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In
only his third professional season, Travis Blackley dominated the Texas
League to earn Player of the Year honors. Blackley was victorious in 17 games, a league high, while leading the San Antonio Missions to their second straight Texas League Championship. Along with his astounding 17-3 record, Travis also sported 2.61 ERA, which was the second lowest in the league this season. The 6-2 lefty had more than twice as many strikeouts [144] than walks [62] and held opponents to a measly .215 batting average in 162 innings pitched. |
Most impressive is that Blackley is unlike most minor or major leaguers in that he's been playing the game for less than five years. A native of Australia, Blackley's brother, who was playing on the Australian Olympic Baseball Team (Something like bobsledding in Jamaica), enticed Blackley into giving baseball a try.
He already has a nasty
curve, but he still may need to develop some velocity on his high 80’s
fastball to be as effective in the majors as he has been in the minors.
The 20-year old Blackley will need to show his stuff can overcome the hitters
in AAA next season if he hopes to land in the Mariner’s rotation in
‘05.
 |
The 21-year old
hit .304 with 13 home runs and 78 RBI while tying for the league lead
in triples (11) and ranking second in the league in runs scored (78). |
Sizemore helped lead
the Aeros to a league best ----- record as well as the 2003 Eastern League
Championship.
Grady added a solo home run for Akron in game three of the Eastern League
Championship Series to help complete a sweep and clinch the Aeros’ first
championship in franchise history.
The 6’2”, 200 lb. slugger was chosen to play for the Southern
Division in the 2003 Eastern League All-Star Game and was also named the MVP
of the 2003 MLB Futures Game.
A football star in high school, Sizemore turned down a gridiron scholarship
to sign with the Expos in the 2000 draft. He was shipped to the Cleveland
organization as part of the Bartolo Colon trade last June.
Grady has the benefit of being a young, hard-working player in an organization
that is depending on its farm system to supply them with bodies.
We expect him to be promoted to AAA in 2004. He could be with the Tribe as
soon as next summer.
 |
Bo may know ESPN. This Hart knows how to turn it on in the Southern League. Corey Hart is
our 2003 Southern League Player of the Year for an exemplary season
that saw him really turn it on down the stretch, leading the Huntsville
Stars to the Southern League Championship Series. The team was only
one win short of a title. |
He finished sixth in
batting average (.302) and third in extra-base hits (54). Additionally, the
six-foot-six third baseman stole 25 bases in 33 attempts.
The 21-year-old Hart was named a Western Division starter in the 2003 Southern
League All-Star Game.
He was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 11th round of the 2000 draft
as a 1st baseman. The Brew crew have a logjam of players at that position,
so the Brewer’s decided to move Hart to 3rd base. That versatility may
prove to be his greatest asset, as good utility guys can usually find a spot
on a major league roster.
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