Brett Siddall, Stockton Ports
Since the team’s founding in 2012, the Lakeshore Chinooks have produced 82 MLB Draft picks or free agent signings. The team upped the number of players selected or signed in 2015 to seventeen. Seven of them remain in the pros, three of which who have made it to the MLB and the other four still fighting to make it to the show. Here is a recap of where each of those four remaining alumni stand as they enter the 2019 season:
Mitch Ghelfi/C & IF/UWM/Lakeshore 2014/2015 MIL Brewers – 28th Round
After more than three years of steady progress in the Milwaukee Brewers’ system, Ghelfi was released by the club from the AA Biloxi Shuckers on June 18 this past season, but immediately signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Dodgers and was assigned to the AA Mobile Bay Bears for the remainder of 2018. The former UW-Milwaukee catcher went on to hit .272 in 24 games with three home runs and 17 RBI. Once again after the season, Ghelfi was claimed off waivers by the New York Mets and heads into 2019 with the AAA Syracuse Mets. He looks toward the spring with anticipation as he says, “with the switch of teams coming in the off-season, it seems to be a good thing as they went out of their way to get me and it should be a good place for me.”
Will Headean/P/Illinois State/Lakeshore 2014/2015 SD Padres – 13th Round
Through 2017, the southpaw hurler had reached Class A with the Fort Wayne Tin Caps and made a brief appearance at Advanced A Lake Elsinore. Headean pitched 88 innings in 32 appearances in 2017 to bump his career numbers to 208 innings in 70 innings with a 4.20 ERA and 219 strikeout – impressive numbers! But with all that work, Headean suffered an elbow injury that required surgery and cause him to miss all of 2018. After an off-season of rehab and recovery, Headean will look to bounce back and start the climb again.
Brett Siddall/OF/Canisius/Lakeshore 2014/2015 OAK A’s – 13th Round
The right fielder from Canisius will attempt to move on from the Advance A Stockton Ports this season after splitting time in 2018 between the Ports and the Double A Midland Rockhounds. Siddall had a terrific 2017 season in Stockton when he was named a California League All-Star and an Oakland A’s Organizational All-Star after hitting .300 with 21 home runs. Splitting time between two levels this past year, Siddall’s combined numbers dipped to .208 with eight home runs and 50 RBI. Siddall is excited about adjustments he has made during the off-season and hopes to start out in Midland.
Alex Young/P/TCU/Lakeshore 2013/2015 AZ Diamondbacks – 2nd Round
Young has been the epitome of a workhorse pitcher in the Diamondback’s system, throwing 393 innings in his four seasons including 80 innings in 2018 with the Triple A Reno Aces. The former TCU Horned Frog has racked up over 300 strikeouts with a 42-22 record, a career ERA of 4.10 and WHIP of 1.35. With all that work and experience under his belt, it would stand to reason that the Hawthorn Woods, IL native could be close to getting his shot soon with the big-league club. Rated as the #23 prospect for Arizona, Young flirted with a no-hitter for the AA Jackson Generals early in the 2018 season, as he struck out eight and did not allow a hit until the sixth inning on April 22.
To follow the progress of any of the Lakeshore alums who are playing professional baseball, click on the Alumni tab under the Team section at the top of this page. Click on a specific player’s name to open a link to view their MiLB bio page.
The Lakeshore Chinooks are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 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, over 200 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.
