Arizona Winter League Over, Eddie Dennis signs 8 for Wings

Published on March 1, 2010 under United League Baseball (ULB)
Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings News Release


YUMA, Ariz. - The good news is that Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings field manager Eddie Dennis has signed what he says are eight excellent players from the Arizona Winter League for his 2010 Harlingen-based baseball club.

The bad news is that after the San Luis, Arizona, baseball club made it to the AWL championship game, the Dennis-managed team lost 8-1 to Calgary, Canada, in a rain-shortened contest that ended the winter season.

The San Luis Atleticos, with Dennis at the helm, made it to the championship game of the eight-team premier winter instructional league for pro and aspiring pro players, after defeating the Yuma Scorpions, 8-0, in the semifinals. The Atleticos had finished second in the American Division.

San Luis and Calgary, second in the Canadian Division, each finished their seasons with 13-9 records.

"I will be bringing some very good players to the Valley, led by Houston pitcher Stephen Whalen," Dennis said. "He will be my ace pitcher." Added to that are infielder Toshi Sasa, who will be the first ever Wings player from Japan, and outfielder Dominic DiRocco, of Los Angeles, who batted over.400 in the AWL this year.

It was Whalen who threw just the second shutout in the league season, which was against Yuma, going the distance for the win.

Dennis, who will be in his eighth year with the Wings, seven as field manager, said others signed include:

Pitcher Justin DeVoe, Newton, Iowa;

Pitcher Eric Blackwell, Simi Valley, Calif.;

Catcher Adam Stone, of Greensboro, N.C.;

Infielder Rob McDonald, San Mateo, Calif.; and

Outfielder Kevin Dietrich, Monroe, N.C.

A record 57 players from the AWL were offered professional ball contracts. In four years, the league has had more than 150 players signed to pro contracts, with two now pitching in the major leagues.

However, the WhiteWings are the only ULB club to sign or draft players from the league this year.

Seventeen major league teams had scouts observing the league's games.

The ULB will begin its 2010 season in May. This marks the second consecutive year the league is under the operation of league founders President Byron Pierce and CEO John Bryant.

The Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings are members of the United League Baseball. The other professional ball clubs in the ULB are Edinburg, Laredo, Coastal Bend (Robstown), San Angelo and Amarillo, all of Texas.

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