13 of them being former big leaguers.


CAMDEN RIVERSHARKS:

Signed: RHP John Lujan, RHP Jon Lucas

Released: LHP Jay Voss, RHP Scott Gorgen, RHP Rob Semerano, RHP Wynn Pelzer

Lujan, 30, returns to the Atlantic League for the second time in his career but first since 2012, when he accumulated a 4.75 ERA in 54 relief appearances for Camden, striking out 46 and walking 28 in 55 innings of work. The Texas native has appeared in 67 career games at the triple-A level, posting a 3.87 ERA there 86 total innings over two separate seasons with the New York Mets’ triple-A affiliate.

The ‘Sharks roster is now at 27 players (25 active).

LANCASTER BARNSTORMERS:

Player(s) picked up by MLB club(s): RHP Cody Scarpetta (Atlanta Braves, assigned to High Class A Lynchburg)

Signed: OF Ben Francisco, RHP Cory Wade, OF Jamar Walton, RHP Jon Shepard, LHP Brandon Mann

Trade(s): INF Amos Ramon to Sioux City (American Association)

Scarpetta, 25, spent his first five years as a pro working his way up through the minors in the Milwaukee Brewers’ system, topping out double-A, before coming to the Atlantic League this season. The Illinois native and former Brewers’ seventh-round draft pick went 0-2 with a 5.13 ERA in eight starts for Lancaster this season, striking out 37 and walking 24 in 40.1 innings pitched. He has a career 3.91 ERA in 24 starts at the double-A level. Scarpetta is the fourth Lancaster player to get picked up by a big league organization this season.

Francisco, 32, has been playing in the majors the last seven seasons, accumulating a .253 average in 563 big league games from 2007 to 2013, having played for the Cleveland Indians, Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, Houston Astros, Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees. The UCLA product makes his Atlantic League debut with Lancaster.

Wade, 32, made 161 appearances in the majors from 2008 to 2012, seeing action for the L.A. Dodgers and New York Yankees. He has a career 3.64 ERA in 178 innings in the big leagues. The Indiana native makes his Atlantic League debut with Lancaster, coming to the Barnstormers nearly two months after being released by the Royals’ triple-A Omaha affiliate, where he gathered a 6.57 ERA in seven relief appearances this season.

Walton, 28, was a fourth-round draft pick of the Marlins back in 2004. He went to see action in the minors in the systems of the Marlins, Royals and Nationals, but never played above the High-A level. He’s been playing in various independent leagues since 2011 and now makes his Atlantic League debut with Lancaster.

The ‘Stormers’ roster is now at 31 players (at least five are inactive or disabled, so there’s one more player who is likely inactive or on the disabled list that the club has yet to disclose). Eleven players (nine of them active) are former big leaguers.

LONG ISLAND DUCKS:

Signed: RHP Rob Whitenack

Whitenack, 25, was taken in the eighth round of the MLB Draft in 2009 by the Chicago Cubs and went on to reach the Cubs’ double-AA affiliate in 2011. He later joined the Cleveland Indians’ organization and reached double-A Akron in 2013. In 10 career games (nine starts) at the double-A level, Whitenack is 4-2 with a 5.73 ERA. He makes his Atlantic League debut with the Ducks.

Long Island’s roster is now at 28 players (25 active).

SOMERSET PATRIOTS:

Player(s) picked up by MLB club(s): Philadelphia Phillies signed UTL Nate Spears

Signed: LHP Matt Maloney, OF Mike Wilson, INF Brian Barden

Released: OF Robbie Widlansky

Spears, 27, played in seven career games in the majors (three in 2011 and four in 2012) with the Boston Red Sox. In 37 games for Somerset this season, Spears batted .248 with four homers, one triple and six doubles while tallying 21 runs scored and 21 RBIs. The Phillies assigned him to triple-A Lehigh Valley. It marks his first time playing in the Phils’ organization. Somerset holds the Atlantic League lead for players signed by big league organizations (six) this season.

Maloney, 30, is a former big leaguer who began the 2014 season with Somerset, going 2-1 with a 2.79 ERA in five starts with 19 strikeouts and seven walks over 29 innings pitched, before getting picked up by the Cincinnati Reds and assigned to triple-A Louisville on May 21. In two starts for Louisville, Maloney gave up 16 runs (12 earned) over 6.2 innings combined. Louisville released him June 2. The left-hander has pitched in 31 career games (11 starts) in the majors from 2009 to 2012 for the Reds and Minnesota Twins, going 5-9 with a 5.67 ERA.

Wilson, 30, is also a former big leaguer who comes to Somerset shortly after being released by Louisville, where he batted .205 in 29 games to start this season before being cut May 17. Wilson played in eight games in the big leagues with the Seattle Mariners in 2008, going 4-for-27 (.148) with a double. He makes his Atlantic League debut with Somerset.

Barden, 33, has seen action in 119 career games in the majors, posting a .211 batting average from 2007 to 2010, playing for the Arizona Diamondbacks, St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins. He spent all of last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers’ triple-A Albuquerque affiliate, hitting .277 in 123 games. He has a career .295 batting average in 844 games at the triple-A level. The Oregon State University product makes his Atlantic League debut with Somerset.

The Pats’ roster is now at 27 players (25 active) and includes eight former major leaguers.

SOUTHERN MARYLAND BLUE CRABS:

Player(s) picked up by MLB club(s): Rockies signed RHP Brian Grening

Signed: INF Angel Chavez, LHP Brian Burres, RHP Joe Gannon, 1B Luke Murton, C Juan Medina

Released: C Johnny Bowden, OF Ollie Linton

Burres, 33, had pitched in 106 games (56 starts) in the majors from 2006 to 2011, seeing action with the Baltimore Orioles, Toronto Blue Jays and Pittsburgh Pirates. He has a career 18-25 record and 5.76 ERA in 358 innings pitched in the big leagues. He made his Atlantic League debut this season with Southern Maryland, going 0-1 with a 10.28 ERA in two starts, surrendering nine runs (eight earned) in seven combined innings. The Rockies assigned Burres to triple-A Colorado Springs. Grening is the first Southern Maryland player to get picked up by a big league organization this season.

Chavez, 32, played in 10 big leagues games in 2005 with the San Francisco Giants. The Panama native spent each of the last two seasons competing in the Mexican League. He last played in affiliated minor league ball in 2010. He returns to the Atlantic League for the first time in three years after having played for Bridgeport back in 2011, when he batted .254 in 90 games.

The Crabs’ roster is now at 34 players (24 active) and includes four active players with big league time.

SUGAR LAND SKEETERS:

Signed: SS Taylor Harbin

Released: INF Alex Nunez

Harbin, 28, might be the best defensive fielding infielder currently playing in the Atlantic League. The Clemson University product is making his Atlantic League debut with Sugar Land this season shortly after being released by the Miami Marlins’ triple-A New Orleans affiliate, where he batted .133 in 14 games this year. He’s a career .270 hitter in 264 games at the triple-A level. His best year at triple-A came two seasons ago, when he gathered a .308 batting average in 127 games with the D’Backs’ triple-A Reno affiliate in 2012.

The Skeeters’ roster is now at 29 players (25 active).

YORK REVOLUTION:

Signed: LHP Logan Williamson, RHP Shawn Hedrick

Released: RHP Shawn Hedrick, OF Ruddy Yan

York will be Williamson’s fourth club this season, having pitched poorly already this year in the Mexican League, independent American Association and independent United League. He returns to the Atlantic League for the second year in a row, having gone 5-3 with a 3.66 ERA in 31 games (12 starts) in his Atlantic League debut a year ago with Southern Maryland, when he struck out 47 and walked 30 in 76.1 total innings.

The Revs’ roster is now at 26 players (24 active).

Previous Atlantic League news,transactions posts.

Reach John Walk at jwalk5030@gmail.com. Check out more of his work at http://johnwalk.pressfolios.com/ and follow him on Twitter @YorkSportsGuy

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of MLBDD's writers or editors.

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