Eastern League Pitcher-Player of the Week Awards Week Ending August 23rd
August 24, 2009 - Eastern League (EL1) News Release
PORTLAND, ME - The Eastern League is pleased to announce the winners of the Eastern League Player of the Week Award and Eastern League Pitcher of the Week Award for the week ending August 23rd:
New Britain Rock Cats outfielder Brandon Roberts has been named the Eastern League Player of the Week for the week ending August 23rd. The 24-year old had an outstanding week for the Rock Cats, hitting .462 (12-for-26) with one double, one triple, seven runs scored, three RBI, four stolen bases and a .577 slugging percentage while leading the team to a 5-1 record. Roberts, who is a native of Bakersfield, California, had at least one hit in each of the six games he played in last week and scored at least one run in four of those games, including going 3-for-5 with one double, two runs scored and two stolen bases in a 6-3 win over Reading on Friday night at New Britain Stadium. He currently has an eight game hitting streak for the Rock Cats and has reached base in 16 consecutive games.
The 6'0", 185 lb. speedster is currently ranked seventh in the league in stolen bases (19) and is tied for 10th in the league in runs scored (61). Brandon, who stole a team-high 14 bases while hitting .293 with the Rock Cats in 2007, was originally selected by Cincinnati in the seventh round of the 2005 draft out of Cal Poly State University-San Luis Obispo and was acquired by the Minnesota Twins in a trade with the Reds for Juan Castro on June 15, 2006.
Thad Weber, a right-handed starting pitcher for the Erie SeaWolves, is the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for the week ending August 23rd. The 24-year old made one start for the SeaWolves last week and was 1-0 with 10 strikeouts and a 0.00 ERA in nine innings pitched. Weber, who is a native of Lincoln, Nebraska, made history in his only appearance of the week at Jerry Uht Park on Saturday night, throwing a no-hitter in a 16-0 win over the Akron Aeros. He struck out a career-high 10 batters while allowing only two base runners in the game, one on an error and one on a hit by pitch.
It was the first no-hitter by an Erie pitcher since the franchise became a member of the Eastern League in 1999. The no-hitter was the first by a SeaWolves pitcher since Elvis Hernandez tossed one against Oneonta on August 24, 1995 when the franchise was a member of the New York-Penn League. The 6'2", 200 lb. hurler has posted a record of 7-3 with 43 strikeouts and a 3.95 ERA in 12 starts with Erie this season after receiving a promotion from Class-A Lakeland, where he was 4-4 with a 2.13 ERA. Thad, who is 3-0 with a 2.76 ERA in four starts during the month of August, was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 16th round of the 2008 draft out of the University of Nebraska.
• Discuss this story on the Eastern League message board...
Eastern League Stories from August 24, 2009
- Costly errors lead to Baysox demise - Chesapeake Baysox
- Late outburst leads to 3-1 win for Aeros - Akron RubberDucks
- Curve win series finale 7-6 over Bowie - Altoona Curve
- Portland falls to the Senators 6-4 - Portland Sea Dogs
- Trenton falls to New Hampshire, 8-5 - Trenton Thunder
- Gorneault belts 3-run homer in 8-5 win over Trenton - New Hampshire Fisher Cats
- Bowman ropes pair of doubles, B-Mets drop 9-6 decision at Connecticut - Binghamton Rumble Ponies
- Defenders win 9-6, take series 3-1 - Connecticut Defenders
- Rock Cats win 6-3 in front of largest crowd in team history - New Britain Rock Cats
- Thunder Fans Support Mercer Street Friends Food Bank - Trenton Thunder
- Aeros Media Notes - Akron RubberDucks
- Rock Cats to Host Job Fair on Wednesday, September 2nd - New Britain Rock Cats
- Freddy Galvis, Phillies top SS prospect, joins R-Phils - Reading Fightin Phils
- Derrick Loop Added to Sea Dogs Roster - Portland Sea Dogs
- NH Primaries Jersey Auction Mon, Aug. 31 - New Hampshire Fisher Cats
- Eastern League Pitcher-Player of the Week Awards Week Ending August 23rd - EL1
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.
