Normal CornBelters Sign Former Texas Rangers Prospect
Published on April 15, 2013 under Frontier League (FL)
Normal CornBelters News Release
Normal, IL - The Normal CornBelters, presented by Illinois Corn Farmers, signed infielder Santiago Chirino and infielder/outfield Manny Osborne. Chirino spent the past four seasons playing within the Texas Rangers organization. The CornBelters will play their first regular season home game of the 2013 season at The Corn Crib on Tuesday, May 21 at 7 p.m. versus the Windy City Thunderbolts (CEFCU Opening Night).
In 2011 and 2012, Chirino played in a total of 218 games for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Carolina League - Class High A). Last season, he hit .218 with 78 hits, 27 RBI, 27 runs scored and nine doubles. In 2010, he split time with the Spokane Indians (Northwest League -Class Low A) and Arizona League Rangers (Arizona League - Rookie). In 2009, he played for the Dominican Summer League Rangers 2 (Dominican Summer League - Foreign Rookie). He is a career .256 hitter, with 306 hits, 152 runs scored, 124 RBI and 44 doubles in 330 games.
"We're very excited about Santiago coming to Normal," said CornBelters Field Manager, Brooks Carey. "Defensively he can be a game changer. He's also had some good offensive years to add to his value. The middle infield positions are keys to winning baseball games. We think he and Pat McKenna make a great pair ."
In his first professional season (2012), Osborne split time with the Santa Fe Fuego (Pecos League - Independent) and McAllen Thunder (North American League - Independent). He hit .333, with six hits, five RBI and four runs scored in only six games.
"Manny is a big strong kid who has great speed and a big arm from the outfield," said Carey. "After watching him for two days, it was an easy decision to sign him, bring him into camp and watch him challenge for a spot on our roster."
THE NIBLET : The CornBelters are currently seeking host families for the 2013 season. The "Host Family Program" provides players with a home away from home. It enables them to live with a family, couple or individual in the Bloomington-Normal area. It is derived from a variety of factors from a player's standpoint. Such factors include: the difficulty in finding a lease for just several months, the possibility of playing for the CornBelters for a limited time and/or the limited salaries that accompany professional baseball at this level of play. For more information, and a host family application, please visit http://www.normalbaseball.com/host-family/.
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