With the conclusion of the 2007 baseball season, it’s time to look back at the MoonDogs alums in Minor League Baseball that have had great years in pursuit of joining former Mankato players Curtis Granderson (Detroit Tigers) and Jack Hannahan (Oakland Athletics) in Major League Baseball.
Tom Everidge (first baseman), who made a stop in Mankato in 2002, continued his path to the majors in 2007 with a promotion to the Midland RockHounds, a Class-AA affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. Before the promotion, he led the Stockton Ports (Class A-Advanced) with 26 home runs and 90 RBI. The 26 homers also led the entire 10-team California League. Once he became a member of the RockHounds on August 28, he played in 10 games and posted an impressive .361 batting average.
Jonny Ash (second baseman), a crowd favorite for the MoonDogs in 2002 and 2003, continued to excel in the Houston Astros organization in 2007. In his second year at Corpus Christi (Class-AA) he has become a fan favorite and was named to the Mid-Season Texas League All-Star team where he was put on center stage. With the score tied 4-4 in the bottom of the tenth inning, no one out and runners at the corners, Ash laced a single to center field that plated the winning run and gave the South a 5-4 victory. For his efforts, Ash was named the game’s Most Valuable Player. Earlier in the year he received Texas League Player of the Week Honors on April 30, 2007. Although his season was cut short when he was placed on the disabled list after just 79 games, he finished second on the team with a .300 batting average.
Kevin Dixon (pitcher), an NWL Mid-Season All-Star while with the MoonDogs in 2004, completed a very successful second season with the Kinston Indians, a Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. Dixon, a graduate from Minnesota State-Mankato, finished a great 2007 season with 22 games started and earned 10 wins (10-4 overall) in 133 innings, which ranked third on the team for all three categories. His 72 strikeouts ranked fourth on the Indians who were also 2007 First-Half Carolina League division winners.
Cole Devries (pitcher), a teammate of Dixon’s while with the MoonDogs in 2004, dominated batters all year in the Midwest League as a member of the Beloit Snappers, a Class A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. He was so impressive and dominant that he was named the teams Co-Brodie Trophy Player of the Year with pitcher Alex Burnett. Devries, who was also named to the 2007 Midwest League All-Star team, finished the season 9-5 with a 3.41 ERA in 25 starts this year. The nine wins tied for first on the team, while his 148 innings pitched and 108 strikeouts ranked second and third respectively. As a team, the Snappers won the Western Division First Half Championship with a 44-26 record (79-61 overall). In the playoffs, the Snappers defeated the Swing of the Quad Cities and Clinton LumberKings in the first two rounds of the playoffs and advanced to the Midwest League Championship. In the Championship Series, Beloit would drop a decisive game five 11-5 to MWL Champions, West Michigan Whitecaps.
With nine players starting in the minors after the 2007 MLB Draft, the MoonDogs now have 29 alumni playing professional baseball. Please check back soon for another installment of MoonDogs Alumni Update.
The MoonDogs broke yet another total attendance mark with over 41,000 fans for the 2007 season. Be sure to reserve your seat with the team next season. Limited premium seats and all other season ticket packages for 2008 will go on sale soon. Please check back to www.mankatomoondogs.com or call the MoonDogs Office at 507-625-7047 for more information.
