Barnstormers Add Major League Vets
April 5, 2013 - Atlantic League (AtL)
Lancaster Stormers News Release
The Lancaster Barnstormers have signed former Milwaukee Brewers right-handed pitcher Tim Dillard and outfielder Joe Mather, who spent all of 2012 with the Chicago Cubs, to 2013 contracts it was announced today by manager Butch Hobson.
Also signed was infielder Tsuyoshi Takashima, a former college star in Japan, who spent three seasons with the Orix Buffaloes in the Japanese League.
Dillard, 29, is the son of former Major League infielder Steve Dillard, a one-time teammate of Hobson. The right-hander spent a portion of the last four seasons with the Brewers. He has appeared in 73 big league games, all in relief.
The resident of Mississippi has also had some stellar seasons in the minors finishing in the top five in the Class A Florida State League in both wins in ERA for Brevard County in 2005 and repeating the performance the following year with Huntsville in the Class AA Southern League. In 2008, he posted a 1.99 ERA out of the bullpen for Class AAA Nashville and won 11 games for the Sounds in 2009.
Last year, his tenth in the Milwaukee organization, he appeared in 17 games for Nashville and Huntsville.
"Tim can do anything out of the bullpen," said Hobson. "I can use him anywhere from the middle to the back end."
Mather, 30, batted .209 with five homers and 19 RBI in 103 games for the Cubs last season, his fourth campaign in the big leagues. The right-handed hitting outfielder had previously spent time with the St. Louis Cardinals, his original organization, and the Atlanta Braves. Among his 14 career Major League home runs are long balls hit off stars Randy Johnson, Johan Santana and Jake Peavy.
In the minors, he belted 48 home runs in 193 games between 2007 and 2008.
"Mather gives us another right-handed power bat in the lineup," said Hobson. "He is a good athlete and a very good outfielder who can move in and play third base."
Takashima, 26, was the fourth round pick of the Orix Buffaloes in 2009. He had represented Japan in the World University Baseball Classic the preceding year. He spent three seasons in the Buffaloes organization. He first came to the United States to play in the Texas Winter League in 2012-13.
"He is a guy who can play a utility role for us," said Hobson. "We like to continue building a relationship with Japanese baseball, and he is a part of that."
The Lancaster Barnstormers are entering their ninth season as a member of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. Home games are played at Clipper Magazine Stadium in downtown Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Please call 717.509.HITS (4487) or visit LancasterBarnstormers.com for more information.
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