Caps Add Two Familiar Names For Playoff Push
August 16, 2010 - Golden Baseball League (GBL)
Edmonton Capitals News Release
The Edmonton Capitals added two new players to their roster on Sunday when Golden Baseball League teams were allowed to expand from 22 active players to 25.
But the two players they signed are only new to the team this season, as they both played for the Caps in 2009. Outfielder Kevin House is on his way back to Edmonton to add some depth on the bench, while Sherwood Park native and former Major League pitcher Mike Johnson is back to bolster the bullpen.
The Caps started the day with 24 players on their roster, and that number dropped to 23 when they dealt catcher Josh Tarnow to the Tucson Toros, who are currently in Edmonton for a four-game series. Tarnow played 33 games with the Caps and was batting .245 with four home runs and 16 RBI.
With two spots available on their roster, the Caps went out and signed the veterans House and Johnson. House is a career independent leaguer who was playing for the Northern League's Rockford RiverHawks earlier this season, while Johnson played in the Majors for the Baltimore Orioles and Montreal Expos between 1997 and 2000.
House, 28, played 55 games with the Caps during the 2009 GBL season, hitting .316 with three home runs, 18 RBI and 10 stolen bases. The Memphis, Tennessee native also played for the Edmonton Cracker-Cats during the 2008 GBL season and the 2007 Northern League season.
Johnson, 34, was drafted in 1993 by the Toronto Blue Jays, though he never played for them, and appeared in 81 Major League games in his career, posting a 7-14 record with two saves and a 6.85 ERA.
Since then, he has played in two Summer Olympics (2004, 2008) and the World Baseball Classic (2009) for Canada, competed for pro teams in both Korea and Taiwan, and started the last-ever home game for the Edmonton Trappers during the 2004 season.
He had a stint with Edmonton last season and has since been working for Caps Pitching Coach Mark Randall at the St. Francis Xavier Baseball Academy. In mid-July, Johnson was signed for two games by the Yuma Scorpions, who were in Edmonton playing against the Caps. He scattered 10 hits and three runs with seven strikeouts over 5.2 innings in his July 16 start, which ended up being Yuma's win that ended Edmonton's 13-game winning streak.
The Caps are 12-14 in the second half of the GBL season and play the Toros on Monday and Tuesday at 7 p.m. at TELUS Field. They have Wednesday off before starting a home series against the Calgary Vipers.
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Golden Baseball League Stories from August 16, 2010
- Snakes Score in Six Straight Innings - Calgary Vipers
- Bobblehead Giveaway Friday - Orange County Flyers
- Caps Add Two Familiar Names For Playoff Push - Edmonton Capitals
- Toros Belt Out 14 Hits But Fall To Capitals 11-9 - Tucson Toros
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