Former Outlaw reaches Major Leagues

Good news from another GBL team as former Chico Outlaw outfielder Daniel Nava is making his first start in the big leagues today. Nava, a former GBL MVP who led the Outlaws to the 2007 league championship, will start in left field and bat ninth for the Boston Red Sox.

Former OC Flyers pitcher Chris Jakubauskas reached the big leagues last season with the Seattle Mariners and began the 2010 season with the Pittsburgh Pirates. "Big Jak" was the GBL's Pitcher of the Year in 2006.

Here's the press release from the Outlaws regarding Nava's promotion to the show:

Ex-Outlaw Nava In The Show
By Dan Hawkins
6/12/2010

(Chico, CA. Jun 12th, 2010) Former Chico Outlaws outfielder Daniel Nava got called up to the Boston Red Sox on Saturday from Triple-A Pawtucket and will start in left field and bat ninth in the batting order in today's game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Fenway Park in an inter-league contest.

Josh Reddick was optioned to Pawtucket to make room on the roster for Nava.

Joe Blanton is today's scheduled starter for the Phillies.

Nava, the GBL's Most Valuable Player in 2007 while playing for the Outlaws, was hitting .298/8 HR/38 RBI in the International League at the time of his call-up.

Undrafted out of UC-Santa Clara where he led the West Coast Conference with a .395 average before signing with the Outlaws as a Non-Drafted Free Agent for the 2007 season. Nava went on to be named to the Baseball America Indepedent League First-Team All-Star squad and ranked as their top independent league prospect after hitting a league-high .371 with 12 homers and 59 RBI's during that magical 2007 GBL championship season for the Outlaws.

His .371 batting average, .625 slugging percentage and .475 on-base percentage are still Outlaws single-season franchise records.

After his breakout year with Chico, Nava signed with Boston as a minor-league free agent and was assigned to Lancaster (High-A) in the California League. Tearing up Cal League pitching to the tune of a .341 average with 10 HR and 58 RBIs, Nava was promoted in 2009 to Salem in the Carolina League and then to Double-A Portland for the second half of the season.

Nava's performance in Portland (.364/4/24) led to the switch-hitter starting 2010 with the PawSox.

Nava becomes the fifth player from the Golden Baseball League to make the majors, following Chris Jakubauskas, Adam Pettyjohn, Scott Richmond and Sergio Romo to the big leagues.