28 Former NLers in Winter Ball
November 15, 2002 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Portland Forest Dragons News Release
DURHAM, N.C. - Twenty-eight former Northern Leaguers are playing this winter in professional leagues.
Ten are playing in the Venezuelan Winter League and seven are playing in the Mexican Pacific League. The Puerto Rican League and Dominican League started this month with five and six alumni respectively in each.
Ex-Joliet JackHammer Bubba Smith is leading the entire Mexican Pacific League with 12 homers and 40 RBIs.
Northern Leaguers In Winter Ball
Final Statistics
Name Team League NL Team AB BA HR RBI SB
Rafael Alvarez Occidente Venezuelan Fargo-Moorhead 56 .179 2 4 0
Darryl Brinkley Mexicali Mexican Pacific Winnipeg 102 .382 6 22 9
Ben Candelaria Santurce Puerto Rican St. Paul 33 .242 1 3 0
Cris Colon La Guaira Venezuelan Fargo/Sioux City 23 .174 0 1 0
Lino Connell Oriente Venezuelan Madison 93 .247 3 9 3
Angelo Encarnacion Azucareros Dominican Sioux Falls 36 .194 0 3 0
Julius Matos Mayaguez Puerto Rican Sioux City/TB 35 .314 0 4 0
Warren Newson Obregon Mexican Pacific Winnipeg 106 .198 6 16 0
Carlos Pagan Mayaguez Puerto Rican Gary 2 .500 0 0 0
Luis Raven La Guaira Venezuelan SC/WPG/Lincoln 87 .230 1 8 1
Eduardo Rios Aragua Venezuelan Thunder Bay 89 .348 3 15 0
Raul Rodarte Navojoa Mexican Pacific Fargo-Moorhead 103 .291 2 17 5
Jim Rushford Mayaguez Puerto Rican Schaumburg/Duluth 47 .277 0 6 0
Scott Samuels Mexicali Mexican Pacific Winnipeg 92 .337 5 23 9
Bubba Smith Mexicali Mexican Pacific Joliet 105 .343 12 40 0
Demond Smith Guasave Mexican Pacific Fargo-Moorhead 108 .315 3 11 16
Pitchers
Name Team League NL Team IP ERA W- L- S BB K
Pat Ahearne Caracus Venezuelan Duluth-Superior 28.0 0.96 2- 1- 0 2 19
John Burgos Ponce Puerto Rican St. Paul 13.2 1.98 1- 0- 0 5 9
Nelson Cana Occidente Venezuelan Fargo-Moorhead 10.0 4.50 0- 0- 0 6 7
Mike Garcia Mexicali Mexican Pacific Rochester 12.1 2.92 1- 1- 0 4 16
Isabel Giron Escogido Dominican SP/SF/SC 3.2 9.82 1- 0- 0 3 3
Roberto Giron Estrellas Dominican Duluth-Superior 12.2 3.55 1- 0- 0 5 13
Lindsay Gulin Estrellas Dominican St. Paul 12.1 2.19 1- 0- 1 3 12
Roger Luque Caracus Venezuelan Sioux City 13.1 10.13 0- 1- 0 8 10
Julio Manon Licey Dominican St. Paul 17.1 2.08 0- 2- 0 5 14
Geraldo Padua Azucareros Dominican Winnipeg 9.0 8.00 0- 0- 0 3 4
Hank Thoms Oriente Venezuelan St. Paul 8.1 6.48 0- 1- 0 5 6
Julio Villalon Occidente Venezuelan Duluth-Superior 11.0 8.18 0- 1- 0 9 9
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from November 15, 2002
- Firebirds Sign Ricky Hall to New Deal - Albany/Indiana Firebirds
- McMillen, Crosland Lead Group of Eight Rushing to Chicago - Chicago Rush
- 28 Former NLers in Winter Ball - Portland Forest Dragons
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
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