Traverse City Beach Bums

Second Half Preview

2008-07-18T07:53:00.000-07:00

Hopefully, I will be a little better in the second half of the season about keeping the blog up to date, but here is a little preview for the second half of the season.

The Beach Bums head into their final 45 games with a whopping 33 home games, leaving only 3 bus trips remaining on the schedule including a 6-game swing to play Gateway and Evansville and 3-game dead-heads against Florence and Chillicothe in August.

Starting today, the Bums will benefit from a 12-game homestand, which includes 6-games against the Midwest Sliders and 3 each against Florence and Chillicothe. With the fortune of a schedule that is loaded with home games in the second half of the season coupled with a strong first half that sits us only a game behind KZOO, who has the best record in the league, we have to feel good about our chances. Speaking of KZOO, some exciting dates, and possible playoff preview, could be the final three games of the season, when the Kings come into Wuerfel Park to close our the regular season schedule.

In other news, former Beach Bums' ace Bryan Rembisz continues to do well with the Anaheim Angels class high-A team in Rancho Cucamonga (the "Quakes"). Rembisz is currently sporting a 4.15 ERA in 8.2 innings of work, striking out 8 and walking only 2. Opponents are hitting just .194 against him. Former Beach Bums catcher Joe Blackburn, who was sold to the Phillies a couple weeks ago, has been assigned to class short season-A Williamsport in the New York-Penn League.

One more bit of news off the rumor mill, whispers around the league indicate that Florence outfielder Angel Molina, who tore up the Frontier League in the first half and was named the All-Star Game MVP, is going to be sold to the Cincinnati Reds in the next couple of days. Good for Angel, but tough for Florence. He will be a hard to replace in the middle of that lineup.

Beach Bums Head to KZOO

2008-06-16T06:24:00.000-07:00

The Beach Bums won the first game of a 3-game home series against Windy City 9-0 behind a Ryan Gehring complete game shutout, but lost the next two games 6-5 and 8-2. However, the squad still heads down to the Kalamazoo today with a 3-game lead and a chance to create some distance between the second place Kings.

After Kalamazoo, the Beach Bums will make the long trip back to Washington, which will be the final three away games against the Wild Things this season. The current road trip is the beginning of 18+ games against East Division teams, and a great opportunity for the Beach Bums to pull away.

Follow the action on 94.3 the Fox FM and check out Tim Calderwood's blog at calderwoodscorner.blogspot.com.

Bums take 2 of 3 vs. Rockford

2008-06-13T08:45:00.000-07:00

The Beach Bums came out on the winning end of two of three straight tough pitching match-ups at Wuerfel Park against the Rockford Riverhawks over the past three days. After dropping the first game 3-0, the Beach Bums won 1-0 in 11 innings and 4-1 yesterday. Outstanding pitching performances from Brett Bostelman and Bryan Rembisz were the highlight, and the bullpen also pitched well - James Ledford, Jared Locke, and Ted Gjeldum all tossed scoreless innings in the series.

Windy City comes into town tonight for a 3-game set after taking 2 of 3 at Kalamazoo. KZOO's losses combined with the Beach Bums' wins have provided a little more space a top the East Division standings as the Beach Bums now enjoy a 3 game lead over the second place Kings.

See you at the park! GO BUMS!

Beach Bums finish road trip 5-1

2008-06-10T11:15:00.001-07:00

The Beach Bums swept Rockford and took 2 of 3 games in Windy City to finish the recent road trip 5-1, bringing the overall record to 13-5, which is tops in the Frontier League as of today. There were a lot of standout performances on the road trip, highlighted by RHP David Nathanson, who won 2 games to improved a league leading 4-0 on the season. He is also currently second in the Frontier League in ERA. Beach Bums' fans can see Nathanson pitch during the current home stand on Saturday.

Other notable performances included OF Mike Goetz and DH Jake Whitesides. Goetz continued to rack up the hits and enters the current homestand as the league leader in batting average, on-base percentage, and hits. What Mike Goetz set up, Jake Whitesides knocked down, adding quite a few RBIs to his league best 26 in only 18 games, which is on pace to break the Frontier League record of 100 RBI on the season.

The Beach Bums' will play the same two teams they played on the road during the current home stand, starting with the Rockford Riverhawks from June 10-12 and the Windy City Thunderbolts from June 13-15. If you're bummed about gas prices, don't miss Thursday's protest at the ballpark, which will drop ticket prices to $4, or the current price of a gallon of gas.

For more Beach Bums blogging, don't miss Tim Calderwood's blog at calderwoodscorner.blogspot.com.

Beach Bums take 2 of 3 versus KZOO

2008-06-01T18:01:00.001-07:00

The Beach Bums dropped Sunday's finale against KZOO, losing 7-3, after winning in the bottom of the 12th inning late Saturday night. The 2 out of 3 series win is the 3rd time the Beach Bums have won a 3-game series in 4 chances this season.

Bryan Rembisz was outstanding on Saturday, but a late Kalamazoo comeback host him the victory, which was picked up by Nick Pepper by throwing a scoreless inning in the 12th. Jeff Brown had the walk-off hit for the Beach Bums after Brad Miller lead off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Damon Lessler.

Several injuries had the Beach Bums playing out of position all over the field on Sunday, but held in the game offensively until Kalamazoo scored single runs in the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th innings to take a 7-3 lead. The Beach Bums rallied in the 9th, loading the bases with 2 outs, but came away empty.

TC heads out on a 6-game road trip after a much needed day off on Monday. The Beach Bums will play three games in both Rockford and Windy City before returning to Wuerfel Park for a 6-game home stand against the same two teams. After the next 12 games, TC won't see either Rockford or Windy City the rest of the season unless it is in the playoffs.

Bums bounce back against KZOO

2008-05-31T11:39:00.000-07:00

After losing two of three in Chillicothe, the Beach Bums bounced back last night against the Kalamazoo Kings with a 5-3 win. The win ties the Bums with the Kings for first place, making the next two games even more important as they struggle for early season control of the division.

Beach Bums' ace Bryan Rembisz (2-0) will go up against KZOO's Jeff Long tonight at Wuerfel Park - game time is 7:05 p.m.

Bums win 2 of 3 in Washington

2008-05-26T20:22:00.000-07:00

The Beach Bums squad just got into Chillicothe tonight for a 3-game set starting tomorrow after winning 2 of 3 games at Washington, which is traditionally a very difficult place to win a game. The Beach Bums won their two games by the scores of 13-3 and 10-2, losing their first game of the season in between those two victories by a 5-1 count.

Mike Goetz came into the series finale hitting .529 and went 4-5 at the plate. He has been nothing short of incredible in the lead-off role for the Bums this season. Brad Roblin was back in the lineup after a day off and had two hits including a double while knocking in 4 runs. Bryan Rembisz got his second win of the season by throwing 6 innings of 2-run baseball. The Beach Bums bullpen looked sharp as Ted Gjeldum, Nick Pepper, and Jared Locke all threw a scoreless inning to seal the win.

The Bums will throw their 2-3-4 combination of Ryan Gehring, David Nathanson, and JT King against Chillicothe before coming home for a three game set against Kalamazoo starting on Friday. Kalamazoo are tied with the Beach Bums atop the East Division standings with a 5-1 mark, so this weekend's series should be a big one. We'll see you at the park! Go BUMS!

Bums beat Wild Things 13-3

2008-05-24T20:10:00.000-07:00

The Beach Bums bus broke down at 4:00 a.m. this morning and we didn't end up getting into Washington until 2:30 p.m., which was just a couple of hours before getting back on the bus to head to the game. But the Beach Bums scored early and often on Washington and the 2007 Frontier League Pitcher of the Year, Aaron Ledbetter, to come away with the 13-3 victory. Jake Whitesides finished with 6 RBI including a 3-run homer off Ledbetter in the 3rd and a bases loaded 3-run double later in the game. Beach Bums' starter JT King went 7 strong innings, allowing just 2 runs.

Brett Bostelman will get the start for the Beach Bums tomorrow against Washington's J.J. Hollenbeck. Hollenbeck pitched very well against the Beach Bums last season, so it should be a tough game, especially as the long bus ride starts to catch up with the squad. Make sure to listen on 94.3 The FOX at 6:45 p.m. tomorrow night as the Beach Bums go for their 5th straight win to start the season. GO BUMS!

Bums Sweep Sliders, 8-0

2008-05-23T20:02:00.000-07:00

The Beach Bums completed the sweep of the Midwest Sliders tonight with a 8-0 victory. The Beach Bums had a great all-around game with several sparkling plays on defense, seven two-hit innings from starter David Nathanson, and several hitters with multi-hit games.

The Bums head out on a 6-day road trip tonight that will start in Washington before heading to Chillicothe. The squad will be back in Traverse City next Friday May 30th for a 3-game set against in-state rival Kalamazoo, who won 2 of 3 against the Florence Freedom in their opening series. It should be a good weekend of baseball next weekend, so make sure to get some tickets and we will see you at the park. GO BUMS!

Beach Bums 4, Sliders 2

2008-05-22T20:14:00.000-07:00

The Beach Bums improved to 2-0 on Thursday night with a 4-2 win over the Midwest Sliders (0-2). The Beach Bums were paced by the play of left fielder Mike Goetz who had three walks and a huge 2-RBI single up the middle in the bottom of the eighth to put the Beach Bums up 4-0. The Beach Bums bullpen made it exciting for the second night in a row, allowing two runs in the ninth, but Nick Pepper earned his first save of the season by striking out Anthony Albano with the bases loaded to end the game. Starting pitcher Ryan Gehring earned the win with 7 one-hit shutout innings.

The weather should be nice for a Friday Night Fireworks show, so come out to the park and see the Beach Bums go for the first series sweep of the season before heading out on a 6-game road trip. See you at the park - GO BUMS!

Bums win on Opening Day

2008-05-21T19:34:00.000-07:00

Opening night was a gut check for the Beach Bums as steady rain and sub-40 degree temperatures dumped down on just over 3,000 poncho covered fans at Wuerfel Park tonight. The Bums came out on top 9-5 after jumping out 9-0 through the first four innings.

The Bums did an outstanding job blocking out the elements defensively, failing to commit a single error even though the rain had been soaking the new turf for over six hours before game time at 7:05 p.m. Bryan Rembisz was spectacular on the mound, battling through six innings while only giving up two runs on two hits.

My hats are off to the Sliders, who surged late in the game to come within four runs after falling behind big, showing the next two games in the series will be a dog fight. Nick Pepper did an excellent job in the ninth inning after sitting in the freezing weather for two straight hours - it's not easy to be that cold and come in and try to throw strikes.

The weather looks much better for tomorrow and we have a great promotion lineup up with Brittany and Bernie from the hit TV show "The Biggest Loser" stopping by to throw out the first pitch and sign autographs. See you at the park - GO BUMS!

Final Cuts Announced

2008-05-19T05:22:00.000-07:00

The Traverse City Beach Bums are now down to 24 players. Below is a short synopsis of each position.

Outfield

The Beach Bums' outfield will consist of Mike Goetz, Mike Epping, Brad Roblin and Jake Whitesides. Whitesides will also see time at DH and 1B. Goetz, Epping, and Roblin all impressed during spring training both defensively and offensively. All four outfielders are speed threats on the bases and Beach Bums' fans can expect a lot of excitement out of this group.

Infield

The Beach Bums infield includes 3B Matt Imwalle, SS Brad Miller, 2B Steve Young, and 1B Kyle Maunus. The Beach Bums' have kept two utility infielders, Jeff Brown and slick fielding Damon Lessler. After a difficult year defensively in 2006, Imwalle impressed the coaching staff at 3rd base this spring, only making one error during two weeks worth of intrasquads. SS Brad Miller will pick up where Justin Holmes led off as one of the best shortstops in the league while late addition Kyle Maunus has been outstanding at 1st base and at the plate during spring training.

Catching

The Beach Bums' will have veteran Patrick Perry along with former Oakland Athletics' farmhand John Brummett behind the plate. Perry was the only catcher selected to the post-season All-Star Team in the CanAm League last season, which is widely considered to be a class double-A caliber independent league. Althought this is Perry's 5th year of professional baseball, he is only an LS-1 by Frontier League standards.

Starting Pitching

The 1-2-3 combination of Bryan Rembisz, Ryan Gehring, and David Nathanson return for the Beach Bums along with newcomers to the rotation JT King and Brett Bostelman. King, a former Brewers prospect, has looked great on the mound this spring while Bostelman, who was in the Beach Bums' bullpen last season, dropped 15 pounds in the off-season and will make the move into the 5th spot in the rotation in 2008.

Bullpen

The Beach Bums' return Matt Dillard, Jeff Williams, Nick Pepper, and Jared Locke from last year's squad along with newcomers Zac Cole, Ted Gjeldum, and Peter McEneaney. Of the seven relievers, only Dillard and the submarining Pepper don't have the ability to hit 90 mph. We have a great group of power arms in the bullpen this year, which should take a lot of pressure off the starting staff.

Opening Day Roster Nearly Set

2008-05-18T09:41:00.000-07:00

With a few days left until opening day at Wuerfel Park, we have cut the squad down to 27 players. All three of the remaining cuts will be positions players including two catchers. As of right now the pitching staff will include starters Bryan Rembisz, Ryan Gehring, David Nathanson, JT King, and Brett Bostelman. The bullpen will consist of righties Matt Dillard, Zac Cole, Jeff Williams, and Nick Pepper with lefties Jared Locke and Ted Gjeldum. The Beach Bums' first round draft pick in the Frontier League Tryout Camp, Peter McEneaney, has also made the squad and will start the season in the bullpen.

The exact order of the rotation has not been announced yet, but I'm assuming we will be able to make that public soon. A list of position players who have made the cut should be available tomorrow or the next day.

Ledbetter, Dickerson Retire

2008-04-25T12:31:00.000-07:00

Two members of the 2007 Traverse City Beach Bums retired suddenly yesterday. 1B/C Curtis Ledbetter, who was expected to be the every day 1st basemen for the Beach Bums in 2008, and outfielder RC Dicerkson both called to announce their intentions to pursue opportunities outside of professional baseball. Ledbetter has accepted a position as the University of Nebraska's Director of Baseball Operations. Both players will be missed for their attitude and ability on and off the field.

The impact of the announcement will have Matt Imwalle come into camp as the every day 1st basemen for the Beach Bums, although outfielder Jake Whitesides could also see some time there.

Beach Bums Deal for Pitchers

2008-04-22T15:10:00.000-07:00

The Traverse City Beach Bums have acquired RHP Shannon Wirth and reacquired RHP David Nathanson from the Joliet Jackhammers of the Frontier League for a player to be named later. Both pitchers are expected to open the season in the Beach Bums' starting rotation.

Nathanson pitched for the Beach Bums in 2007 and was sent to Joliet this off-season in the deal that brought OF Jake Whitesides and SS Tim Hutting to the Beach Bums. Hutting was later traded for INF/DH Matt Imwalle.

Last year for the Beach Bums, Nathanson went 5-2 with a league 6th best 2.95 ERA in 76.1 innings. Over that stretch, Nathanson gave up just 70 hits, 3 home runs, and 11 walks while striking out 42 and holding opponents to a .244 average.

The unknown face for Beach Bums' fans is RHP Shannon Wirth, a 6'0" 215-pound native of Troutdale, Oregon. Wirth helped win the 2006 national title for Lewis & Clark State College, a NAIA powerhouse program, and was drafted in the 32nd round by the Texas Rangers. He pitched 38 innings amongst three different levels in the Rangers organization in 2006, reaching as high as class high-A. In 2007, Wirth pitched for now Joliet manager Wally Backman in South Georgia of the South Coast League. Wirth helped win a title with South Georgia in 2007, going 9-5 with a league 5th best 3.44 ERA in a league 2nd best 107.1 innings. He walked 33, struck out 71, and held opponents to a .265 average.

Beach Bums Ink Goetz

2008-04-22T11:54:00.000-07:00

The Traverse City Beach Bums have signed outfielder Mike Goetz to a 2008 contract.

The 5'11" 190-pound native of Greenfield, Wisconsin, comes to Traverse City with an impressive resume. He was an All-American in both Junior College and at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, where he led the nation with a .493 batting average his senior season while finishing in the top 40 in the county in four other offensive categories.

Goetz was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2006 and spent the rest of the summer tearing up the Arizona League. He led the league with 31 stolen bases while hitting .289 with a .393 on-base percentage. In 2007, he was promoted to the class short season-A Helena Brewers where he was managed by former Beach Bums' manager Jeff Isom. For Helena, Goetz hit .318 with 28 runs, 27 RBI, .462 slugging percentage, and .417 on-base percentage in just 132 at-bats. For his performance, Goetz was rewarded with a brief late-season call-up to the class double-A Huntsville Stars.

3B Smith signs with Bums

2008-04-21T06:10:00.000-07:00

The Beach Bums will announce today the signing of infielder Kenny Smith to a 2008 contract.

Smith was a NCAA DI Second-Team All-American in 2007 for Western Carolina after hitting .390 with 24 doubles, 4 triples, 20 home runs, 84 RBI, 14 SB, 30 BB, and just 28 K. Following the season he was drafted in the 20th round by the Texas Rangers and assigned to the Spokane Indians of the Northwest League. In Spokane, Smith hit .240 in 121 at-bats with 5 doubles, 2 home runs, 16 runs, 12 RBI, 3 stolen bases, and a .319 OBP. Smith's performance earned him a late season call-up to the Clinton Lumberjacks of the Midwest League.

A versatile defender, Smith played all infield positions during his college career, but will probably be used mostly at 3rd base for the Beach Bums. Last year in the Rangers organization, Smith played all 36 games at 3rd base, committing just 4 errors.

Bums sign Shortstop, RHP

2008-04-14T15:04:00.000-07:00

We received two more contracts back today on players that didn't make the today's press release - shortstop Brad Miller and RHP Zac Cole.

Miller was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers out of Cowley County Community College and spent the past two seasons in their organization. Last year he hit .231 with 6 doubles, 2 home runs, and 4 stolen bases in just 117 at-bats at class low-A West Virginia Power. Jeff Isom, who is now the manager of Power, likened Miller's ability to Justin Holmes.

Cole is a hard throwing right-hander that pitched in rookie ball for the Orioles last year, but was recommended to us by a connection in the Diamondbacks system. Reports show Cole throwing consistently in the 91-94 mph range. For the Orioles, Cole threw 12.1 innings with 11 walks, 11 strikeouts, 2 saves, and a 5.86 ERA. Cole is candidate for either starting or relieving. There is also a chance we will turn him into our closer.

Beach Bums Sign Three

2008-04-14T07:44:00.000-07:00

The Beach Bums have announced the signing of three players - LHP Ted Gjeldum, C John Brummett, and UTL Damon Lessler.

Gjeldum is a 6'4" 200-pound hard throwing left-hander who played in 2007 in rookie ball in the Royals system. He finished his first professional season with a 4-1 record, 3.86 ERA, 34.2 IP, 17 BB, 37 K, and a .237 OAV. He tops out at 91-92 mph and we think him and Jared Locke could be the two best bullpen lefties in the Frontier League.

Brummett is a 6'1" 205-pound Iowa native who played the past two seasons in the Oakland Athletics organization. He was signed out of Pittsburg State in 2006 after being named a 1st Team All-American with some gaudy stats - .434 AVG, 9 2B, 13 HR, and 53 RBI in just 46 games. He didn't get many at-bats in the Athletics' system, so he is still considered a rookie by Frontier League standards.

Lessler is a 5'6" 155-pound switch-hitting utility player from Castro Valley, California. He played the 2007 season with the Sioux Falls Canaries of the American Association, where he was teammate with current Beach Bums' infielder Matt Imwalle. He was a role player in Sioux Falls, seeing action in 38 games between 2nd base, shortstop, 3rd base, and designated hitter. His finals stats for 2007 included a .211 AVG, 3 HR, 15 R, and 16 RBI in just 114 at-bats. He has also been working on playing the outfield this off-season.

We still have contracts out on two infielders, an outfielder, and two pitchers. Those announcements should be coming by the end of the week - their contracts should be arriving any day now.

Transactions Preview

2008-04-10T05:39:00.000-07:00

We haven't had much to announce in the past few weeks as we searched the country to fill in the missing pieces to our 2008 squad, but Beach Bums fans can expect several player announcements in the upcoming two weeks. We have found a couple missing pieces to our pitching staff as well as a few infielders and one more outfielder and catcher to bring into spring training. All together, we have very pleased at this point with what we have on paper and we are excited these guys to Traverse City and get the ball rolling.

Fans can expect anywhere from 7-9 more player announcements in the upcoming week. However, we have had several players back out on us this year as their contracts were pending, so I can't say anything more than that at this point until we have their contracts signed and returned.

High School Baseball at Wuerfel Park

2008-04-08T13:25:00.000-07:00

In case you are as hungry for the baseball season as we are here in Traverse City, you can stop by the park on the following dates to catch some high school baseball action. Admission for doubleheaders will be $2 and tournaments will be $5 for an all-day pass. Here is the current schedule:

April 15th - Manton vs. Boyne Falls - doubleheader at 4 p.m.

April 19th - Fan Fest featuring the Frankfort Invitational starting at 9:30 a.m.

Admission to the tournament will be free of charge as one of the Beach Bums' Fan Fest promotions. Traverse Bay Marine will have a boat show in the parking lot, Beach Bums' players, coaches, and mascots will sign autographs, several prizes will be raffled off, and concession will be half price throughout the day. The tournament includes teams from Frankfort, Elk Rapids, Bellaire, and Mason County Eastern.

April 26th - Traverse City St. Francis Invitational - times TBD

Tournament teams include TC St. Francis, Cadillac, Rudyard, and Lake Leelanau St. Mary's. The Rudyard and Lake Leelanau St. Mary game will be a rematch of the 2007 MHSAA State Quarterfinals where Rudyard topped St. Mary by a score of 7-2. The Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association has Rudyard ranked #3 in the state and St. Mary #9 in the 2008 pre-season polls.

May 15th - Elk Rapids vs. Mancelona - doubleheader at 4 p.m.

May 17th - Glen Lake Invitational - times TBD

Tournament teams will include Glen Lake, Pine River, Clare, and Rogers City.

Locke Returning to TC

2008-03-28T15:24:00.000-07:00

In a surprising move, Jared Locke was released by the Phillies just a couple days short of the end of spring training. I spoke with Locke this afternoon and he will be returning to Traverse City this summer. Locke had a 3.42 ERA in 21 appearances out of the bullpen in 2007, throwing 23.2 innings with 17 walks and 25 strikeouts. He held opponents to a .218 average.

It is exciting to have Jared back in our bullpen, but unfortunate that the Phillies didn't give him more of an opportunity. He is still just 23 years old and I suspect he will get another opportunity to come into spring training with a different team next season.

Release Season

2008-03-23T09:18:00.001-07:00

In case you've been wondering why there hasn't been a post on the blog in a while, we've been busy recruiting players that have been released out of spring training. There is about one more week in MLB spring training and approximately 30-40 players per day have been getting released. The process includes checking references, getting scouting reports, and convincing players that your league, team, and ballpark are the best to help them continue their professional career. It is a hectic process, but I have a good feeling about at least 4-5 prospects that I have contacted including a couple starting pitchers, a closer, a shortstop, and maybe even some local Northern Michigan talent.

Keep checking the blog of the next couple of weeks as it will take us a while to get contracts out, signed, and returned even after we receive verbal commitments.

Beach Bums Ink ex-Brewers Prospect JT King

2008-03-14T10:45:00.000-07:00

The Traverse City Beach Bums have announced the signing of right-handed pitcher J.T. King to a 2008 contract. King is 6'2" 210-pounds and a native of Grove, Oklahoma, and attended Northeastern Oklahoma A&M Junior College He was drafted in the 22nd round of the 2006 MLB draft by the Milwaukee Brewers out of Junior College and spent the past two seasons pitching in their organization.

In 2007, King pitched with the West Virginia Power of the South Atlantic League (as a side note, former Beach Bums Field Manager Jeff Isom will be the new manager of the West Virginia Power in 2008). For the Power, King had an 8-2 record and 4.67 ERA in 31 appearances, including 2 starts, going 61.2 innings with 26 walks and 34 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .282 average. In King's two starts he had a 3.24 ERA in 8.1 innings while holding opponents to a .191 average.

King's success at the low-A level should translate very well at the Frontier League level. LHP Zac Cline, who was an All-Star for Slippery Rock in 2007 with a 10-6 record and 3.10 ERA, had a 5.08 ERA in the South Atlantic League in 2006.

We believe King has All-Star potential as a starting pitcher in our league, and since he was drafted as a sophomore out of Junior College, he is only 23 years old and with some success, stands a good chance of drawing some notice from other MLB organizations.

Stolen Base Specialist Iacono Signs with Beach Bums

2008-03-10T15:05:00.000-07:00

The Traverse City Beach Bums added more speed on top of a team that has already gotten a lot faster in the off-season with the signing of outfielder Charles Iacono. Iacono is a 5'8" 170-pound native of Hamilton, New Jersey, who played the past two seasons at the rookie ball level for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Iacono had a terrific year for the Arizona League Brewers in 2007, drawing 45 walks in only 204 plate appearances for an on-base percentage of .413 despite a .225 batting average - his totals for walks was 2nd best in the league while his on-base percentage was the 5th best mark. He also took full advantage of the times he got on base, swiping 30 bases and scoring 38 runs in only 47 games. In two years as a professional baseball, Iacono has stolen 46 bases, drawn 60 walks, and scored 55 runs in just 82 games.

The signing of Iacono gives us great outfield depth heading into training camp and a lot of options once the season starts.