Monday, July 30, 2012

NEW MAJOR LEAGUE LIFE FOR LEW FORD AND NEW LIFE FOR JARRETT GRUBE

Can anyone imagine how Lew Ford must be feeling today?

After being out of the major leagues since 2007 and playing his first 19 games of this season in the Atlantic League, Ford, who turns 36 in two weeks (August 12), is not only back in the American League but he and his Baltimore Orioles teammates are starting a series against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

That is only an hour or so from Citibank Park in Central Islip, NY where the Long Island Ducks play. The Ducks were Ford's team for those 19 early-season games as well as for parts of the '09 and '11 seasons--183 games in all.

Baltimore summoned the outfielder from Triple-A Norfolk, VA Sunday and played Ford in leftfield in their 6-1 triumph over Oakland. The right-handed hitter went 0-for-3 with a walk, but he earned national television highlight time by throwing out Yoenis Cespedes as the touted rookie tried to stretch a single into a double.

Ford brought a .331 average (80-for-242) with him from Triple-A, including 28 extra-base hits (11 homers) and 40 RBI plus a .390 on-base percentage for 62 games. He hit .272 in 494 games for Minnesota between 2003 and 2007, including 154 and 147 games in back-to-back seasons.

GRUBE GETS A NEW LIFE

Only days after being let go by the Seattle farm system, onetime Southern Maryland (Atlantic League) right-hander Jarrett Grube has been given a new deal in the Los Angeles Angels organization. He has been pitching in Triple-A.

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