NECBL Hall of Famer Ethier Named to BBWAA Hall of Fame Ballot
Published on January 5, 2023 under New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) News Release
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. - Former Keene SwampBats outfielder and New England Collegiate Baseball League Hall of Famer Andre Ethier was among the players named to the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) Hall of Fame ballot, announced by the National Baseball Hall of Fame on November 21, 2022. Ethier, who spent the summer of 2001 with the SwampBats, had a standout 12-year career with the Los Angeles Dodgers that spanned from his debut in May of 2006 until his final MLB appearance in October of 2017.
A 37th round draft pick of the Oakland Athletics in the 2001 MLB Draft, Ethier instead chose to attend Arizona State University. He spent the summer of 2001 with the SwampBats, who went 24-16 that year and reached the NECBL championship series for the second straight year. He returned to the Arizona State Sun Devils where he morphed into an All-Pac-10 player before again being selected by the A's in the 2003 draft.
During his time in Keene, Ethier appeared in 35 games, batting .227 with five doubles and 16 runs batted in. Inducted in 2010, Ethier is one of 11 members of the NECBL Hall of Fame. He is also one of 35 SwampBats and 207 NECBL alumni to reach Major League Baseball.
In his major league career, which he spent entirely with the Dodgers, Either hit .285 with 162 home runs and 687 RBIs. The lefty outfielder was an MLB All-Star selection in 2010 and 2011, won a Gold Glove Award in 2011, and was a Silver Slugger recipient in 2009.
"Andre Ethier was one of those few world class athletes that passed through Keene's Alumni Field," SwampBats president Kevin Watterson said to the Keene Sentinel after the Dodgers honored him with a retirement ceremony in 2018. "No matter what level, he was a great teammate who carried himself with confidence but displayed humility that endeared him to fans and [his peers,." added Watterson.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2023 will be officially announced on January 24, 2023. Candidates must receive 75% of the votes for selection, and 5% of the votes to remain on the ballot.
The New England Collegiate Baseball League is a wooden bat college summer league that fields teams in all six New England states. Partially funded by Major League Baseball, the New England League started play in 1994 and has sent over 150 alumni to the Major Leagues with nearly 30 alumni taken in the first round of the MLB Draft. For continuing coverage of the NECBL, visit NECBL.com and follow the league on Twitter, Instagram and on Facebook.
New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from January 5, 2023
- Mainers Name Ciavolella 2023 Director of Broadcasting & Media - Sanford Mainers
- NECBL Hall of Famer Ethier Named to BBWAA Hall of Fame Ballot - NECBL
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