20 NEL Alumni on Opening Day Rosters

Published on April 9, 2003 under Canadian American League (Can-Am) News Release

Twenty former Northeast Leaguers were on opening day rosters of affiliated professional clubs.

Name Pos Team MLB CBL team
Tarrik Brock OF AA-Jacksonville LA Elmira '01
Dave Callahan 1B A-Sarasota BOS New Jersey '02
Chris Cosbey OF AA-Huntsville MIL Brockton '02
Clay Eason RHP AA-Birmingham CHW New Jersey '00
Joey Eischen LHP EXPOS MON Adirondack '99-00
Anton French OF AAA-Pawtucket BOS
Massachusetts & Québec '99, Allentown '00
Bryan Gaal RHP AA-Mobile SD Allentown '99-00
Rob Gandolfo 2B AAA-Tacoma SEA Massachusetts '99
Cipriano Garcia C A-Wisconsin SEA Québec '01
Roberto Giron RHP AAA-Indianapolis MIL Rio Grande '99, Springfield/Ozark '00
Greg Keagle RHP Extended Spring FLA Elmira '00-02
Aric LeClair LHP A-Wilmington KC Albany-Colonie '02
Olivier Lépine C Extended Spring FLA Québec '99-01, Elmira '01
Pedro Quero 3B A-Clinton TEX Elmira '02
Kevin Reinking C A-Lake Elsinore SD Albany-Colonie '01
Guye Senjem C AA-Chattanooga CIN Catskill '00
Ryan Smith C AA-Mobile SD Berkshire & Albany-Colonie '02
Ryan Soules 3B AA-Frisco TEX Allentown '01
Chas Terni SS A-Beloit MIL New Jersey '01-02
Alan Webb LHP AA-Mobile SD New Jersey & Allentown '01

NOTES:

BROCK, who went 2-for-12 in the major leagues for the Chicago Cubs in 2002, hit .265 with nine homers and 47 RBIs in Jacksonville in 2002.

CALLAHAN was the Northern League Championship Series MVP in the Jackals' title run and hit .265 with nine homers and 42 RBIs during the regular season.

COSBEY is the first Brockton player to stick with an affiliate after hitting .300 in 340 at bats for the Rox.

EASON split time between Double-A Birmingham and Triple-A Charlotte in 2002 after winning the Northern League ERA title with Lincoln in 2002.

EISCHEN dominated major league hitters in 2002 with a 6-1 record and 1.34 ERA in 53 2/3 innings in his second season back in the big leagues with Montreal.

FRENCH hit .247 in 85 at bats at Double-A Trenton in 2002 after hitting .353 in 303 at bats for the Sonoma County Crushers of the now-defunct Western League.

GAAL pitched 32 games each in Single-A Lake Elsinore and Double-A Mobile and combined to save 18 games.

GANDOLFO played six games in Triple-A Tacoma in 2002 with 75 in Double-A and 13 in Single-A. He has started 2002 in Tacoma.

GARCIA hit .214 in Single-A last year with three homers and 24 RBIs. GIRON had a 6.75 ERA in 17 1/3 innings in Triple-A last year.

KEAGLE, the former major leaguer with the Detroit Tigers, is scheduled to start the season with the Double-A Carolina Mudcats in the Southern League.

LeCLAIR did not give up a run in 17 1/3 innings at Single-A Burlington and earned a trip to the prestigious Arizona Fall League for top prospects.

LEPINE hit .343 in 108 at bats for Single-A Jamestown of the New York-Penn League in 2002.

QUERO hit .301 with 25 doubles, four triples, 15 homers, 64 RBIs and eight stolen bases for the Pioneers in 2002.

REINKING signed with Albany-Colonie out of school and moved on to the Padres organization where he hit .238 with one homer and 15 RBIs in 147 at bats last year. He played in Single-A Fort Wayne and Double-A Mobile.

SENJEM displayed a power stroke in Single-A Stockton last year, batting .275 with 14 homers and 57 RBIs.

SMITH hit .249 with no homers, 18 RBIs and four stolen bases for two Northeast League teams in 2002 after a four-year stint in the New York Mets organization.

SOULES split 2002 between Single-A Savannah of the South Atlantic League and Single-A Charlotte of the Florida State League.

TERNI set the Northeast League record with 34 doubles in 2002 and batted .298.

WEBB pitched 8 2/3 innings for the Oakland affiliate in Modesto before throwing 95 1/3 innings for Gary of the independent Northern League in 2002.

Canadian American League Stories from April 9, 2003

• 20 NEL Alumni on Opening Day Rosters - Can-Am
• Ambassadors Ink New Pitching Coach - Allentown Ambassadors
• Bears sign four more pitchers - Newark Bears
• Surf and Riversharks to Reschedule Tryouts in AC for April 13 - Atlantic City Surf

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