All-Star indy league infielder to join Outlaws
Published on April 25, 2005 under Golden Baseball League (GBL)
Chico Outlaws News Release
CHICO, CALIF â The Chico Outlaws Monday added an independent league All-Star to its inaugural 2005 roster with the signing of infielder Ryan Lehr (pronounced "Leer") to a one-year contract. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The 26-year-old Lehr comes to Chico after posting the best season of his eight-year pro career. Splitting time between first and third base, Ryan appeared in 92 games for the Central Baseball League champion Edinburg Roadrunners in 2004, hitting .322 with six home runs and driving in a league-high 74 runs. Lehr finished seventh in the CBL batting race and his 119 hits on the year ranked second in the league only to teammate (and former Chico State Wildcat) Ryan Webb. Lehr was the starting third baseman for the CBL in the league's All-Star game last year against the independent Northeast League, and was also named to the CBL's post-season All-Star squad. The Kansas City Royals purchased Ryan's contract from Edinburg in February but was released during spring training.
"We are fortunate to get a player of Ryan's caliber," Outlaws general manager Bob Linscheid said Monday. "When he was let go by the Royals, Ryan decided he wanted to play closer to home, so we went after him. He's a contact hitter with plenty of extra-base pop, but more than that Ryan brings a winning attitude to the ballclub that is sure to rub off on the other Outlaws players."
A southern California native, Lehr broke into pro baseball with Atlanta when the Braves selected the Grossmont High School star in the 8th round of the 1997 amateur draft. He logged four years in the Braves minor league system, then spent time as an Angels, Astros and Orioles farmhand. In 2002 Ryan played for the Western Baseball League's Long Beach Breakers, batting .329 before his contract was purchased by Baltimore, where he finished the season at single-A Delmarva. Lehr was back in the indy ranks the following year, hitting .292 for the Elmira Pioneers of the Northeast League. Last season in Edinburg, Ryan pounded out 33 extra-base hits, piled up 35 multi-hit games and hit safely in 19 consecutive games from June 5-25.
In other Outlaws news, Chico acquired the rights to infielder Jeff Funaro from the Golden Baseball League's Mesa Miners, then dealt Funaro to the Chillicothe Paints of the independent Frontier League to complete an earlier trade. The Outlaws also shipped right-handed pitcher Chad Bowen to the Frontier League's Evansville Otters to complete the January trade that brought pitcher A.J. Ampi and infielder David Trujillo to Chico. The Outlaws finished a busy week by trading infielder Ranger Wiens to the Rockford RiverHawks (Pioneer League) for future consideration.
Golden Baseball League Stories from April 25, 2005
- All-Star indy league infielder to join Outlaws - Chico Outlaws
- Miners to hold free on-field youth clinic - Mesa Miners
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