|
|
Eric Williams Big Bend Cowboys - Continental League
|
|
|
| Eric Williams was a member of the 2007 Westerner team is from Carmel, NY and is currently an instructor at Frozen Ropes in Danbury one of the Danbury Westerners partners. |
Center Fielder Eric Williams reached base in every single game in 2009, including the playoffs, and led the CBL in multiple offensive categories all season long. Eric compiled a .365 Batting Average- 1st in CBL (.364 at home and .368 on the road), a .547 On Base Percentage- 1st in CBL, 72 Hits- 1st in CBL, 73 Walks- 1st in CBL, 63 Runs Scored- 1st in CBL, and 22 Stolen Bases- 4th in CBL during his 58 games played in the regular season. Catcher and Designated Hitter |
Big Bend Coyboys |
| |
Mike Tarsi Fort Myers Miracle - Minnesota Twins - Florida State - A
|
 |
Danbury native played for Uconn and the Westerners in 2005
Twins' 12th-round pick in 2007 First-Year Player Draft ... attended the University of Connecticut ... led team with 64 strikeouts his junior year.
Named Midwest League Pitcher of the Week on June 22, 2009 with Beloit Snappers.
Graduated to Advanced A Fort Myers in 2009
|
| Ft Myers Miracle |
| |
| Joe Thatcher San Diego Pardres - MLB |
 |
Indiana native played for Indiana State and the Westerners in 2000
2005 Signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Milwaukee Brewers.
Traded from the Brewers by the Padres in 2007.
Pitched for the Padres and Portland in 2009
|
| San Diego Padres |
| |
Cory Riordan Modesto Nuts - Colorado Rockies - Advanced A
|
|
 |
|
Killingworth, CT native Fordham graduate played for Dannbury in 2005
Top Modesto pitcher in 2009 with a 12 and 7 record in 169 innings pitched. Team leading 134 SOs and 3.93 ERA
|
| Modesto Nuts |
| |
Joe Martinez San Francisco Giants - MLB
|
 |
South Orange, NJ and Boston College standout played for Danbury in 2000
He was drafted in the 12th round of the 2005 amateur draft, and began his professional career that same year. He received a $250,000 signing bonus. He played for the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes in 2005, going 4–3 with a 4.30 ERA in 15 games (13 starts). In 2006, he played for the Augusta Greenjackets, going 15–5 with a 2.99 ERA in 26 starts. For the San Jose Giants in 2007, Martinez went 10–10 with a 4.26 ERA in 28 starts, and in 27 starts with the Connecticut Defenders in 2008 he went 10–10 with a 2.49 ERA.
Debut with San Francisco Giants in April 2009. Finished season with a 3 - 2 record.
|
| San Francisco Giants |
| |
Adam Ottavino Memphis Redbirds - St Louis Cardinals - AAA
|
 |
New York city native and Northeastern hurler played for the Westerners in 2004.
Selected by the Cardinals out of Northeastern University in the first round (30th overall) of the June 2006 First-Year Player Draft...majored in history...selected by the Devil Rays out of Berkeley Carroll High School (Brooklyn, N.Y.) in the 30th round (878th overall) of the June 2003 First-Year Player Draft, but elected to attend Northeastern.
Went 3-7 with a 5.23 ERA in 24 starts with Double-A Springfield of the Texas League ... struck out a season-high eight in six scoreless innings on July 7 ... allowed one run on four hits in seven innings to pick up the win in his last outing of the season on Aug. 30 ... went 3-1 with a 6.17 ERA in eight starts with the Peoria Saguaros of the Arizona Fall League ... won back-to-back starts on Oct. 25 and 31 ... struck out six in four scoreless innings to pick up the win on Nov. 12.
Top strikeout pitcher for the 2009 Champion Redbirds.
Currently on the St Louis Cardinals 40 man roster.
|
| Memphis Redbirds |
| |
| Jeff Baisley Sacramento River Cats - Oakland Athletics - AAA |
 |
Played for the Danbury Westerners in 2000.
Baisley was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 12th round of the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft out of the University of South Florida. He made his professional debut that year with the Vancouver Canadians. In 2006, playing for the Kane County Cougars, Baisley was selected MVP of the Midwest League. He played in 2007 for the Midland Rockhounds and in 2008 for the Sacramento River Cats. Played on the Oakland Athletics in 2008.
|
| Sacramento River Cats |
| |
| Kyle Suire Brooklyn Cyclones - New York Mets - A |
|
 |
Played for Danbury Westerners in 2007
Made his professional debut at Rookie-level Kingsport. ... Homered in consecutive games and drove in eight runs on July 26-27 at Elizabethton. ... Was named Appalachian League Player of the Week for the period ending July 27. ... Had a six-game RBI streak from July 25-Aug. 1. ... Hit safely in 19 of 21 games from Aug. 3-25 (27-for-90). ... Went 0-for-5 in three games for short-season Brooklyn from Aug. 27-Sept. 5.
Suspended for 2009 season for steroid violations
|
| Brooklyn Cyclones |
| |
| Kevin Rivers AZL Mariners - Seattle Mariners - Arizona Rookie |
 |
On July 22, 2009 Kevin Rivers, who has played for both the Lowell All-Americans (2008) and the Danbury Westerners (2009), added his name as the most recent NECBL Alumnus to sign a professional contract after being invited to a Seattle Mariners try out.
|
| Seattle Minor League Affiliates |
| |
John Mollicone Bolling Green Hot Rods - Tampa Bay Rays - A
|
 |
Bronx, NY native played for the Westerners in 2005
Former Fordham baseball catcher John Mollicone has been settling into his third year in professional baseball quite nicely – the Rhode Island product was recently named the South Atlantic League Player of the Week.
Mollicone had a bit of a sluggish start to the 2009 season with the Bowling Green Hot Rods, a Class A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. He was hitting only .218 with four doubles and nine walks and just one home run earlier in the year. Since then, Mollicone has increased his batting average to a team-high .289 with six doubles, four home runs and 15 RBI.
|
| Tampa Bay Rays |
| |
Matt Joyce Tampa Bay Rays - MLB
|
 |
Played for the Westerners in 2004
Joyce played baseball for Florida Southern College and participated in the 2005 season which saw them win their ninth Division II national championship. While playing for FSC Joyce participated in an exhibition game against the Detroit Tigers in which the teams tied 2–2 after 10 innings. Just days after the final game, Joyce was one of four players from that team selected in the draft; the others were Geoff Strickland, Jeff Howell, and Matthew Mercurio. The Detroit Tigers took Joyce in the 12th round and assigned him to the Oneonta Tigers, where he batted .332 on the year.
In 2006, Joyce moved up to the Single-A West Michigan Whitecaps, where he batted .258 with 11 home runs and 86 RBIs as the Whitecaps captured the Midwest League's championship for the second time in three years.
In 2007 the Tigers moved Joyce up to the Double-A Erie SeaWolves, where he hit .257 but improved his power, hitting 17 home runs. The SeaWolves won their division that year but fell to the Akron Aeros in the playoffs. Joyce, along with fellow outfielder Clete Thomas, was considered a likely future major leaguer.
In 2008, Joyce was one of 21 non-roster invitees to Tigers'. Said Joyce: "Your mind races...You're a step closer to the big leagues. It's a big accomplishment, but you have to take it in stride, have fun with it and not pressure yourself too much." In mid-March Joyce was part of the first-round of spring training cuts and sent to the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens, where he got off to a strong start, batting .299 with five home runs before the Tigers called him up in early May to take Jacque Jones' spot on the roster. In his major league debut, Joyce played right field and batted seventh in the lineup. In his first at bat, he drew a walk but otherwise went hitless on the evening. Joyce hit his first big league home run on May 10, 2008, at home against the New York Yankees. On May 29, Joyce lost his playing time to Marcus Thames and was subsequently sent to Toledo. The Tigers recalled Joyce on June 29 after Magglio Ordóñez went on the disabled list with a pulled oblique.For the season, he batted .270 for Toledo and .252 for the Tigers.
In 2009 he was traded and played for the Tampa Bay Rays. Currently on the Rays 40 man roster.
|
| Tampa Bay Rays |
| |
| Jordan Newton Lakeland Flying Tigers - Detroit Tigers - A |
 |
Played for Danbury Westerners 2004
Selected by the Tigers in the sixth round of the 2006 draft.
Batted .269 in 37 games and committed just one error behind the plate with the Whitecaps last season. Newton replaced injured James Skelton late in the regular season last year and was behind the plate during the Whitecaps' run to the Midwest League title.
|
| Lakeland Flying Tigers |
|
