
International League Names Players of the Week
July 27, 2015 - International League (IL1) News Release
The International League announced today that Norfolk first baseman Christian Walker and Buffalo pitcher Randy Wolf have been named the League's Batter and Pitcher of the Week for the period from July 20-Â26.  Walker is the second member of the Tides to claim a weekly award this season, joining pitcher Chris Jones (June 8-Â14), while Wolf is the third Bisons player to be so honored following Chris Colabello (April 20-Â26) and Matt Hague (May 18-Â24).  Wolf was also named IL Pitcher of the Week over sixteen years ago with the Scranton/Wilkes-ÂBarre Red Barons (April 8-Â18), marking the longest span between weekly awards since the IL began presenting them in 1985.  The only other players with more than a decade between weekly awards are Russell Branyan (1999 with Buffalo & 2012 with Scranton/WB) and Deion Sanders (1989 with Columbus & 2001 with Louisville).
CHRISTIAN WALKER, Norfolk Tides    IL BATTER OF THE WEEK
Tides first baseman Christian Walker hit .414 over the past week while leading the International League with three homers, 10 RBI, and seven extra-Âbase hits.  Walker collected multiple hits four times while helping Norfolk win six out of seven this week and surge to the top of the IL South Division.  His home run Monday was his second in as many games, and he would add two more before the week was through.  Walker also hit four doubles this week to increase his total on the year to 26, 3rd-Âbest in the IL, and he scored nine more runs to push his season-Âtotal to a team-Âbest 50.  24-Âyear-Âold Christian Walker is in his fourth professional season after being selected by the Orioles in the fourth round of the 2012 draft out of the University of South Carolina.  He has appeared in seven games for Baltimore over the past two seasons.  Walker is a native of Norristown, Pennsylvania.
RANDY WOLF, Buffalo Bisons    IL PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Left-Âhanded veteran Randy Wolf picked up two victories this week without allowing a run.  Last Monday in a 7-Â0 victory over Syracuse, Wolf matched a season-Âhigh by going 7.2 innings while setting a new season-Âhigh with nine strikeouts.  He followed that performance by tossing 6.0 more shutout innings Saturday night in a 6-Â0 win at Pawtucket.  Wolf improved his record on the season to 7-Â1 with an ERA of just 2.57, 2nd in the IL only to Gwinnett's Manny Banuelos (currently with Atlanta).  38-Âyear-Âold Randy Wolf was originally drafted by Philadelphia in 1997 and first reached the majors in 1999.  He has appeared in 382 games at the big league level over fifteen seasons with the Phillies, Dodgers, Padres, Astros, Brewers, Orioles, and Marlins.  He was a National League All-ÂStar in 2003.  He missed the 2013 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, then moved between five different organizations in 2014.  He signed with Toronto as a free agent this March.  Wolf is a native of Canoga Park, California.
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