Hawke, Brown Return To Saltdogs; Alexander Dealt
March 24, 2010 - American Association (AA)
Lincoln Saltdogs News Release
LINCOLN, NE - The Lincoln Saltdogs on Wednesday retained two more key members of their championship squad, re-signing first baseman Phil Hawke and starting pitcher Tim Brown. Lincoln also traded infielder Steve Alexander to Normal of the Frontier League in exchange for a player to be named later.
Hawke came to Lincoln with a Frontier League MVP award in hand, and proved it wasn't a fluke, hitting.311 with a team-high 12 home runs and 61 RBI. The lefty-hitting slugger earned a spot as the starting first baseman for the North Division in the All-Star Game, and was named the Saltdogs 2009 Player of the Year. In postseason play, Phil drove in six runs, including the go-ahead RBI double in Game Four and a first-inning home run in Game Five of the division series. Hawke also scored what proved to be the decisive run in Game Five of the championship series.
"Phil was the cornerstone of our offense last season," said Saltdogs manager Marty Scott. "He played in every game and gave us the kind of production you expect from the number-three hitter in your lineup. Phil made the adjustment from the Frontier League to our league really well last year, and he should be even more locked in this year. Plus, he's a great defensive first baseman as well."
Brown signed with the Saltdogs in June, after completing his college career at Division II Pittsburg State in Kansas, and quickly asserted himself as one of the better pitchers in the league. The soft-spoken righty moved into the starting rotation after six relief appearances and proved to be dominant, going 4-0 with a 2.14 ERA as a starter. Tim walked a total of just five batters in his seven starts, was named the Saltdogs 2009 Rookie of the Year, and landed on Baseball America's list of top-ten independent baseball prospects.
"Tim just attacks the strike zone," Scott said. "He's not a hard thrower, but his control is excellent, and he can put any of his pitches anywhere he wants to at any time. He won't post huge strikeout numbers, but he keeps the ball down and gets a lot of ground ball outs. It's a shame that a big-league organization didn't bring him in for a look this spring, but we're thrilled to have him back in the rotation."
Alexander played in 79 games for Lincoln in 2009, batting.236 with 11 home runs and 49 RBI. He appeared 64 times as the designated hitter, and also saw playing time at first base, third base and left field.
The Saltdogs expect to announce more signings over the next couple of weeks, including the return of more key players from the 2009 championship squad.
Season Ten of Saltdogs Baseball begins on May 13 in Sioux Falls, with the home opener scheduled for May 25 against Wichita. For more team and ticket information, go to www.saltdogs.com.
American Association Stories from March 24, 2010
- Pels Sign Former Triple-A Pitcher - Pensacola Pelicans
- Wingnuts Formally Announce Separation - Wichita Wingnuts
- Hawke, Brown Return To Saltdogs; Alexander Dealt - Lincoln Saltdogs
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