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Lynx Player Profile: Brian Roberts

April 24, 2003 - International League (IL1)
Ottawa Lynx News Release


By Riley Denver

Brian Roberts moves fast.

Lynx fans have quickly learned that he moves fast around the bases. He leads the team with eight stolen bases, good for third in the International League. He is also tied with Larry Bigbie for the team lead in runs scored, with 13. (stats as of April 23)

But Roberts has also been fast in rising through the ranks of Minor League baseball, a voyage that has him in Ottawa as the Lynx second baseman and leadoff hitter.

That kind of speed led Roberts to back-to-back seasons as the NCAA stolen base king in 1998 and 1999 when he attended the University of South Carolina. That speed also helped him to be drafted in the first round (50th overall) of the 1999 June draft.

Roberts made his Major League debut with the Orioles after tearing through the minors in only two and a half seasons, June 14th 2001. And in typical Brian Roberts fashion, he wasted little time before impressing his new team. Roberts collected his first Major League hit that same day off the New York Mets' Steve Trachsel.

Shortly thereafter, Roberts wrote his name in the Orioles record books, tying the team rookie record for consecutive games with a hit when he put together a 15-game hit streak from June 22 to July 12. He spent the rest of the season in the Majors with Baltimore, playing 75 games in The Show.

He played another 38 games with the Orioles in 2002, before returning to Triple-A Rochester. When the Orioles' affiliation switched over to the Lynx, the road to the Majors suddenly ran through Ottawa.

But what is perhaps the most impressive for Ottawa fans is the speed with which Roberts has gotten out into the community. Roberts was the first Lynx this season to participate in the RBI (Reading Builds Imagination) program. The program encourages kids to read by rewarding them with Lynx tickets.

On April 14th, Roberts went to Dr. F.J. MacDonald Catholic School to read "Bats About Baseball," a book by Jean Little and Claire Mackay, to grade one students. However, Roberts did not rush through the book.

With his natural ability and willingness to contribute to the community, Lynx fans certainly don't want Roberts to speed through town on his way to Baltimore. But when you move as quickly as Roberts, it is very hard to keep him in one place. For more on Brian Roberts and the RBI Program visit us at www.ottawalynx.com.

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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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