WhiteWings are back, busy schedule ahead

Published on May 15, 2012 under North American League (NAmL)
Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings News Release


The Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings are back and the defending North American League's southern division championshave some busy times ahead.

After holding local tryouts over the past weekend -- in which one player was signed to a contract -- the WhiteWings began official spring training on Tuesday.

Then they will play an exhibition game at Harlingen Field with the McAllen Thunder on Thursday, at a special Kids Day event, beginning at 10:05 a.m. Some 4,000 or more youngsters from the area are expected.

On Saturday, a Rally Around the WhiteWings parade will be held down Jackson Street in downtown Harlingen, beginning at 11 a.m. The 2012 players will ride in vehicles, as will mascot WildWing, then will disembark at A and Jackson Streets, where they will sign autographs and have their pictures taken with fans in the small park there.

Other groups also will participate in the WhiteWings parade.

The WhiteWings open the regular season in Fort Worth against the Cats on May 23, and open their home season on Sunday, May 27 with the Edinburg Roadrunners. They will play a 96-game schedule, with 56 of those games at Harlingen Field.

WhiteWings Field Manager Eddie Dennis signed one player at the tryouts, Andrew Whittington, 24, from Texas City. Whittington, a shortstop, was a standout for Texas City High School and later played for Galveston College, then Southern Arkansas.

He is the fourth Texan to be signed by the Wings, including former Brownsville Porter pitcher Henry Garcia, 21. He led the Cowboys to the playoffs in 2007 and 2008 and was named the Valley Freedom Newspapers (Valley Morning Star, Brownsville Herald and The Monitor of McAllen) the Valley's Most Valuable Baseball Player in 2008. He also was District 32-5A MVP that year, with a 0.47 ERA.

Other Texas players are James Mayes, 25, of Fort Worth, signed by Dennis after the Arizona Winter League; and Jake Henderson, 23, of Beaumont, also signed by Dennis after the AWL.

The WhiteWings also signed pitcher Rafael Albert Reyes, who has 13 years major league experience. He has been selected to be the pitcher at the opening game in Fort Worth.

The Wings defeated the San Angelo Colts for the southern division title in 2011, then lost to the Edmonton, Canada Capitols for the NAL championship.

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North American League Stories from May 15, 2012


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