IL1 Charlotte Knights

Knights 2012 Opening Day Roster Announced

April 5, 2012 - International League (IL1)
Charlotte Knights News Release


(Fort Mill, SC) - The Charlotte Knights, the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, will kick-off the 2012 season tonight and with that have announced their 2012 Opening Day roster. New manager Joel Skinner's club features two of the White Sox Top 10 prospects, as rated by Baseball America, seven players from Chicago's 40-man roster and 13 returning players from the 2011 Knights team.

Leading the way for the Knights is a trio of veteran sluggers including outfielder Conor Jackson, infielder Dan Johnson and infielder Dallas McPherson.

Jackson, 29, was recently signed by the White Sox as a Minor League free agent on March 31. A former first-round pick of the Diamondbacks in 2003, Jackson has spent parts of the last seven seasons in the Majors - six with Arizona. Last season, Jackson split time in the Majors with Oakland and Boston and combined to hit .244 with five home runs and 43 RBIs in 114 games.

McPherson, 31, hit .283 with 20 home runs and 69 RBIs for the Knights last season. The 6'4" North Carolina native tied for fourth in the White Sox organization in home runs a season ago. McPherson is a former Sporting News Minor League Player of the Year (2004) and has 192 home runs at the Minor League level over his career.

Johnson, a native of Minnesota, spent the past two seasons in the Tampa Bay organization and hit a game-tying, pinch hit home run in the ninth inning of the club's September 28 win over the New York Yankees. The win clinched the American League Wild Card for the Rays. Johnson, 32, is no stranger to the International League. In 2010, he hit 30 home runs, won the Triple-A Home Run Derby and at season's end, was named as the International League MVP.

Familiar faces such as outfielder Jordan Danks, infielder/outfielder Jim Gallagher, infielder Tyler Kuhn and catcher Josh Phegley are back with the Knights to begin the new season.

Danks enters the 2012 season ranked as the Best Defensive Outfielder in the White Sox organization by Baseball America. Jordan, the brother of White Sox pitcher John Danks, hit a career-high 14 home runs last season with Charlotte and led the club in triples (6). A defensive whiz, Danks committed just one error last season and won MiLB's Rawlings Gold Glove award.

Gallagher led the Knights last season with 39 doubles and ranked second in the IL in that category. A 2007 seventh-round selection by the White Sox, Gallagher, 26, led all Sox farmhands in walks last season.

Phegley an Indiana native and Indiana University graduate, combined to hit .242 with 25 doubles, two triples, nine home runs, 56 RBI and 52 runs scored in 116 games between Double-A Birmingham and Charlotte last season The 24-year-old catcher combined to throw out 43.2 percent of attempted base stealers last season.

Kuhn, a Kentucky native, hit .297 for the Knights in 23 games last season. A 15th round pick of the White Sox in 2008, Kuhn, 25, hit .341 with one home run, 55 RBIs and 16 stolen bases for Double-A Birmingham last year as well.

Both players that came over from Florida as part of the Ozzie Guillen compensation deal will begin the season in Charlotte. Right-handed pitcher Jhan Marinez and infielder Ozzie Martinez - two of the White Sox top ten prospects, are both on the Knights Opening Day roster.

Marinez, 23, enters the 2012 season ranked as the seventh-best prospect in the White Sox organization by Baseball America. The Dominican native spent the entire 2011 campaign with Double-A Jacksonville and posted a 3-8 record with three saves and a 3.57 ERA. Last season Marinez also represented the Marlins in the MLB All-Star Futures Game.

Martinez, 23, is ranked by Baseball America as Chicago's tenth-best prospect for 2012. Last season, the Puerto Rican native hit .245 in 88 games for Triple-A New Orleans. He appeared in twenty games for the Florida Marlins over two stints last season.

Here is a look at the rest of the Opening Day squad (alphabetical):

RHP Dylan Axelrod returns to Charlotte after appearing in 15 games with the club last season. Axelrod went 6-1 with a 2.27 ERA for the Knights and led all Sox minor leaguers in ERA and strikeouts in 2011.

RHP Brian Bruney returns to the Knights bullpen, where he went 1-0 with a 1.31 ERA and seven saves a season ago. A former 12th-round pick of the Diamondbacks in 2000, Bruney has spent parts of the past eight seasons in the Majors.

RHP Anthony Carter is another returning Knights reliever. The Georgia native appeared in 35 games for the Knights last season. He entered the 2011 season ranked as the tenth-best prospect in the White Sox system by Baseball America.

RHP Terry Doyle was taken by the Minnesota Twins in this year's Rule 5 Draft, but was returned to the White Sox on March 22. Doyle went 7-5 with a 3.24 ERA in 15 games for Double-A Birmingham last season.

C Hector Gimenez was on the Los Angeles Dodgers Opening Day roster a season ago. The Venezuelan native collected his first Major League hit with LA on April 2 last season. The White Sox signed the switch-hitting catcher during the offseason and invited him to spring training as a non-roster invitee.

OF Greg Golson was traded to the White Sox by the Kansas City Royals this offseason and will return to the IL for the third straight year. Golson, 26, spent the past two seasons in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and hit .263 with eight home runs and 33 RBIs last year. He also stole 15 bases.

RHP Deunte Heath is a member of Chicago's 40-man roster and returns to Charlotte for the 2012 season. Heath went 4-7 with a 4.73 ERA in 30 games for the Knights in 2011.

LHP Charlie Leesman, a member of the White Sox 40-man roster, was a Southern League midseason All-Star last season while playing for Birmingham. The Ohio native enjoyed a solid campaign for the Barons and finished among the league leaders in starts (tied for third), wins (tied for fourth) and ERA (tied for tenth). In all, he went 10-7 with a 4.03 ERA in 2011.

INF Ray Olmedo spent the 2011 season with Durham and made 95 appearances at shortstop and 29 at second base. At the plate, the 30-year-old hit .260. For his career, Olmedo has spent parts of five seasons in the Majors.

RHP Brian Omogrosso, a product of Indiana State University, combined to go 1-3 with a 3.03 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 42 games between Charlotte and Double-A Birmingham in 2011. While with Birmingham a season ago, right-handed batters hit just .196 (20-102) against him.

INF Kyle Shelton returns to the Knights after appearing in 14 games with the club a season ago. Shelton graduated from South Mecklenburg High School in Charlotte, NC and is also a graduate of the University of North Carolina.

RHP Charlie Shirek will take the ball tonight as the team's Opening Day starter. Shirek, 26, was originally selected by the White Sox in the 23rd round of the 2007 draft. Last season, the 6'3" right-hander posted a 4-7 record with a 3.87 ERA in 24 games for Double-A Birmingham.

LHP Eric Stults was signed by the White Sox as a free agent on December 1, 2011 and will begin the season in the Knights bullpen. The 32-year-old left-hander posted a 4-4 mark with a 4.63 ERA in 52 games for Triple-A Colorado Springs last season.

LHP Donnie Veal, a member of the White Sox 40-man roster, was signed by the Sox as a free agent back in November of 2011. Veal, 27, spent part of the 2011 season recovering from Tommy John surgery. He worked his way back and combined to go 0-1 with a 4.22 ERA in 19 games between Bradenton (A), Altoona (AA), Indianapolis (AAA), and GCL Pirates (Rookie).

LHP Wes Whisler returns to the Knights for the fifth straight season. The soon-to-be 29-year-old (April 7), has 24 wins for Charlotte over his four-year stint with the team. Last season, Whisler went 3-2 in 13 games for the Knights.

As announced earlier, Joel Skinner will be the manager of the team, with pitching coach Richard Dotson and hitting coach Andy Tomberlin comprising Skinner's staff. Trainer Joe Geck and strength coach Chad Efron return from last year's staff.

Single game tickets for all 2012 Charlotte Knights games, as well as season tickets, are available by phone at (704)-357-8071 (North Carolina), or (803)-548-8050 (South Carolina), online at www.charlotteknights.com, or in person at the Knights Ticket Office. Baseball Fans Wanted... To Salute the Troops!

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