CarL1 Wilmington Blue Rocks

Royals Re-sign Two Former Blue Rocks

Published on December 1, 2008 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


KANSAS CITY, MO - The Kansas City Royals have announced the re-signing of two former Wilmington Blue Rocks backstops, Matt Tupman (2004) and Cody Clark (2007). Each has been inked to a minor league contract for 2009. In addition to his minor league deal, Tupman has been invited to Major League Spring Training in Surprise, AZ. Clark was an emergency addition to big league camp last season after his former teammate, Kiel Thibault (2007), was injured in the early stages of Spring Training 2008. Tupman, who received his first taste of the big leagues in 2008, returns to the Royals after recording a pinch-hit single in his only at-bat of 2008 for the big league club. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound left-handed batter hit .229 with four home runs in 81 games for Triple-A Omaha in 2008. The now 29-year old started for the 2004 Blue Crew squad that reached the Mills Cup Championship Series, the most recent Wilmington team to do so. He connected at a .300 clip for the Blue Rocks over 108 games (330 at-bats) with 24 doubles, three homers and 35 RBIs. The Royals selected Tupman in the ninth round of the 2002 June Draft. He played his collegiate baseball at Plymouth State University and the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. Coincidentally, Tupman's lone big league hit came in his first plate appearance when he pinch hit for another former Blue Rock, pitcher Jimmy Gobble (2001).

Clark caught for his hometown Northwest Arkansas Naturals in 2008, hitting .184 with four homers in 40 games. The 27-year old catcher from Conway, AR, originally signed with the Royals as a minor league free agent following the 2006 season. He hit .242 as Wilmington's primary back-up catcher in 2007, belting three home runs and 14 RBIs over 45 games.

Since the modern day inception of the Blue Rocks in 1993, there have been 100 players that have gone from the Riverfront to "The Show." The Blue Rocks open their 2009 season on April 9 against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Atlanta Braves) in South Carolina with the first of an eight-game road trip. Frawley Stadium will see its first game action of the year on April 17 when the Blue Crew kicks off a six-game homestand with a 7:05 p.m. first pitch against the Lynchburg Hillcats (Pittsburgh Pirates).

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