RYAN LANGERHANS HAS RETURNED TO BLUE JAYS A SECOND TIME THIS SEASON, THIS TIME WITH THE MAJOR LEAGUE TEAM

The relationship between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Sugar Land Skeeters (Atlantic League) seems to be something every Independent team would like to have with major league organizations.

Please follow this carefully: Toronto purchased Ryan Langerhans contract from the Atlantic League late this season when it promoted much of Triple-A Buffalo’s outfield to the American League team. Flash forward. When Sugar Land was in the final days of its record-shattering Atlantic League season who shows up in the Skeeters’ lineup but the former major league first baseman. “He was having fun here playing baseball,” Skeeters Manager Gary Gaetti said of the return. So far, the moves can be easily understood, with Langerhans supposedly granted his release from the Blue Jays. Then Sugar Land is ousted from the playoffs, and if you check today’s major league box scores there is the same Langerhans batting seventh, playing first base and going 0-for-4 in Toronto’s 3-2 loss at Baltimore.

“Ryan was the most game-ready of all of them (players considered by Toronto)”, General Manager Alex Anthopoulos told the media. “Lang has been around for a while,” added Manager John Gibbons. “It’s only four days, but he gets to finish the year in the big leagues and has some good service time in. He’s a good solid baseball player.”

Langerhans had years like 2005-06 with Atlanta when he played in a combined 259 games with 15 homers and 70 RBI, but it has been slim pickings in the major leagues for the 33-year-old lefty in recent years with two appearances for the Los Angeles Angels one year ago and 19 with Seattle in ’11. He went .287-5-28 for his 47 regular-season games with the Skeeters, but only hit .200 (2-for-10) in their three consecutive losses to Somerset, NJ in the first round of the playoffs. He was even limited to pinch-hitting duty in the finale.

LEW FORD COULD BE THE HERO

If Long Island, NY can win just one of three games at Somerset this weekend the Ducks will have pulled off a second consecutive shocker in the Atlantic League Championship Series.

The veteran bat of outfielder Lew Ford, who was with Baltimore one year ago and getting ready to face Texas and the New York Yankees in the playoffs, could be the difference. He belted a two-run, sixth inning homer Thursday night to erase a 2-0 deficit, and the Ducks tacked on another run for a 3-2 victory.




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