Thursday, May 27, 2010

Lineups OC/VIC G1

Flyers and Seals getting ready to lock up in a four-game series at Royal Athletic Park. Here's the starting lineups for the first game of the series:

OC FLYERS (4-0)
Steve Boggs - CF
Jimmy Rohan - 2B
Keith Ginter - 3B
Ben Johnson - RF
Julian Benavidez - 1B
David Harris - LF
Tyler Keeble - SS
Kylee Hash - C
Matt Durkin - P (0-0, 15.00 ERA, 2nd start)

VICTORIA SEALS (3-2)
Sean Smith - LF
Wilver Perez - 2B
Colin Moro - RF
Terrence McClain 1B
Brian Rios - 3B
Josh Arhart - C
Chris Van Rossum - CF
Eric Pringle - SS
Jason Kershner - P

Seals skipper Boone steps down

So... that was unexpected. Victoria Seals manager Bret Boone has resigned to handle personal matters five games into the 2010 season. Boone, the second manager in Seals history, had strong ties to the region after spending years with the Seattle Mariners in the big leaguers. Flyers manager Paul Abbott played with Bret on the Mariners for two seasons, including the 2001 team that won 116 games and the AL West Division Championship.

For now, Victoria's pitching coach Kip Gross will take over as interim field manager. Gross spent parts of six seasons in the Major Leagues, including two years with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Here is the official word on the matter courtesy of the Victoria Seals website:

Seals Field Manager Steps Down

Bret Boone resigns to handle personal matters.


For Immediate Release
Thursday May 27, 2010

Victoria, BC - The Victoria Seals announced today that Field Manager Bret Boone has resigned from his position with the team effective immediately. The San Diego, California resident is returning home to be with his family and deal with a personal situation.

"This was a very difficult decision for me," said Boone. "I am disappointed that I won't be able to be with the team throughout the rest of the season, but after a lot of consideration, I have decided that this is the best move for both me and my family."

The 41-year-old former Seattle Mariners all-star signed on as Field Manager of the Seals on March 8th, and claimed his first win as bench boss of the club on opening night against Maui. The third generation Major League Baseball player steps aside from managing with a 3-2 record at the helm.

"It's an unfortunate set of circumstances for both our team and organization as a whole," said Seals President Darren Parker. "For our players and fans it is business as usual as we progress in this season. We wish Bret all the best in dealing with his family situation, and good luck in his future baseball endeavours."

At this time the Victoria Seals will reserve any further comment, and ask that both members of the media and the public respect the Boone family's privacy during this time.

The Seals ownership group has already begun processing potential candidates for Boone's replacement, with Pitching Coach Kip Gross set to fill in as Field Manager on an interim basis, alongside Bench Coach Josh Arhart and Player/Coach Brian Rios.

Victoria begins its second series of the 2010 campaign tonight when the Orange County Flyers arrive for the first game of a four-game set at 7:05 p.m. local time. The contest will also be broadcast live online at www.victoriaseals.ca, and in the ballpark on 88.1 FM. Both single game and season tickets for the 2010 campaign are now on sale, available through the Victoria Seals office. Call (250) 220-7777 for more information, or to book your seat today!

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Lineups OC/STG G4

At long last, Byung-Hyun Kim makes his first start of the season for the Flyers. Kim pitched a 1-2-3 inning on Saturday in the Flyers 12-5 win. The former NL All-Star won a World Series while with the Arizona Diamondbacks in a thrilling 7-game series over the New York Yankees in 2001.

Here's Kim's career stats on the mound (and if you're curious, here are BK's batting stats ... oh yeah, the former NATIONAL LEAGUE pitcher).

Starting line ups for tonight. Broadcast begins at 6:05pm Mountain time (5:50pm Pacific) with the locallife.com pregame show.
Orange County
#11 Steve Boggs - LF
#20 Jimmy Rohan - 2B
#9 Keith Ginter - 3B
#34 Ben Johnson - RF
#30 Julian Benavidez - 1B
#1 Derek Perren - LF
#4 Tyler Keeble - SS
#5 Jim Goethals - C
#16 Byung-Hyun Kim - RHP (0-0, 0.00, 1st start)
St. George
#11 Casey Raisbeck - LF
#2 Vic Butler - CF
#14 Henry Calderon - 3B
#7 Jermy Acey - 2B
#9 D.J. Dixon - C
#30 Scott Clement - 1B
#8 Billy Krause - CF
#1 C.J. Long - SS
#18 Matt Rossignol - RHP (0-0, 27.00, 1st start)

Monday, May 24, 2010

Lineups OC/STG G3

Starting line ups for tonight. Broadcast begins in less than an hour (5:50pm Pacific) with the locallife.com pregame show...


Orange County
#11 Steve Boggs - LF
#20 Jimmy Rohan - 2B
#9 Keith Ginter - 3B
#34 Ben Johnson - RF
#30 Julian Benavidez - 1B
#1 Derek Perren - LF
#4 Tyler Keeble - SS
#5 Jim Goethals - C
#41 Brett Smith - RHP (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1st start)

St. George
#11 Casey Raisbeck - LF
#14 Henry Calderon - 3B
#7 Jermy Acey - 2B
#10 Yosvanny Almario - RF
#17 Brett Flowers - 1B
#8 Billy Krause - CF
#21 David "Torta" Ramirez - C
#1 C.J. Long - SS
#15 Jon Dutton - LHP (0-0, 0.00, 1st start)

Bruce Hurst Field

The Flyers are getting ready to play the third game of a four-game season-opening series against the St. George RoadRunners at Bruce Hurst Field, tucked away in the southwest corner of Utah. Here's a few snapshots of the place that has played home to the first two wins of the Flyers 2010 season...

View from the first row of club-level seats
The field-level suites added to Bruce Hurst Field after the 2007 season.
A look at the main seating area of chair-back club seats under the press box.
A picturesque view over the right field wall
Nothing but plateaus and clear skies in the distance ... not a bad view at all.

UPDATED 5/29/2010, 10:34am

So here's the first of what I plan on making a season-long series of looks at the other ballparks in the GBL. We begin this journey in St. George, Utah, at Bruce Hurst Field, the home to the RoadRunners and the Dixie State College.

This quaint, 2,500-capacity ballpark gives all fans a quasi birds-eye view without the big-league nose-bleed seat strain. With the first row of seats raised about 15 feet off the field level, set above the dugouts, Bruce Hurst provides amazing sightlines for wherever you're seated. The club seats are located between the dugouts with a steep stadium layout that means no big oaf in front of you will block your view. The seats go up 8-10 rows in the main seating area, and metal bleachers provide general admission seating on top of the dugouts.

Some of the best premium seating in the GBL this side of the Telus Field Home Plate Club (Edmonton) can be found in St. George. The RoadRunners have just under a dozen field-level boxes that were added to the ballpark after the 2007 season where fans can enjoy the game with a view to rival that of the managers. Fans can hear the chatter in the dugout and smell the fresh cut grass.

The concession stands are all right. I wasn't a big fan of the hot dogs, but the burgers were can't-miss. And the soft-serve yogurt made me forget all about the famed 25 Main cupcakes of years past. Of course, the sodas are available in regular humanoid sizes as well as a jumbo 44oz that will provide any fan with diabetes with one refill.

As for the actual games played at Bruce Hurst Field, the ball is known the carry further than other ballparks in the league. Maybe it's the 2,000' elevation or the fact that the wind typically blows out to left field making it a haven for righties. In the past, the RoadRunners have compensated with a 24-foot wall in left field and a 20' wall that acts as a batters eye in center field. The formerly 24-foot wall in right was taken down this off-season for a 12-foot fence, which would be a scary prospect if the RoadRunners still had lefty slugger A.J. Valentine.

The road trip to St. George is always a great destination for fans of a visiting team, as the dozens of area golf courses and hiking trails provide plenty of outdoor enjoyment, but bring plenty of sunblock. This map-dot town tucked away in the southwest corner of Utah can hit triple-digit temperatures on a regular basis during the summer months, but don't be shocked with a thunderstorm rolls through with 30mph gusts of wind either.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Honel throws no hitter

In a weird twist of fate, Kris Honel - the pitcher who was traded to Long Beach last season for Jose Lima - has thrown a no hitter today for the Chico Outlaws just hours after news hit that the former Major Leaguer Lima had died of a heart attack.

Honel, a former first-round pick of the Chicago White Sox, began the last season with the Edmonton Capitals before the biggest trade in the history of the Golden Baseball League - and perhaps all independent leagues - sent him to Long Beach for the former NL All-Star Lima.

Honel's no hitter, the second in GBL history, came against the Cimarrones de Tijuana in Mexico in the first game of a doubleheader. Doubleheaders in the GBL (and most independent and minor leagues) are 7-innings long. Stats are readily available as the Cimarrones haven't been able to get their live game-trackers working or final stats uploaded as of yet, but we'll pass those along when we get it.

Incase you're interested, here's the box score from the first no-hitter in GBL history pitched by Chico's Seth Johnson in 2005 against Japan.

UPDATE, 5/23/2010 9:38pm

Here's the press release from the Chico Outlaws website about Kris Honel's impressive outing...

Honel Throws No-No!
By Dan Hawkins
5/23/2010


For any player making a debut with a new team, the thought process is usually the same—they want to impress. Right hander Kris Honel, making his first start of the season and debut with the Chico Outlaws, is like everybody else in that regard.

The difference is, Honel went really far out of his way to do just that—impress. Pitching in game one of a double-header against the Tijuana Cimarrones, he threw a seven inning no-hitter to get the win in his Outlaws debut.

But wait, there's more. The final score of the game was 20-0 as the Outlaws gave Honel plenty of run support, while Honel did the rest by silencing the Cimarrones bats.

No further offensive statistics are available at this time.

Honel, a former first round draft choice (16th overall) of the Chicago White Sox in 2001, has had some bad breaks in his career. After going to major league spring training in 2004 with the White Sox, he hurt his arm and was pretty much shelved for the season after appearing in just four games.

In September 2005, Honel underwent Tommy John surgery after doctors discovered a partial tear. With surgery and recovery, it cost him the entire 2006 season.

But none of that mattered on a glorious Sunday afternoon south of the border in Tijuana. One after another, the Cimaronnes batters came up to the plate and then trudged back to the dugout, with no chance to catch up to Honel's fastball and then having to face his nasty knuckle-curve ball.

Honel’s no-no is the second in Golden Baseball League history. The other was also thrown by an Outlaw. Seth Johnson threw a no-hitter against the Samarai Bears, a traveling team from Japan, on June 19th, 2005 at Nettleton Stadium in a game the Outlaws won 5-0 in the second game of a double-header.

Maybe the real irony of the day was the fact Honel threw a no-hitter on the same day that former major league and GBL pitcher Jose Lima passed away from an apparent heart attack in Los Angeles. Honel was traded by the Edmonton Capitals last year for Lima, who was with the Long Beach Armada at the time of the trade.

The intersection comes even further into focus because Lima learned he had been traded to Edmonton right before a game against Chico at Nettleton Stadium. Honel is now an Outlaw.

The win put Chico at 2-0 to start the season and dropped Tijuana to 0-2.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Lineups OC/STG G2

Starting lineups for tonight's game against the RoadRunners... Flyers taking on 2007 OC Ace Reed Dickert on the mound for the RoadRunners. Flyers countering with 2009 10-game winner Jesse Smith. BP going on right now. Beautiful day in STG...


Orange County (1-0)
#11 Steve Boggs - CF
#20 Jimmy Rohan - 2B
#9 Keith Ginter - 3B
#34 Ben Johnson - RF
#30 Julian Benavidez - 1B
#1 Derek Perren - LF
#4 Tyler Keeble - SS
#5 Jim Goethals - C
#36 Jesse Smith - P (0-0, 0.00, 1st start)

St. George (0-1)
#11 Casey Raisbeck - LF
#14 Henry Calderon - 3B
#7 Jermy Acey - 2B
#10 Yosvanny Almario - RF
#17 Brett Flowers - 1B
#9 D.J. Dixon - C
#8 Billy Krause - CF
#1 C.J. Lang - SS
#22 Reed Dickert - P (0-0, 0.00, 1st start)

**former Flyers in italics

Light out: Chico/Tijuana opener postponed

Yesterday was supposed to be the first day where the GBL would send a league-record 10 teams into action at once. Instead, someone pulled the plug - so to speak - on that when a power outage to some of the stadium lights in Tijuana postponed the season opener of the Cimarrones and Chico Outlaws.

Outlaws Opener Postponed
5/21/2010

Due to a lighting issue in Tijuana, Friday's Opening Night game between the Outlaws and Cimmarrones was postponed.

The two teams will play Saturday afternoon at 3:00 pm, with the postponement being made up as part of a twin bill on Sunday starting at 1:00 pm. Both games of the double-header will be seven-inning contests.

Monday night's game in Tijuana is set for 7:00 pm first pitch and the series finale is scheduled for Tuesday night at 6:00 pm.

After Tuesday's game, both teams will head to Chico for the Outlaws home opener on Wednesday May 26th, starting at 6:35 pm at Nettleton Stadium.

A rough road to get thing started in Tijuana, indeed. The Chico Enterprise-Record, the city's newspaper, reported that the Outlaws staff had trouble getting information from the Cimarrones about what all was going on.

The Flyers travel to Tijuana for a pair of three-game series this season, July 27-29 and August 11-13.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Flyers take season opener in STG

Having some trouble with the team's website, so here's tonight's game recap:

FLYERS RALLY FOR EXTRA INNINGS WIN ON OPENING NIGHT
Orange County uses long ball to overcome nine run deficit

OC 000 403 340 01 --- 15-18-4
CHI 501 700 100 00 --- 14-19-1

ST. GEORGE, Utah. (May 21, 2010) – The Flyers overcame a nine-run deficit to defeat the St. George RoadRunners in extra innings to open the 2010 season at Bruce Hurst Field. Orange County were led by former Major Leaguer Ben Johnson, who tied a franchise record with seven RBI thanks to a pair of three-run homeruns and an RBI-double.

Orange County took its first lead of the game when speedster Zach Mandelblatt scored on a wild pitch in the top of the 11th inning.

Reliever Bryan Harris earned the win with three scoreless innings of relief, and Andre Simpson earned the save with a scoreless bottom of the 11th.

After getting down 13-4 after four innings, Orange County added three runs in the sixth and seventh, and four more in the eighth to tie the game, 14-14.

The RoadRunners struck early, as the first five batters all came around to score in the bottom of the first inning. Yosvanny Almario and Brett Flowers each drove in a pair of runs and came around to score in the frame.

After St. George opened up a 6-0 lead, the Flyers responded in the top of the fourth, as Ben Johnson’s first three-run homerun pulled Orange County within two, 6-4. The RoadRunners however, responded with a seven-run bottom of the fourth for a 13-4 lead.

Flyers catcher Jim Goethals homered in the sixth to pull Orange County back within six, and Ben Johnson’s second three-run shot in the seventh brought the Flyers within three, 13-10. When the RoadRunners expanded their lead with D.J. Dixon’s sac-fly in the seventh, the Flyers plated four in the eighth with the tying runs coming on Julian Benavidez’s two-run homerun.

The Flyers and RoadRunners continue this four-game series Saturday as the Flyers’ Jesse Smith takes the mound against former Flyers ace Reed Dickert. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05pm Pacific at Bruce Hurst Field. The game can be heard live online through www.OrangeCountyFlyers.com.

Double Switch

By the way, with it being National League rules this season with pitchers hitting, I figured everyone might enjoy this wikipedia.com entry on the Double Switch...

Starting Lineups

Here's the starting lineups for tonight's SEASON OPENER. And remember, it's National League rules this season, so no DH. Pitchers hitting:


Orange County
#11 Steve Boggs - LF
#20 Jimmy Rohan - 2B
#9 Keith Ginter - 3B
#34 Ben Johnson - RF
#30 Julian Benavidez - 1B
#1 Derek Perren - LF
#4 Tyler Keeble - SS
#5 Jim Goethals - C
#32 Matt Durkin - P (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1st start)

St. George
#11 Casey Raisbeck - LF
#14 Henry Calderon - 3B
#7 Jermy Acey - 2B
#10 Yosvanny Almario - RF
#17 Brett Flowers - 1B
#8 Billy Krause - CF
#21 David "Torta" Ramirez - C
#1 C.J. Long - SS
#13 Brian Holliday - P (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1st start)

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Flyers win pre-season battle

Pitching staff tosses six 1-2-3 innings in win over Newport Beach Storm

With the regular season beginning in less than a week, the Flyers continued to prepare for the opener with a 7-5 victory over the Newport Beach Storm in a pre-season exhibition game Sunday morning at Fullerton College. Second-year Flyer Kevin Altman earned the win, facing a minimum nine batters during his three innings of relief on the mound.

The pitching staff of starter Byung-Hyun Kim, Altman, Blake Parry and Brandon Pullen combined to strike out 12 batters. Kim, a former National League All-Star with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2002, tallied six strikeouts during his three innings on the mound. The submarine-style Major League veteran continued to prepare for his first season of baseball after two years away from the game.

Outfielder Ben Johnson, a former major leaguer in his second year with Orange County, put the Flyers on the board with a two-run double in the third inning. Shortstop Tyler Keeble tied the game, 5-5, with an RBI-single in the sixth inning, following by a Danny Morrow two-run double to put the Flyers on top for good. Keeble, one of two Flyers to play the entire game, finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored.

The Flyers continue training camp through May 19 at Fullerton College before heading to St. George for the May 21 season opener. Orange County opens at home on Tuesday, June 15 against the Calgary Vipers. Single game tickets are available through the team website at www.OrangeCountyFlyers.com.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Maui's team hotel adds to home-field advantage

I've worked within the GBL since 2007, and I've seen a lot of different types of team hotels. St. George has worked with Ramadas or Holiday Inns, and Chico even used to have the Feather Falls Casino to host visiting teams. Victoria last season had a very nice Best Western in the heart of the capital city of British Columbia with great places to walk to nearby. Tucson's hotel was located along a lonely highway with nothing more than a Carls Jr, which was still a 10 minute walk down the road.

Long Beach used to have the Quality Inn, which was about on par with the Flyers' Motel 6 accomodations from last year. Nothing in the league was on par with The Sutton Place in downtown Edmonton, a luxurious highrise in the midst of downtown.

But with the announcement of the team hotel for Na Koa Ikaika Maui, the standard of visiting team hotels is about to get a drastic makeover that will spoil every independent league ballplayer (and broadcaster) that makes this road trip.

Visiting teams will be staying at the four-diamond rated Grand Wailea Hotel Resort and Spa. Rooms there start at $369 a night and go up (quickly) from there. The place has a maze of waterslides, swimming pools, beachfront property, a pair of golf courses, and even a water-elevator to get you to the top of some of the slides. No offense to Calgary's Causway Bay hotel, but you just got served!

I used to think that Chico had such a decided home field advantage because opposing players would be up countless hours in the casino. Not very difficult to figure out where any potential hours of sleep went. But with a trip to the Hawaiian Islands and a four-diamond resort? This won't be a situation where players will be trying to recover from a late night to play baseball; baseball won't even be on anyone's mind.

Na Koa Ikaika have yet to take the field, but it's safe to say they'll be damn-near unbeatable at home. Of course, the first challenge will be getting enough visiting players off the golf courses or the beach to field a team.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Web buzzing over BK

Training camp is underway for the 2010 season, and the Flyers have a trio of former major leaguers working out. Returning from last season is outfield Ben Johnson, joining Fullerton native Keith Ginter and former NL All-Star Byung-Hyun Kim. Kim has been making big news on an international level, returning to baseball after two years away from the game. Here's a sampling of what the web is saying:

Balita-dot-ph: S. Korean pitcher Kim Byung-hyun signs...
Billy-Ball: Byung-Hyun Kim is Korean for...
The Korean Herald: Pitcher Kim Byung-hyun joins...
Giants-Baseball-News-Updates.com
The Raw Feed: MLN Sports
Yonhap News Agency
The Dong-a Ilbo

Friday, May 7, 2010

Kim brings "Seoul Power" to OC pitching staff

It's official! The Flyers have added World Series Champ and NL All-Star Byung-Hyun Kim for the 2010 season. I know, I know, a lot of you remember lots of NYY home runs, but after that 2001 World Series, Kim bounced back to have his best season in the bigs, making the NL All-Star team in 2002. Many remember him as a reliever, but he did have success as a starter later on during his 9-year MLB career.

My guess would be that if Kim wants to start, and his arm is up for it, then he could be toward the top of the rotation. And yes, "toward the top" but not necessarily the "ace" of the staff considering the years that both Matt Durkin and Jesse Smith are coming off of. Durkin was named GBL pitcher of the year, notching a league-best 11-wins, and Smith wasn't far behind the lead with 10. Now you add B-Kim to the mix, and the Flyers now appear to be one of the stronger pitching team in the GBL.

Here's the official press release from the OC Flyers website:

The Orange County Flyers have agreed to terms with nine-year MLB veteran pitcher Byung-Hyun Kim. The South Korean, who won a World Series with Arizona, was selected to the 2002 National League All-Star team, and he played for South Korea in the 2006 World Baseball Classic. The announcement coincides with the Flyers releasing individual game tickets now on sale through the team website. Kim will provide first-year manager Paul Abbott a major league caliber arm for his pitching rotation in 2010.

Kim, 31, made his Major League debut May 29, 1999, and spent five seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks primarily as the team's closer, leading the team in saves in 2001 and 2002. The submarine-style pitcher is best remembered for surrendering game-tying homeruns in the late innings of Games 4 and 5 of the 2001 World Series to the New York Yankees. The Diamondbacks claimed the title in Game 7 at Bank One Ballpark, earning Kim his first championship.

The reliever followed his uneven World Series performance by showcasing the best season for a closer in Diamondbacks history. Kim recorded a team-record 36 saves on his way to a career-best 2.04 ERA and 8-3 record in 2002, earning a spot on the National League All-Star team.

The Diamondbacks experimented with Kim as a starter in 2003, and despite his 3.56 ERA, he went just 1-5 in seven starts and was traded to the Boston Red Sox in May for Shea Hillenbrand. The Red Sox returned Kim to the bullpen, where he finished 35 games for the club and recorded 16 saves. In 2004, Kim pitched in seven games for the Red Sox due to a past ankle injury that limited his effectiveness. Boston went on to win the World Series that season. In 2005-06, Kim worked his way into the starting rotation for the Colorado Rockies, making 49 starts over two seasons, and going 13-24 in that time. He spent 2007 between Colorado, a return-stint to Arizona, and with the Florida Marlins where he finished his season with 19 starts, going 9-5 with a 5.42 ERA.

This spring, Kim had a brief stint with the San Francisco Giants but was released after one Cactus League appearance in spring training. Harris Tulchin, executive VP of player personnel, inked Kim in an attempt to launch the pitcher's comeback to the Major Leagues.

Kim joins fellow former big-leaguers, infielder Keith Ginter and outfielder Ben Johnson, to give the Flyers plenty of big-league experience as Orange County attempts to become the first two-time GBL Champions.

Flyers individual game tickets are now on sale and available online through the team website at www.OrangeCountyFlyers.com. The Flyers' home opener is on Tuesday, June 15 against the 2009 GBL Champion Calgary Vipers in a match up of the past two GBL Champions.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Tickets on sale!!!

Flyers individual game tickets are now on sale through the team website!

The first home game on Tuesday, June 15 will feature a magnet schedule giveaway to the first 500 fans presented by Locallife.com. The Flyers will face the defending GBL Champion Calgary Vipers in the first home series of the year in a match up of the past two GBL Champs. June 16 is a “Weenie Wednesday” with $1 hot dogs available at the concession stands, and the following night features “Thirsty Thursday presented by The Pint House” with $2 beer and soda available. June 18 marks the team’s first “Family Film Friday” with a movie to be shown after the game, and Saturday’s game will be the first “Souvenir Saturday” of the season.

The Flyers have some great giveaways in store, including a hat giveaway on June 26 presented by Outdoor Cap, a dry-fit T-shirt giveaway presented by Cunning Dental on July 10, and a 6-pack cooler bag giveaway presented by Locallife.com on July 31. The team is also giving away a new bobblehead featuring team owner John Kobylt from KFI AM 640’s “John & Ken Show” on Friday, August 20. The Flyers 2010 promotion schedule is currently available through the team’s ticketing website.

Orange County begins training camp in less than one week with 14 members from last season’s team on hand. Training camp will be held daily at Fullerton College starting May 9 and is open to the public.

14 from '09 squad prepare for training camp

Flyers training camp in now one week away, and the team will have 14 members from last season’s team on hand. Training camp will be held daily at Fullerton College starting May 9 and is open to the public. The team has already added the big bat former Major Leaguer Keith Ginter, and with another major announcement on the horizon, the "Freight" returning core should have OC in contention to be the first two-time champion in GBL history.

Here are the players returning from the 2009 Flyers team:

Kevin Altman - P
A former draft pick of the Texas Rangers (16th round, 466 overall) in 2003, Altman spent four years in the Rangers’ minor league system, reaching High-A with Bakersfield in 2007. Last season with the Flyers, he started a career-high seven games, going 2-4 with a 3.68 ERA.

Manny Ayala - P
Ayala began his professional career in the GBL with the Mesa Miners in the inaugural 2005 season, where he set a career-mark with 12 wins. The following year, he was picked up by the San Diego Padres, playing for their Double-A and Triple-A affiliates from 2006-08. After being released from the Philadelphia Phillies affiliate in Clearwater last season, Ayala joined the Flyers, pitching in 10 games with a 3.72 ERA.

Julian Benavidez – 3B
The third baseman led all Flyers with nine homeruns in 2009, to go along with 38 RBI and .310 batting average. Benavidez was drafted by San Francisco in 2001 (3rd round, 106 overall), and played in the Giants system through 2006, reaching Double-A in 2004-05. He has spent the last two seasons in the GBL, playing for the Chico Outlaws in 2008 before joining the Flyers.

Steve Boggs - OF
Boggs returns for his fourth season in the GBL and second with the Flyers after a pair of seasons with the Chico Outlaws (2007-08). After playing college ball at San Diego State University, the outfielder spent three seasons in the Colorado Rockies organization. Last season, Boggs hi .285 with 25 RBI and six doubles while playing in 66 games for the Flyers.

Matt Durkin – SP
Reigning GBL Pitcher of the Year Matt Durkin returns to the Flyers after his best season as a professional. Durkin led the league with 11 wins in 2009, and was top 10 in most pitching categories. The right-handed hurler spent three standout seasons at San Jose State before the New York Mets selected him in the 2nd round (44 overall) of the 2004 draft. This season will be Durkin’s third in a Flyers uniform.

Jim Goethals - C
The former Houston Astros prospect spent last season at catcher for the Flyers. The Northern California native spent four seasons in the Astros farm system, reaching Double-A in 2007 and 2008.

Bryan Harris - P
Harris appeared in 30 games last season for the Flyers, earning 12 saves along with a 1-3 record and 4.97 ERA. He pitched 29 innings, striking out 28 and walking 10. The Seattle Mariners drafted the former Cal State Fullerton Titan in 2007 (22nd round, 675 overall). Harris played as high as Double-A while with the Mariners.

Ben Johnson - OF
A former Major Leaguer who played for the San Diego Padres (2005-06) and New York Mets (2007), Johnson joined the Flyers in August 2009. He played in 14 games with Orange County, batting .239 (11-for-46) with seven extra-base hits. The St. Louis Cardinals selected Johnson in the 4th round (127 overall) of the 1999 draft. In 2005, Johnson was a Triple-A All-Star outfielder and the San Diego Padres Minor League Player of the Year.

Mike Koons - P
The right-handed pitcher worked in relief for the Flyers in 2009, pitching 38.2 innings, going 2-2 with a 3.03 ERA. He struck out 35 and walked 15. After pitching in college for Arizona and San Diego State, he spent two seasons in the Houston Astros system.

Danny Morrow - 2B
The versatile infielder had two stints with the Flyers last season sandwiching 29 games played with the Gateway Grizzlies of the Frontier League. Morrow hit .260 with Orange County last season, and even pitched in one game, throwing two innings and striking out three batters.

Derek Perren - 1B
The former USC Trojan hit .348 with the Flyers in 2009, playing in 23 games for Orange County. The Southern California native had seven multi-hit games last season. He also scored 13 runs and tallied nine RBI.

Jimmy Rohan - SS
A former prospect of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Rohan had a successful 2009 season with Orange County, his first year in independent baseball. Rohan hit .324 with one homerun and 29 RBI last year after spending six years (2002-07) with the Dodgers. He played in 10 games with the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s in 2005.

Andre Simpson - P
Simpson has spent his last three seasons in the Golden Baseball League with Long Beach (2006) and Orange County (2008-09). In 11 minor league seasons, Simpson has a career ERA of 3.86. Last season, he worked exclusively out of the bullpen, striking out 50 and walking 19 in 38 innings of work. His best season came in 2006 while in Long Beach when he started 17 games and struck out 140 batters in 123.1 innings.

Jesse Smith - SP
The Anaheim Angels drafted Smith in the 6th round (180 overall) in 2003, and he spent parts of six seasons in the Angels minor league system. He reached Triple-A in 2006 and 2007. In 2008, Smith helped pitch the Flyers to the GBL Championship, and last season his 10 wins was second-most in the league to teammate Matt Durkin.