AtL Lancaster Stormers

Barnstormers Ink Trio of Ex-Big Leaguers

Published on February 10, 2014 under Atlantic League (AtL)
Lancaster Stormers News Release


The Lancaster Barnstormers and manager Butch Hobson continue to build their roster for the 2014 season with the signings of three players who have competed at baseball's highest level in recent years.

Outfielders Brett Carroll and Cole Garner will be joining the Barnstormers for the club's 10th anniversary season along with lefty pitcher Leyson Septimo.

Of the three, Carroll, 31, has logged the most playing time in the Major Leagues, spending part or all of six seasons from 2007-12 in the National League with Florida, Milwaukee and Washington. The right-handed hitter from Knoxville, TN appeared in 180 games over those six seasons, batting .201. His first career home run was a go-ahead three-run blast off multiple Cy Young winner Randy Johnson as the latter pitched for the San Francisco Giants in 2009.

The product of Middle Tennessee State signed with the Marlins in 2004 and put himself into position to play in the big leagues, hitting .314 with 19 homers and 70 RBI in 88 games for Class AAA Albuquerque in 2007. He hit .222 with 13 homers and 38 RBI in 89 games with Class AAA Indianapolis (Pirates) last season, and over a total of 520 games at the Class AAA level has hit .263 with 80 home runs.

Garner, 29, is the only member of the trio to have previous Atlantic League experience, a short stay with Southern Maryland in 2013. The California native appeared in 10 games for the Colorado Rockies in 2011. One of his three RBI came off 2013 Barnstormer Zach Braddock.

The right-handed hitter batted over .300 in three of his seven years in the Rockies' system after signing in 2005. He has more recently played at the Class AAA level for the New York Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers, spending last season in Nashville as well as Southern Maryland.

"Carroll and Garner are good outfielders and both show some great numbers," said Hobson. "They really solidify our outfield corners and are both real quality type players. Both have had great careers and I'm really happy to have them in our outfield."

Septimo, 28, a native of the Dominican Republic, is a converted outfielder who signed with Arizona in 2005. He made the switch to the mound in 2008 and later moved to the White Sox organization in 2011. The southpaw appeared in 21 games for Chicago in 2012, going 0-2 with a 5.02 ERA. He struck out 14 batters in 14.1 innings while allowing only eight hits. That same season, in 24 games for Class AAA Charlotte, Septimo was 2-1 with one save and a 1.31 ERA. He yielded only 16 hits and struck out 43 in 34.1 innings. He returned to Charlotte last year and was 2-1 with a 4.42 ERA.

"Septimo is a power arm left hander," said Hobson. "He pitches with a lot of guts and will be a good power arm lefty for us out of the bullpen."

The Barnstormers now have five players under contract for the 2014 season.

The Lancaster Barnstormers are entering their tenth 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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Atlantic League Stories from February 10, 2014


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