Vote for Goldschmidt as USA Today Minor League Player of the Year
August 11, 2011 - Southern League (SL1)
Mobile BayBears News Release
MOBILE, Ala. - Former BayBears and recently-promoted Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt is one of five finalists to have the opportunity to be the 2011 USA Today Minor League Player of the Year.
Goldschmidt ripped a BayBears' record 30 home runs this season before his promotion to the big leagues. He also drove in 94 runs to lead the Southern League while falling just three short of another franchise record.
Goldschmidt is still the league's leader with a .435 on-base percentage, a .626 slugging percentage and 82 walks. He was at the top of the league with 84 runs scored and 229 total bases at the time of his call-up. Goldschmidt singled in his first major league at-bat against Giants star right-hander Matt Cain and homered the following night off two-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum.
Goldschmidt was drafted by Arizona in 2009 as an eighth-round selection out of Texas State University. He put on a power display at Missoula in '09 with 18 home runs. He smacked 35 in 2010 with the Visalia Rawhide while claiming California League MVP honors.
Fellow ex-Southern Leaguers Julio Teheran and Matt Moore join Goldschmidt on the list of finalists along with the Angels' Mike Trout and San Diego's Joe Wieland. Past winners include Josh Beckett, Jose Reyes, Josh Hamilton and Prince Fielder.
The first-place BayBears are home tonight in the second of a five-game series against the Mississippi Braves at 7:05. It's a Thirsty Thursday with $1 Buds and Pepsi from 6 to 8 p.m. For tickets, which start at $5 for kids and $7 for adults, please call (251) 479-BEAR or buy online/print at home with www.mobilebaybears.com. You can also follow the BayBears all season long on Facebook and Twitter.
After Greg Sexton lined out to third, Cole Figueroa drew a walk to bring up Henry Wrigley. Wrigley singled home Beckham while Kyeong Kang finished the rally by slamming a three-run homer to make it 6-0.
Shane Dyer (6-7) was solid for 7.1 innings, but he let up a couple of runs in the fourth. Ryan Wheeler stroked a double down the left field line and scored on a three-bagger by Marc Krauss. Krauss crossed the dish when Taylor Harbin lined out to right on a diving catch by Kang.
Montgomery pulled away with three in the bottom of the fifth including a two-run jack from John Shelby. Figueroa added a sac fly in the sixth to put the Biscuits up by eight. The BayBears (67-45, 29-13) rallied briefly in the eighth as Wheeler drew a bases-loaded walk to score Ollie Linton but Krauss punched out and Harbin bounced into a fielder's choice to end the threat.
The BayBears lead in the South Division by 7.5 games over the second-place Biscuits, and the two squads will battle in the fourth of a five-game set on Monday night at 7:05. Right-hander Wes Roemer (8-6) starts for the BayBears against fellow right-hander Alex Colome (1-1).
The BayBears return to Hank Aaron Stadium on Wednesday, August 10 to battle the Mississippi Braves in the start of a five-game series at 7:05. It's a Wine Down Wednesday with $1 Rush Wines available between 6 and 8 p.m. For tickets, which start at $5 for kids and $7 for adults, please call (251) 479-BEAR or visit www.mobilebaybears.com. You can also follow the BayBears all season long on Facebook and Twitter.
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