A look at how Lakeshore Chinook alumni performed throughout baseball in 2017!
Harrison Bader –Lakeshore Chinooks 2013
St. Louis Cardinals
Grafton, WI – Harrison Bader became the third former Chinook player to get the call to head to the majors when the St. Louis Cardinals promoted him on July 25 after Dexter Fowler was placed on the 10-day disabled list. Though he was returned to Triple A Memphis just one week later, Bader returned to the Cardinals as a September call-up in time to play a part in the Cardinal’s playoff chase. And much to the disappointment of Brewer fans and of his former host dad from his time at Lakeshore, Craig Counsell, Bader knocked the Brewers out of contention with an 8th inning game winning single in a 7-6 Cardinal win that dropped Milwaukee 2 ½ games behind the Colorado Rockies for the final NL Wild Card spot. The hit was the third game-winner for Bader in September.
Harrison Bader
A 3rd Round selection in 2015, the former Florida Gator outfielder quickly impressed the St. Louis front office by hitting .311 in his first summer of A ball, primarily with the Peoria Chiefs, and then blasted through the 2016 season with stints at both Triple A Memphis and Double A Springfield. After showing the same power he displayed in his time at Lakeshore by blasting 19 home runs and 58 RBI, Bader was tabbed for a second time as an Organization All-Star, was selected as a 2016 All-Star in Springfield, and was awarded a coveted spot in the Arizona Fall League. After tearing through the AFL, Bader served notice he was ready for the jump to the majors when he was selected to both the league’s All-Prospect and Rising Stars teams.
In his two stints with the Cardinals, Bader hit .235 in 32 games with three home runs and ten RBI, including that game-winner against the Brewers. With Dexter Fowler manning center field, the Cardinals’ No. 5-rated prospect and 89th-rated prospect in all of baseball may have his best chance at the major league level as a versatile outfielder who is capable of providing power at any of the outfield positions. Currently rated as the No. 90 top prospect in all of baseball, Bader was recently announced as the top position player in the entire Cardinal system for 2017.
The Lakeshore Chinooks are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Entering its 25th anniversary season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 185 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (TOR). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.lakeshorechinooks.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Chinooks as your favorite team.
