MWL1 Peoria Chiefs

All-Stars Vitters and Carpenter Promoted to Daytona

Published on June 30, 2009 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Peoria Chiefs News Release


PEORIA, IL- The Peoria Chiefs in conjunction with the Chicago Cubs have announced that third-baseman Josh Vitters and starting pitcher Chris Carpenter have been promoted to Class-A Advanced Daytona. In place of Vitters, the Chiefs receive their first 2009 Cubs draftee as 22nd rounder Derrick "D.J." Fitzgerald meets the team for the series in Kane County that begins Tuesday night.

Vitters, the Cubs number one prospect, was a first round draft pick and third overall selection by the Cubs in 2007. He hit a solid .316 with 15 homers and 46 RBI in 70 games this season. He also recorded 12 doubles and scored 42 runs. Vitters broke the Chiefs franchise record for home runs in a calendar month with 12 in the month of May and was consistently in the top of league leaders in home runs, slugging percentage, RBI, batting average and total bases. Vitters hit .386 in May while driving in 27 and scoring 29 runs. He collected three hits in five straight games from May 15-19 and homered in four straight on May 16-19. Vitters homered in back-to-back games in Wisconsin this weekend and hit in all four games to start the second half of the season. He has also been named to the U.S. team for the XM Futures Game which will be played before the MLB All-Star game in St. Louis on Sunday, July 12. The 19-year-old California native played in four games in Peoria in 2008, hitting with three doubles before spending most of the season in Boise hitting .328 in 61 games including five home runs and 37 RBI.

Carpenter, a third round draft pick in 2008, went 4-3 with a 2.44 ERA this season with Chiefs. He struck out 60 and walked 33 in his 15 appearances and was named to the Midwest League All-Star game. Carpenter was 4-1 with a 1.38 ERA in eight home starts while striking out 27 and walking 12. He threw the Chiefs first complete-game shutout since August 2004 when he blanked Quad Cities through seven innings on June 15. Carpenter didn't lose after May 20 and his start on Saturday at Wisconsin was cut short by a rain delay after 4 1/3 shutout innings. He finished his Chiefs stint 3-0 with a 0.95 ERA in five June starts. He spent most of the 2008 season in Boise where he went 4-2 with a 4.22 ERA in his ten appearances. Carpenter struck out 24 in his 32 innings of work as a Hawk. At Kent State University, he was named Mid-American Conference Pitcher of the Year and All-MAC First Team.

"D.J." Fitzgerald, 20, was drafted in the 22nd round three weeks ago out of Dyersburg State Community College in Tennessee. He went 4-for-4 in his professional debut with the Arizona League Cubs on June 21 while scoring two runs. In seven games in the AZL he hit .536 (15-for-28) with one home run, eight RBI, dour doubles, three triples, nine runs scored and two stolen bases. The 680th overall selection in the draft, Fitzgerald predominantly played second base at DSCC and for the Mesa Cubs. In 46 games this season as a redshirt-freshman he hit .340 with ten homers, 13 doubles, 42 RBI and 40 runs scored. Originally from Virginia Beach, VA, Fitzgerald went to Ocean Lakes High School and signed a national letter of intent to Georgia Southern before landing at DSCC.

The Chiefs begin a four-game road series Tuesday at 6:30 pm against the Kane County Cougars. Peoria will return home for the first time in the second half on Saturday July 4 for a ten-game home stand. Marcus Hatley (5-4, 4.60) will take the hill for the Chiefs in the opening game of the series against RH Kenny Smalley for the Cougars.

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Midwest League Stories from June 30, 2009


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