NATIONAL PUBLICATION CALLS BAYBEARS PITCHING ROTATION ?AS GOOD AS ANY IN THE MINOR LEAGUES IN RECENT
MEMORY?
Mobile, Ala.?The Mobile BayBears 2002 starting pitching rotation has been viewed as one of the finest in all of minor league baseball as the start of the
Southern League season approaches. On Tuesday, the rotation got an unexpected addition that caused the editor of a national baseball publication to draw
comparisons to some of the best minor league pitching staffs over the past decade.
On Tuesday, the BayBears major league affiliate, the San Diego Padres, optioned their top pitching prospect, Dennis Tankersley, to the BayBears.
Tankersley, who was named 2001 ?Minor League Baseball Emerging Prospect of the Year? by Sportsticker, will join a starting rotation loaded with other
top-level prospects including Jake Peavy, Ben Howard, and Eric Cyr.
Allan Simpson, Editor of Baseball America, the national trade publication for minor league baseball, feels this group of starting pitchers could emerge as one
for the ages.
?It is certainly as good a starting rotation as any group in minor league baseball in recent memory,? said Simpson. ?These are four of the best prospects in
one of baseball?s most talent-rich organization.? Baseball America rates the Padres farm system as the fourth best among the 30 major league clubs.
In Baseball America?s list of top 10 prospects in the Padres organization, Tankersley is rated as the number one pitching prospect. Peavy is rated second,
while Howard is fourth and Cyr is fifth. Mark Phillips, a 20 year old former first round pick of the Padres, is rated third. ?You could have him before the end of
the season, too,? said Simpson. Phillips is expected to start the year at Single-A Lake Elsinore.
Tankersley, Peavy, Howard, and Cyr combined to post a record of 36-16 last season with a 2.37 earned run average and 628 strikeouts in 502 innings. All
four starters throw well in excess of 90 miles an hour.
The BayBears fifth starter is expected to be either Chris Rojas (10-5 with Lake Elsinore last season) or former first round draft pick Mike Bynum.
Tankersley started last season with Lake Elsinore, where he allowed just three earned runs in nine starts (0.52 ERA). He was promoted to Mobile and
posted a 4-1 record with a 2.07 ERA while limiting opposing batters to a collective batting average of .173. Tankersley made three late season starts at
Triple-A Portland.
The BayBears Southern League opener is April 4th at West Tenn. The home opener is April 12th vs. Jacksonville at Hank Aaron Stadium. Call (251)
479-BEAR (2327) for tickets.
www.mobilebaybears.com
MEMORY?
Mobile, Ala.?The Mobile BayBears 2002 starting pitching rotation has been viewed as one of the finest in all of minor league baseball as the start of the
Southern League season approaches. On Tuesday, the rotation got an unexpected addition that caused the editor of a national baseball publication to draw
comparisons to some of the best minor league pitching staffs over the past decade.
On Tuesday, the BayBears major league affiliate, the San Diego Padres, optioned their top pitching prospect, Dennis Tankersley, to the BayBears.
Tankersley, who was named 2001 ?Minor League Baseball Emerging Prospect of the Year? by Sportsticker, will join a starting rotation loaded with other
top-level prospects including Jake Peavy, Ben Howard, and Eric Cyr.
Allan Simpson, Editor of Baseball America, the national trade publication for minor league baseball, feels this group of starting pitchers could emerge as one
for the ages.
?It is certainly as good a starting rotation as any group in minor league baseball in recent memory,? said Simpson. ?These are four of the best prospects in
one of baseball?s most talent-rich organization.? Baseball America rates the Padres farm system as the fourth best among the 30 major league clubs.
In Baseball America?s list of top 10 prospects in the Padres organization, Tankersley is rated as the number one pitching prospect. Peavy is rated second,
while Howard is fourth and Cyr is fifth. Mark Phillips, a 20 year old former first round pick of the Padres, is rated third. ?You could have him before the end of
the season, too,? said Simpson. Phillips is expected to start the year at Single-A Lake Elsinore.
Tankersley, Peavy, Howard, and Cyr combined to post a record of 36-16 last season with a 2.37 earned run average and 628 strikeouts in 502 innings. All
four starters throw well in excess of 90 miles an hour.
The BayBears fifth starter is expected to be either Chris Rojas (10-5 with Lake Elsinore last season) or former first round draft pick Mike Bynum.
Tankersley started last season with Lake Elsinore, where he allowed just three earned runs in nine starts (0.52 ERA). He was promoted to Mobile and
posted a 4-1 record with a 2.07 ERA while limiting opposing batters to a collective batting average of .173. Tankersley made three late season starts at
Triple-A Portland.
The BayBears Southern League opener is April 4th at West Tenn. The home opener is April 12th vs. Jacksonville at Hank Aaron Stadium. Call (251)
479-BEAR (2327) for tickets.
www.mobilebaybears.com
