Yuma Scorpions Pitcher Gilbert De La Vara Purchased by the Detroit Tigers
July 9, 2010 - Golden Baseball League (GBL) News Release
(San Ramon, CA) The Golden Baseball League is pleased to announce that the Detroit Tigers have purchased the contract of Yuma Scorpions pitcher Gilbert De La Vara. He departed immediately for Toledo where he will join the Tigers' AAA farm club, the Toledo Mud Hens.
De La Vara, 25, was a 15th round pick by the Kansas City Royals in the 2004 draft out of Pima Community Collge in Tucson. The Tucson native rose steadily through the minor league farm system reaching AAA for a few games last year before being released. Used almost exclusively as a reliever and closer as he started just 4 times in 195 games over five years for the Royals, the Scorpions game him a chance to start this season and he excelled. In nine games he rang up a record of 5-1 with a save and posted an E.R.A. of just 2.70 while striking out 43 batters and walking only 18 in eight starts. He capped it off with a complete game six hitter on July 4th as he beat the Tucson Toros 3-2, in Tucson, in front of a record Independence Day crowd of over 9,000 which included scouts from Detroit.
"Gilbert has been incredible for us both on the field and in the clubhouse all season," said Golden Gloves Professonal Baseball owner and president Ricky Smith. "He's a big reason we are in first place right now and he will be sorely missed, but we wish him well with Detroit and expect him to be very successful."
De La Vara is the seventh GBL player this season to be acquired by a major league organization, and the second Yuma Scorpion which leads the league in players moved to MLB.
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