Bocock, Burriss, McBryde Invited to MLB Spring Training Camp
January 12, 2008 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Augusta GreenJackets News Release
Augusta, GA - This spring, three GreenJackets from the 2007 roster will be heading to a different kind of baseball camp. Infielders Brian Bocock and Emmanuel Burriss along with outfielder Mike McBryde are all heading to Major League Spring Training. The three are part of a group of 15 non-roster invitees the Giants have asked to participate in MLB Spring Training.
All three players spent time with the GreenJackets in 2007 with McBryde being the only one to have spent the entire season with Augusta. Bocock began the season with Augusta before being promoted to High-A San Jose while Burriss started at San Jose then was moved to Augusta.
Bocock played in 39 games for Augusta and batted .292 with a home run and 20 RBIs. The shortstop left his mark in Augusta though by stealing 26 bases over his 39 games played and at one point led all of Minor League Baseball before his promotion. Among his highlights include four stolen bases in one night on April 24th. He was recognized as one of the top young talents in the Giants organization when he was selected to play in the MLB Futures Game at At&T Park in San Francisco.
The 22-year-old finished the season with a combined average of .243 between Augusta and San Jose while driving in 57. Bocock also had 41 stolen bases, 28 doubles, four triples and five home runs. No home run was more important though than his three-run homer that came in Game 5 of the California League Championship series to give the Giants a 5-1 lead on their way to a 7-1 win and a League Championship.
While Burriss may have started the season slow in San Jose, he finished red hot in Augusta batting .321 over 89 games while driving in 38. The speedster also swiped 51 bags in Augusta, third most in the South Atlantic League and just four off the leader. Burriss had a 12 game hit streak at one point during the season and over the streak had eight multi-hit games. Nine times he collected three hits or more in a game and on June 22 he collected five hits in a single game.
Burriss' strong finish has him ranked as the 10th-best prospect in the Giants organization entering the 2008 season. His combined stats between San Jose and Augusta in 2007 include 68 stolen bases and a .278 batting average. The 23-year-old was the 33rd overall pick in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft and finished the 2007 season batting .365 in 17 games for Scottsdale in the Arizona Fall League.
McBryde spent the entire 2007 season in Augusta patrolling centerfield. Entering his third professional season in 2008, McBryde batted .276 for Augusta and drove in 61 runs. Rated as one of the fastest in the Giants organization, McBryde's speed was evident in the outfield. The 23-year-old finished with just 14 steals in 2007 though, but he was only caught twice.
McBryde finished the season tied for most triples on the team with four and also collected 17 doubles through 119 games. Drafted in the fifth round of the 2006 draft, McBryde's biggest day in 2007 was on June 22 at Greensboro where he connected for a grand slam in the 11th inning and finished the game 3-for-6 and six RBIs.
Among the 15 non-roster invitees, other former GreenJackets include catcher Steve Holm (2005) along with outfielders Ben Copeland (2006) and Brian Horwitz (2005).
The GreenJackets will open the 2008 season at home on Thursday, April 3 with a four game series against Greensboro. The home stand will finish on Sunday, April 6; one day before The Masters first practice round will begin. It is the first time since the 2003 season that the GreenJackets will open at home before The Masters.
Season seat packages start as low as $55.00 per seat. For more information on season seats call the GreenJackets at 706-736-7889 or visit www.greenjacketsbaseball.com.
• Discuss this story on the South Atlantic League message board...
South Atlantic League Stories from January 12, 2008
- Bocock, Burriss, McBryde Invited to MLB Spring Training Camp - Augusta GreenJackets
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.
