Locke Returning to TC

In a surprising move, Jared Locke was released by the Phillies just a couple days short of the end of spring training. I spoke with Locke this afternoon and he will be returning to Traverse City this summer. Locke had a 3.42 ERA in 21 appearances out of the bullpen in 2007, throwing 23.2 innings with 17 walks and 25 strikeouts. He held opponents to a .218 average.

It is exciting to have Jared back in our bullpen, but unfortunate that the Phillies didn't give him more of an opportunity. He is still just 23 years old and I suspect he will get another opportunity to come into spring training with a different team next season.

Release Season

In case you've been wondering why there hasn't been a post on the blog in a while, we've been busy recruiting players that have been released out of spring training. There is about one more week in MLB spring training and approximately 30-40 players per day have been getting released. The process includes checking references, getting scouting reports, and convincing players that your league, team, and ballpark are the best to help them continue their professional career. It is a hectic process, but I have a good feeling about at least 4-5 prospects that I have contacted including a couple starting pitchers, a closer, a shortstop, and maybe even some local Northern Michigan talent.

Keep checking the blog of the next couple of weeks as it will take us a while to get contracts out, signed, and returned even after we receive verbal commitments.

Beach Bums Ink ex-Brewers Prospect JT King

The Traverse City Beach Bums have announced the signing of right-handed pitcher J.T. King to a 2008 contract.  King is 6'2" 210-pounds and a native of Grove, Oklahoma, and attended Northeastern Oklahoma A&M Junior College  He was drafted in the 22nd round of the 2006 MLB draft by the Milwaukee Brewers out of Junior College and spent the past two seasons pitching in their organization.

In 2007, King pitched with the West Virginia Power of the South Atlantic League (as a side note, former Beach Bums Field Manager Jeff Isom will be the new manager of the West Virginia Power in 2008).  For the Power, King had an 8-2 record and 4.67 ERA in 31 appearances, including 2 starts, going 61.2 innings with 26 walks and 34 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .282 average.  In King's two starts he had a 3.24 ERA in 8.1 innings while holding opponents to a .191 average.

King's success at the low-A level should translate very well at the Frontier League level.  LHP Zac Cline, who was an All-Star for Slippery Rock in 2007 with a 10-6 record and 3.10 ERA, had a 5.08 ERA in the South Atlantic League in 2006.

We believe King has All-Star potential as a starting pitcher in our league, and since he was drafted as a sophomore out of Junior College, he is only 23 years old and with some success, stands a good chance of drawing some notice from other MLB organizations.

Stolen Base Specialist Iacono Signs with Beach Bums

The Traverse City Beach Bums added more speed on top of a team that has already gotten a lot faster in the off-season with the signing of outfielder Charles Iacono.  Iacono is a 5'8" 170-pound native of Hamilton, New Jersey, who played the past two seasons at the rookie ball level for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Iacono had a terrific year for the Arizona League Brewers in 2007, drawing 45 walks in only 204 plate appearances for an on-base percentage of .413 despite a .225 batting average - his totals for walks was 2nd best in the league while his on-base percentage was the 5th best mark.  He also took full advantage of the times he got on base, swiping 30 bases and scoring 38 runs in only 47 games.  In two years as a professional baseball, Iacono has stolen 46 bases, drawn 60 walks, and scored 55 runs in just 82 games.  

The signing of Iacono gives us great outfield depth heading into training camp and a lot of options once the season starts.

Beach Bums in the Record Books

Some interesting notes I got while browsing the league records through Tim Perry's Un-official Frontier League History page, which can be found here.

Traverse City Beach Bums' Veteran second basemen, Steve Young, enters the 2008 season tied for 10th all-time in career HBP with 33.   The record is held by John Tavares with 54 career HBP.  Young had 22 HBP in 2006, the 6th highest single-season total in league history, and 11 HBP in an injury shortened 2007.

Beach Bums' Veteran outfielder Jake Whitesides only spent one season in the Frontier League back in 2002 with the Mid-Missouri Mavericks, but his 11 triples he hit that season is still tied for second most in a single-season and he enters 2008 ranked 16th in career triples.  With a similar year to what he had in Mid-Missouri in 2002, Whitesides would move into 2nd all-time behind current Washington Wild Thing, Chris Sidick, who has 28, and will continue to add to that this year as well.

Retired Beach Bums' first basemen Brad Vericker had 70 walks in 2007, which was the 6th highest single-season total in Frontier League history.

Retired Beach Bums' starting pitcher Tony Casoli finished his baseball career with his name all over the Frontier League all-time records including 4th in innings pitched (446.1), 19th in strikeouts (295), 4th in complete games (12), and 5th in wins (27).  The 13 wins he accumulated en route to winning Pitcher of the Year in 2006 is tied for 3rd most in a single-season in Frontier League history.

Beach Bums sign RHP Stephen Read

The Traverse City Beach Bums have announced the signing of right-handed pitcher Stephen Read to a 2008 contract.  The 2008 season will be Read's first as a professional after finishing his college career at the University of Missouri Science and Technology in 2007.

As part of the Aaron Garza trade to Grand Prairie, Beach Bums' field manager Jon Cahill and I were invited down to an open tryout in Texas to take our pick of players that showed up.  The best prospect at that tryout camp was the 6'8" 230-pound Read, who is currently living and working in Texas as a mechanical engineer and playing winter baseball in a league in Mexico.  Read showed quite a bit of life on his fastball at the tryout despite a wind chill that was in the teens (the tryout was in January).  However, Read's best pitch is a split-fingered fastball that he can throw for strikes or bury it in the dirt to get a strikeout.  

His senior season at Missouri S & T, Read threw a single-season record 77 innings with a 3.74 ERA, 10 walks, and 52 strikeouts, which tied another single-season school record.  For his career, Read ranks 1st all-time in innings pitched (234), 3rd in games pitched (57), 2nd in career strikeouts (142), and 8th in ERA (4.93).