AtL Southern Maryland Blue Crabs

Halama Heads To MLB Camp With Brewers

Published on November 30, 2009 under Atlantic League (AtL)
Southern Maryland Blue Crabs News Release


Former Southern Maryland Blue Crabs starting pitcher John Halama is one step away from returning to the Major Leagues, where he spent parts of nine seasons during a career entering its 17th season. The Milwaukee Brewers have signed the lefty to a contract that includes an invitation to the Brewers Major League camp in Arizona this upcoming spring training. Halama will be the first former Crab to participate in a Major League spring training.

The invitation comes as no surprise after Halama dominated the Atlantic League's first half two consecutive seasons before finishing the year in Triple-A both years. In 2008, Halama went 4-1 with a 1.91 ERA in eight starts for the Blue Crabs, before signing with the Cleveland Indians and posting an 8-6 record in 16 starts for Buffalo in the International League. At 37, Halama was even more impressive in 2009, splitting his time between the Blue Crabs and the Atlanta Braves organization. Halama posted an 8-1 record with a 1.96 ERA for Southern Maryland, and carried a solid 3.69 ERA in 13 starts for Gwinnett of the International League.

After returning to the Blue Crabs from the Braves for the 2009 Atlantic League Playoffs, Halama departed to winter ball in the Dominican Republic in hopes to earn a Major League opportunity. His stuff was no less dominant in the Dominican, where he posted a 4-2 record with a 1.64 ERA in his first seven starts to catch Milwaukee's eye. The Brewers' manager Ken Macha has managed Halama before in the Majors, in Oakland in 2003.

"I'm really thankful they are giving me an opportunity. The way it was explained to me was that I would come into camp with the chance to win a big league job, so I have to be ready to go. That's all I've ever asked, let me have an opportunity to open up some eyes," said Halama to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.

With a career Major League record of 56-48, Halama made his MLB debut with the Houston Astros in 1998, going 1-1 in six starts. Halama was then sent to the Seattle Mariners in October of that year, as the player to be named later in the trade that sent hurler Randy Johnson from Seattle to Houston before the trade deadline earlier that season. Halama would spend the next four seasons on the Mariners roster, amassing a 41-31 record in 130 appearances and 81 starts from 1999 through 2002.

Through free-agency, Halama would go on to suit up in the big leagues for the Oakland Athletics (2003), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2004), and the Boston Red Sox and Washington Nationals in 2005. Halama's most recent season in the Major Leagues came in 2006, when he went 3-1 in 17 appearances and a start for the Baltimore Orioles.

The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs are a member of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, and play at Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf, Maryland. Single-game tickets and mini-plans are currently on sale for the 2009 season. The Blue Crabs can also help your group fundraise at no risk or up-front cost, by helping you sell hundreds of tickets to exciting Atlantic League baseball. Please call 301-638-9788 or visit www.SOMDBlueCrabs.com for more details and to save your seat at the ballpark today!

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Atlantic League Stories from November 30, 2009


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.

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