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11 Former Frontier League Players in MLB Spring Training

February 15, 2013 - Frontier League (FL) News Release


11 former Frontier League players are taking part in Major League spring training workouts beginning this weekend.

Dylan Axelrod is aiming to break camp with the Chicago White Sox after being a mid-season call-up in both 2011 and 2012. Axelrod has a 3-2 record and 4.78 ERA with the White Sox, appearing in 18 games, ten as the starting pitcher, over the past two seasons. A 2009 Frontier League All-Star, Axelrod had a 3-1 record and 2.21 ERA for the Windy City ThunderBolts before having his contract purchased by the White Sox.

Steve Delabar is also preparing for his third Major League season. Delabar was traded from the Seattle Mariners to the Toronto Blue Jays during the 2012 season. In 67 Major League games, he has a 5-4 record and 3.70 ERA with 99 strikeouts in 73 innings. Delabar posted a 2.84 ERA in four games with the Florence Freedom in 2008. His rise to the majors was chronicled by ESPN shortly after his Major League debut in 2011.

Josh Kinney has appeared in 93 big league games for the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox, and Seattle Mariners, including 35 appearances for the Mariners in 2012. He earned a World Series ring with the Cardinals in 2006, making two scoreless appearances during the Fall Classic. Kinney made his professional debut with the River City Rascals in 2011, posting a 1-0 record and 1.71 ERA in three starts before being signed by the Cardinals.

Joe Thatcher is entering his seventh season as a key member of the San Diego Padres bullpen, having appeared in 236 games with a 3.36 ERA and 181 strikeouts in 169 innings. Thatcher pitched with River City in 2004 and the first half of 2005, posting a 6-5 record, ten saves, and a 2.43 ERA in 47 games.

Andrew Werner was acquired by the Oakland Athletics following the 2012 season. Werner made eight starts for the San Diego Padres in 2012, finishing with a 2-3 record and 5.62 ERA. He made his professional debut with the Evansville Otters in 2009, and split the 2010 season between Evansville and Windy City, compiling a 14-7 record and 3.77 ERA in 29 games (23 starts) in the Frontier League. His 11 wins were second best in the Frontier League in 2011.

Justin Christian is in camp with the St. Louis Cardinals as a non-roster invitee. Christian won a World Series ring with the San Francisco Giants in 2012, and has appeared in 76 career games with the Giants and the New York Yankees. Christian made his professional debut with River City in 2003, and was hitting .450 after 30 games when he was signed by the Yankees in 2004.

Brandon Kloess is in camp with the San Diego Padres hoping to make his Major League debut in 2013 after being acquired from the Chicago White Sox in the off-season. Kloess has a 17-11 record with 24 saves and a 2.48 ERA in the minors, including a 3-0 record and 1.61 ERA for the Triple-A Charlotte Knights in 2012. He saw action in three spring training games for the White Sox last year. Kloess was signed by the White Sox after appearing in just three games for Windy City in 2009.

Jim Paduch is attending his first big league training camp with the Tampa Bay Rays. Paduch has a career 55-61 record and 4.57 ERA over 215 games (171 starts) in ten minor league seasons. He made five starts for the Evansville Otters in 2007.

Tanner Roark is also in his first Major League spring training, participating with the Washington Nationals. Roark spent the 2012 season with the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs, making 26 starts with a 4.39 ERA. He spent the winter with the Margarita Bravos of the Venezulean Winter League. Roark made three starts for the Southern Illinois Miners in 2008 before being drafted in the 25th round by the Texas Rangers. The Nationals acquired him during the 2010 season.

Anthony Seratelli is in his fourth Major League spring training with the Kansas City Royals hoping to make his big league debut in 2013. Seratelli hit .299 with 17 home runs and 66 RBI for the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers in 2012. He made his professional debut with Windy City in 2006, hitting .286 in 76 games.

George Sherrill is also in camp with the Royals. Sherrill is one of the most successful Frontier League alumni, having a 19-17 record, 76 saves, and a 3.77 ERA in 442 big league games over nine seasons with the Seattle Mariners, Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Atlanta Braves. Sherrill was a MLB All-Star in 2009 and saw action in six playoff games for the Dodgers that year. He made his professional debut with Evansville in 1999 and set a Frontier League playoff record with 15 strikeouts in game 2 of the 2000 Championship Series.

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Frontier League Stories from February 15, 2013


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