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Pearson Makes Detroit Opening Day Roster

April 1, 2002 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Portland Forest Dragons News Release


One of eight Northern Leaguers on major league 25-man rosters

DURHAM, N.C. - Former Sioux Falls Canaries and Duluth-Superior Dukes right-handed pitcher Terry Pearson made the Detroit Tigers Opening Day 25-man roster today.

Pearson, 30, from Tuscaloosa Ala., and West Alabama University, earned the spot after coming to spring training as a non-roster invitee. He is the 24th former Northern Leaguer to make it to the major leagues.

The Tigers purchased Pearson's contract from the Dukes after the 2000 season. He posted career-best numbers at Double-A Erie (Penn.) in 2001, going 4-4 with a 2.93 ERA and 23 saves in 61 1-3 innings.

Pearson played his first professional baseball for the Zanesville (Ohio) Greys of the Frontier League in 1995 and 1996. Sioux Falls signed him in 1997 and he went 2-3 with a 4.16 ERA in 62 2-3 innings. At that point, Pearson decided to retire and sell cars in Alabama. But he gave the sport another try three years later with the Canaries and he went 2-2 with a 4.43 ERA in 22 1-3 innings before being traded to Duluth-Superior. He was 2-2 with a 6.64 ERA with the Dukes.

Seven other former Northern League players made 25-man rosters: OF J.D. Drew (St. Louis), OF Kevin Millar (Florida), SS Rey Ordonez (N.Y. Mets), LHP Eddie Oropesa (Arizona), LHP Mike Porzio (Chicago White Sox), LHP Scott Stewart (Montreal) and RHP Jeff Zimmerman (Texas).

Drew, Millar and Ordonez have starting jobs. Oropesa, a non-roster invitee, along with Porzio and Stewart are left-handed relief specialists. Porzio is returning to the big leagues for the only time since he threw 14 2-3 innings for Colorado in 1999. Zimmerman has begun the season on the disabled list with right elbow tendinitis.

Former Sioux Falls and Florida Marlins RHP Chuck Smith was traded last week to Colorado and optioned to Triple-A Colorado Springs. He was 5-5 with a 4.70 ERA and 80 innings in Florida last year.

Considered the pre-eminent independent league in the United States and Canada, the 18-team Northern League has moved more than 400 players to major league organizations since its inception in 1993.

Northern Leaguers on Opening Day rosters:

Name Pos MLB Northern League Team
J.D. Drew OF St. Louis St. Paul Saints ('93)
Kevin Millar OF Florida St. Paul Saints ('93)
Rey Ordonez SS New York (NL) St. Paul Saints ('93)
Eddie Oropesa LHP Arizona St. Paul Saints ('93)
Terry Pearson RHP Detroit Sioux Falls Canaries ('97, '00), Duluth-Superior Dukes ('00)
Mike Porzio LHP Chicago (AL) Sioux City Explorers ('97)
Scott Stewart LHP Montreal St. Paul Saints ('96)
Jeff Zimmerman RHP Texas Winnipeg Goldeyes ('97)

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