Andre Ethier

Andre Ethier played for the Keene Swamp Bats in the summer of 2001.  He was born and raised in Phoenix AZ, he attended Arizona State University in the fall of 2000 and was advised by the coaching staff that he didn't have Division 1 talent and he would do better to play Junior College ball.  So he went to Chandler-Gilbert Community College for a season.  While there he batted .468 and was the teams MVP.  That fall after playing summer ball with the Swamp Bats he re-enrolled at ASU.  He went on to have a stellar college career there and after his Junior year was drafted by the Oakland A's in the second round. 

He was voted the Oakland A's Minor League Player of the year in 2004.  In December of 2005 he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Milton Bradley and Antonio Perez.  The following season he made his Major League debut on may 2 against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the following night he hit his first home run. 

Andre has been a big league regular ever since, making the All Star team last season as a starter, getting over 2.7 million votes.  In 2009 he topped 31 home runs  and 106 RBI's.  I think its' safe to say that he is one of the best position players to ever play in the NECBL.

Brian Wilson...Fear the Beard

The closer for the World Champion San Francisco Giants, not bad for a 24^th round draft pick from Londonderry NH.   Brian attended High School at Londonderry High and was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 30^th round.  He decided to attend Louisiana State University  where he worked as a starting pitcher and the Keene Swamp Bats during the summer.  He was drafted in the 24^th round by the San Francisco Giants.  He quickly worked his way through the minor leagues making his major league in 2007.  In 4 short years Brian has made himself into one or the premier closers in the game.

Sporting a Mohawk haircut and a black beard, Wilson has not only become the most effective closer in baseball, but also one baseball’s true characters.  During the Giants march to the championship, fans would call for Brian with chants of “fear the beard”.   On November 1^st 2010 he was on the mound to close out the World Series, not bad for a New Hampshire guy. 

Best of the NECBL

I was wondering who is the best player to ever play in the NECBL?  So I pulled up the league web site and took a look at the alumni in the Pros.  Four names jumped out at me immediately, Joe Nathan, Andre Ethier, Brian Wilson and Stephen Strasburg.  Today let’s look at the career of Joe Nathan.

Joe Nathan was a shortstop, not a pitcher when he played for the Fairfield Stallions back in 1994.  He didn’t switch to pitcher until he was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 6^th round.  Well kind of, he played his first year in the minor leagues as a shortstop and refused to try pitching.  He left the game and returned to college at Stony Brook for a year and graduated.  He returned to the Giants minor league team the following year as a pitcher.  He worked his way up the ladder to the Major leagues arriving in 1999. 

In November of 2003 he was traded to the Twins and they made him their closer for the start of the 2004 season.  He was the only Twin to make the All Star team that year, striking out Bobby Abreu and Miguel Cabrera in one inning of work.

Joe has been one of the best closers in Baseball year in and year out since.  Every year he has been among the league’s leaders in Saves, ERA and a perennial All Star.  So you may not remember the Fairfield Stallions but I am sure you have heard of Joe Nathan.

Jason Berken Big Leaguer

Jason Berken the ace of the 2003 champion Swampbat team is starting his third season as a Baltimore Oriole.  After a stellar career at Clemson, he was taken in the 6^th round of the 2006 major league draft.  He quickly moved through the farm system and was called up to the big club in May of 2009, beating Toronto in his major league debut.  He struggled for much of the balance of the year and was moved to the bullpen for the 2010 season.  Jason found a home there as the most consistent middle reliever posting a 3.03 ERA before being shut down in mid-August with rotator cuff fraying.  After a winter of rehab and losing 30 pounds Jason is ready for a strong 2011 season in Baltimore.   You just may see him on NESN this summer facing Youk, Big Papi and Pedroia.

A View from the swamp

Well its almost March, so we have about 100 days and counting until opening day!  That sure does sound like a long time, but us hearty New Englanders are used to waiting for things. 

I was looking over some of the College Baseball websites and noticed that one of last years players is getting quite a lot of preseason hype.  Jeremy Baltz out of St. Johns University and last years Swampbat team, is a preseason All American.  That means he is considered one of the 3 best college outfielders.  Being just a sophmore he won't be draft eligable until next year, so I would guess he will either play on the Cape or Team USA this summer.