Baseball: July 2009 Archives

The list comes to you courtesy of Prep Baseball Report's Drake Skleba:

1B Pat Korienek, Downers Grove South
2B Dan Walsh, Downers Grove South
SS Vince Kmiec, Sandburg
3B Stefano Belmonte, St. Rita
C Eric Josupait, Waubonsie Valley
DH Harry Vickers, Waubonsie Valley
OF Kris Singh, Waubonsie Valley
OF Brett Huff, Sandburg
OF Anthony Andres, St.Rita
P Matt Wivinis, Downers Grove South
P Shane Conlon, St. Rita

2009 Jack Kaiser Most Valuable Player Award
Mark Payton, St. Rita

That's the new name for the summer state tournament organized by the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association. Phil Lawler is the long-time Naperville Central assistant who helped found the tournament. Before the championship game on July 30 at Benedictine, Lawler will be honored and one team will receive the Phil Lawler Summer State Championship Trophy.

Waubonsie Valley and Neuqua Valley have earned top seeds in the upcoming Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association summer state tournament. For the full brackets, click here and follow the "IHSBCA SUMMER 09" link.

In a move that he described as coming out of the blue, Scott Hairston was traded from San Diego to Oakland on Sunday for two minor league pitchers and a player to be named later.

The outfielder had finally developed into an everyday player with the Padres, and that's when they decided to deal him and replenish their farm system with right-handers Ryan Webb and Craig Italiano. Hairston entered Monday hitting .299 with 10 home runs in 56 games, and the move leaves slugger Adrian Gonzalez without his wingman, as Bill Center explains in the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Michael Bowden is working on a slider that he hopes will make him a permanent big-league pitcher. The No. 2 prospect in the Red Sox organization has an ERA of 6.42 since May 23, according to this Providence Journal feature by Daniel Barbarisi, but that's part of a learning curve.

The 6-foot-3-inch right-hander out of Waubonsie Valley is trying to develop an extra pitch that will make hitters swing and miss. Bowden's numbers are still good - opponents are hitting only .226 against him at Triple-A, and he has a 3.39 ERA overall - but he could use a slider to throw in a two-strike count.

"I think it's going to define him. I really do," Pawtucket pitching coach Rich Sauveur told the newspaper. "I honestly think that pitch is going to define him, to help him get back to where he wants to be."