2010 Hot Rods Roster Announced
April 5, 2010 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Bowling Green Hot Rods News Release
Bowling Green, KY - The Bowling Green Hot Rods, Class A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, released their initial roster for the 2010 season. The new team contains four returning members of the 2009 club, and features five players who appear in Baseball America's Top 30 Prospects List in the Rays' organization.
Pitching should once again be the strength of the Hot Rods as they begin their first season in the Midwest League on Thursday night. RHP Shane Dyer is the veteran member of the staff, returning to Bowling Green after pitching on the inaugural Hot Rods' club in 2009. He's joined by four other starters, all who appear in Baseball America's rankings. Right-hander Alex Colome is the highest in the ranks at No. 7 after earning Topps New York-Penn League Player of the Year honors with the Hudson Valley Renegades in 2009. He'll be joined by fellow '09 Renegade starters Kyle Lobstein (No. 11), Wilking Rodriguez (No. 17), and Jason McEachern (No. 25).
The bullpen contains a mix of returning and new pitchers. Righties Jairo De La Rosa and Deivis Mavares are back to Bowling Green after finishing the previous season with the club. They'll be joined by a bevy of young relievers, all of whom pitched for Rookie-level Princeton in 2009.
A trio of catchers will share the duties of handling the Hot Rods' young pitching staff. Mayobanex Acosta and Tomas Francisco are both coming off seasons in which they threw out at least 37% of would-be base-stealers. Mark Thomas turned in a career-high 55 hits with Hudson Valley last season, earning himself a berth in the NYPL All-Star Game.
Another member of the 2009 club returns to lead the infielders for 2010. The versatile Robi Estrada looks to build upon a '09 season during which he set career highs in games, hits, and RBI while with the Hot Rods. He's joined in the middle of the infield by Tyler Bortnick, an NYPL All-Star, Diogenes Luis, and Kyle Spraker.
The corners of the infield will be manned by some of the biggest Hot Rods in the team's brief two-year history. Julio Cedeno, who measures in at 6-3 and 196 pounds, will man third base. Across the diamond, Eli Sonoqui (6-2, 200 pounds) and Ryan Wiegand (6-4, 225) will share the duties at first base.
A young outfield should provide a lot of speed in 2010. Ty Morrison makes the jump to Bowling Green from Princeton. Dustin Biell, Chris Murrill, and Brett Nommenson are headed to Bowling Green after playing for Hudson Valley a year ago. All four outfielders tallied double-digit stolen base totals for their respective 2009 clubs.
The team's first official events will take place at Bowling Green Ballpark on Tuesday, April 6. The Hot Rods will host Media Day from 4-5 PM followed by an exclusive Meet-and-Greet for 5-Year Season Ticket holders and sponsors from 5-6 PM. Media, sponsors, and 5-Year Season Ticket holders are invited to stay for the team's workout beginning at 6:30 PM.
The team begins the new season on Thursday night against the Fort Wayne TinCaps. They return home for Citizens First Opening Day on Sunday, April 11, at 5:05 PM against the Dayton Dragons (Cincinnati Reds). The first 1,000 fans 13 & older will receive an Opening Day T-Shirt courtesy of Citizens First. Gates will open an extra 30 minutes early beginning with season ticket holders at 3 PM, followed by the general public at 3:30 PM. Tickets are going fast so order yours today at 270.901.2121 or www.bghotrods.com.
Midwest League Stories from April 5, 2010
- Hawks Shut Out Notre Dame In Exhibition - South Bend Silver Hawks
- Bees Announce Opening Day Roster - Burlington Bees
- TinCaps Back On The Air In 2010 - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- LumberKings Announce 2010 Opening Day Roster - Clinton LumberKings
- Kane County Cougars Announce 2010 Opening Day Roster - Kane County Cougars
- Cards Top Prospect Headlines Bandits' Opening Day Roster - Quad Cities River Bandits
- Kernels Announce 2010 Opening Day Roster - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Ten Former Kernels On Angels' Opening Day Roster - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Whitecaps' New "Fat Tuesdays" Ticket/Food Combo Offers All-You-Can-Eat Meal for Tuesday Games - West Michigan Whitecaps
- Meet The Team Event Slated For Wednesday - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- 2010 Hot Rods Roster Announced - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- Dragons 2010 Entertainment Highlights - Dayton Dragons
- 2010 Timber Rattlers Unveil Opening Day Roster - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Silver Hawks Announce Opening Day Roster - South Bend Silver Hawks
- Captains Announce 2010 Opening Day Roster - Lake County Captains
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
