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Northern League News and Notes

July 1, 2004 - Northern League (NL) News Release


ENTERING THE STRETCH DRIVE: With 11 days to go in the first half, the races are tight in both the Northern League's North and South Division. The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, who have gone 22-5 since May 31, have a two-game edge in the North over the St. Paul Saints, winners of four straight and eight of ten. The Winnipeg Goldeyes, fresh off a three-game sweep of South Division leader Schaumburg are just three behind Fargo as the two teams begin a big four-game series tonight at Newman Outdoor Field, where the RedHawks are 12-1 in 2004. Winnipeg then plays four at home with St. Paul. The RedHawks and Saints don't face each other again in the first half.

After losing just nine times all season, the Schaumburg Flyers have dropped four in a row but maintain a two-game advantage over the Lincoln Saltdogs as both clubs have gone 5-5 in their last ten games. The South Division showdown will take place in Schaumburg where the Saltdogs and Flyers will play four games, July 5-8.

The first half concludes on Sunday, July 11.

JUNE NUMBERS: A look at the team records and numbers for June:

North Division
Team W-L Team Average Home Runs Team ERA
Fargo-Moorhead 21-5 .293 27 3.22
St. Paul 16-10 .301 26 4.68
Winnipeg 16-10 .299 27 4.63
Sioux Falls 9-18 .273 35 5.87
Sioux City 8-19 .301 11 6.15

South Division
Team W-L Team Average Home Runs Team ERA
Schaumburg 16-10 .302 28 4.41
Lincoln 15-11 .296 21 3.96
Joliet 15-12 .282 39 4.64
Kansas City 11-15 .262 19 5.16
Gary 5-22 .241 12 5.66

INDIVIDUAL PLAUDITS: League leaders for June:
Average: .418, Eddie Pearson, Kansas City
Runs: 31, Joe Mathis, Fargo; Pat Scalabrini, Winnipeg
Hits: 45, Pat Scalabrini, Winnipeg
Doubles: 15, Pat Scalabrini, Winnipeg
Homers: 8, Mario Delgado, Schaumburg
Runs Batted In: 31, Eddie Pearson, Kansas City
Wins: 4, Anthony Boughner, Schaumburg; Brian Mazone, Joliet; Mike Peschel, Fargo
Strikeouts: 44, Brian Mazone, Joliet
Saves: 8, Chris Chavez, St. Paul

ANOTHER PLAYER MOVES ON: The Northern League had its tenth player sale of the first half on Thursday when the Milwaukee Brewers purchased the contract of outfielder Ben Van Iderstine from the Schaumburg Flyers. Van Iderstine leaves as the Northern League's leading hitter with a .400 average, reaching safely by a hit or walk in 36 of his 37 games, including the first 34 of the season. The fourth year pro produced a .537 (22-41) average against lefthanders. This will be Van Iderstine's first stint in affiliated baseball as he joins High Desert in the California League tonight.

He is the third NL player purchased by Milwaukee this season, the second in the last week, joining infielders Troy Farnsworth of Sioux Falls and Wandel Campana of Schaumburg.

WHILE ANOTHER ONE RETURNS: After being sold to the Texas Rangers last Friday, St. Paul infielder Justin Hall returned to the Saints lineup on Tuesday night. Due to a series of circumstances, Hall never appeared in a game for the Rangers organization.

The roster shuffling began at the big league level. The Rangers Eric Young missed several days with a spider bite that the club thought was going to land him on the disabled list. In preparation for that, Texas brought infielder Manny Alexander from Oklahoma to Arlington last Friday. Needing a replacement for Alexander at triple-A, the Rangers purchased Hall's contract. However, Young made a quick recovery, sending Alexander back to Oklahoma without ever being placed on the big league roster. Texas offered Hall a position at class A Stockton but the infielder asked for his release and returned to St. Paul, where he is batting .366, seventh best in the Northern League.

FROM THE BAYOU: Winnipeg has a pair of College World Series veterans, Blair Barbier and Harry Berrios who got a special visit during the Goldeyes series in Lincoln last week. Approximately 30 LSU fans made the drive from Omaha, where the Tigers were playing in the College World Series to Haymarket Park to watch the two LSU alums. Berrios played on the Tigers CWS champs in 1991 and 1993 while Barbier won titles with LSU in 1997 and 2000. The Tigers didn't fare quite as well this year, losing their first two games to be eliminated.

MORE ON BERRIOS: With 34 rbi in 2004, the Winnipeg veteran has moved within one of the Northern League's all-time career rbi mark of 379, held by David Kennedy.

ATTENDANCE MARKS: Two teams set single game home attendance records in the last week. St. Paul established a Midway Stadium mark with 7,158 on June 23 against Sioux City. Kansas City attracted 7,655 on June 26 versus Sioux Falls, a record for Community America Ballpark.

A DIFFERENT CAREER: Former Northern Leaguer Jonathan Aldridge is enjoying great success with his acting career. The former player at Madison (2000) and Sioux City (2001) lives in Los Angeles. He will be appearing in the upcoming movie, Manchurian Candidate, has filmed several episodes of the television show Passions, and is appearing is several national commercials. Aldridge, who played in the Canadian League in 2003 before pursuing an acting career, was selected last week as the 2004 Council of Christian College Outstanding Alumnus.

LEAGUE SHORTS: Kansas City's Eddie Pearson is batting .434 (49-113) with 7 homers and 38 rbi in his last 30 games beginning May 28...The 2003 NL MVP drove in 17 runs in a 6-game span, June 20-26...St. Paul's Tonayne Brown had a 16-game hitting streak, longest in the league this season, from June 7-25...Schaumburg's Geoff McCallum has reached base via a hit or walk in each of his last 32 games beginning May 23...Kansas City (18) and Sioux Falls (17) pitchers combined for 35 strikeouts in a 14-inning game on June 25, a league record for one game...The previous mark of 34 was set on June 19, 1993 between Sioux City (18) and Sioux Falls (16)...Joliet's Brian Mazone had a string of 25.2 consecutive scoreless innings at CanWest Global Park ended with Pat Scalabrini's 6th inning homer on June 25 as Winnipeg defeated the JackHammers, 7-2...Fargo rookie righthander Tony Stavros, signed by the team last week, is planning to pitch for Greece in next month's Summer Olympic Games in Athens...First cousins Carlos (catcher) and Felix (3B) Pagan both homered for Sioux Falls on June 27 versus Lincoln...Gary pitching coach Wally Widelski is currently on his honeymoon after being married on June 26...He'll rejoin the RailCats on July 9...St. Paul is 16-0 when leading after 5 innings and 20-0 when ahead after 8 frames...Winnipeg is 9-4 in one-run games and 5-0 in extra innings.

WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS FOR JUNE 21-27

Player of the Week: DH Eddie Pearson, Kansas City...Batted .500 (10-20) with 3 homers and 14 rbi.

Pitcher of the Week: RH Chris Chavez, St. Paul...Pitched 4 scoreless innings with 4 saves in 4 appearances.

JUNE AWARD WINNERS

Player of the Month: 3B Pat Scalabrini, Winnipeg...Batted .405 with 45 hits, 15 doubles 7 homers, and 25 rbi.

Pitcher of the Month: LH Anthony Boughner, Schaumburg...Was 4-1, 1.77 with 35 strikeouts in 6 starts.

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Northern League Stories from July 1, 2004


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