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Baseball: Ex-UL ace Beck gets called up

Tim Buckley, Daily Advertiser, June 10, 2012

They’re all ex-UL pitchers, and they’re all on the move.

One, Jordan Harrison, is just beginning his journey to get where the other two have.

One, Danny Farquhar, changed organizations Saturday, less than a year after he first made it to the major leagues.

One, Toronto Blue Jays reliever Chad Beck, just returned to the bigs last Friday night.

And the other, minor-league Zach Osborne, took a short jump up before being sent back down.

After agreeing to terms Friday and flying today to sign with the Tampa Bay Rays, Harrison is expected to join the Rays’ Gulf Coast League rookie-team affiliate in Port Charlotte, Fla.

When he does, Harrison — taken by Tampa Bay last Wednesday in the 25th round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft — will become the 10th ex-Ragin’ Cajun currently playing pro ball.

"We’re proud of him," said UL coach Tony Robichaux, who now has two former Cajuns currently in the major leagues, Beck and Milwaukee Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy.

"It’s another one of our players into the minor leagues, and hopefully he (Harrison) can be one of the ones that gets to the majors."

Also among the 10 are two who had their initial taste of the big leagues last year — when both debuted with the Blue Jays.

Farquhar appeared in three games for Toronto in 2011, pitching two innings and winding up with a 13.50 ERA.

But the Oakland Athletics claimed him off waivers Saturday and assigned him to Triple-A Sacramento of the Pacific Coast League (PCL).

Farquhar spent most of last season at the Triple-A level, with Toronto-affiliated Las Vegas of the PCL.

The Southwest Ranches (Fla.)-Archbishop McCarthy High product started this year at the Double-A level in the Blue Jays organization, playing 20 games — including 30.1 innings — with a 2.97 ERA and 33 strikeouts for New Hampshire of the Eastern League.

That includes 2.1 innings that were part of a combined no-hitter against Portland back on May 21.

Toronto dropped him from its 40-man roster last week, however, to make room for right-hander Chris Schwinden.

That left Farquhar, 25, open to being claimed by another organization for 10 days. The one that got him, Oakland’s, landed a familiar face.

The Blue Jays drafted Farquhar in the 10th round in 2008, then traded him to the A’s in November 2010 as part of a deal that brought veteran centerfielder Rajai Davis to Toronto.

While in the Athletics’ system the first time around, Farquhar played briefly last season (four games, 0.00 ERA in eight innings) for the same Sacramento team he’ll now re-join.

Oakland subsequently traded him back to Toronto in April of last year, in a deal for fellow pitcher David Purcy.

Beck, meanwhile, made his major-league debut with Toronto last year, going 2.1 innings with a 0.00 ERA over three games.

He actually got up by the Blue Jay from Triple-A Las Vegas once earlier this season, but was sent back down before pitching in a 2012 game.

The 27-year-old Woodville (Texas) High product has been Vegas’ primary closer this year, going with nine saves and 14 strikeouts in 24.1 innings over 23 games.

But Beck was recalled by Toronto again late last week and pitched Friday night, getting two outs and committing a controversial sixth-inning balk that scored a run in the Blue Jays’ 4-3 loss at Atlanta.

Then there is Osborne, who has been doing some traveling lately too.

The reliever from Clear Lake High in Houston was reassigned last week by the Texas Rangers organization back to High-A Myrtle Beach of the Carolina League, after a recent brief promotion to Double-A Frisco of the Texas League in which he got rocked with a 15.75 ERA in five appearances.

Osborne had a 0.75 ERA in 24 innings before going up to Frisco.

Other ex-Cajuns currently in the minors include pitchers Dayton Marze, T.J. Geith and Greg Wilborn, third baseman Chase Lambin and outfielder Alex Fuselier.

Locals in the Minors

A look at ex-UL baseball players and other local products in the pros (stats through Friday):
OTHER EX-CAJUNS
3B CHASE LAMBIN, Miami Marlins system, AAA, originally drafted 34th round by the New York Mets in 2002: Hitting .274 with three home runs in 39 games for New Orleans in the PCL;
P CHAD BECK, Toronto Blue Jays, originally drafted 14th round in 2006 by the Arizona Diamondbacks: Made first appearance of the season (0.2 innings, 0.00 ERA) for Toronto on Friday after going 1-0 with nine saves and 1.11 ERA for Las Vegas of the Pacific Coast League (PCL);
P DANNY FARQUHAR, Oakland Athletics system, AAA, originally drafted 10th round in 2008 by Toronto: Ex-Blue Jays major-leaguer was 0-1 with one save and a 2.97 ERA in 20 games, including 30.1 innings, for Toronto Double-A affiliate New Hampshire before being claimed off waivers by the A’s on Saturday and assigned to Triple-A Sacramento;
P ZACH OSBORNE, Texas Rangers system, High A, drafted ninth round in 2010: 0.75 ERA in 12 appearances for Myrtle Beach of the Carolina League; 15.75 in five appearances for Double-A Frisco in the Texas League before returned to Myrtle Beach;
P DAYTON MARZE, Blue Jays system, A Advanced, drafted 14th round in 2010: Teurlings Catholic High product 2-1 with one save and a 2.29 ERA in 23 games, including 35.1 innings pitched, for Dunedin of the Florida State League (FSL);
P T.J. GEITH, Tampa Bay Rays system, A Advanced, drafted 39th round in 2011: 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in six games, including 11.2 innings all in relief, for Charlotte of the FSL;
P GREG WILBORN, Los Angeles Dodgers system, A Advanced, drafted 18th round in 2009: 1-1 with a 9.18 ERA in 13 games, including two starts and 16.2 innings, for Rancho Cucamonga of the California League;
OF ALEX FUSELIER, Pirates system, drafted 21st round in 2011: Teurlings Catholic High product opened 2012 in extended spring training; no stats yet this year;
P JORDAN HARRISON, Rays system, drafted 25th round in 2012: Expected to be assigned to Tampa Bay’s rookie-league team in Port Charlotte, Fla., the Gulf Coast League Rays.
THE LOCALS
C LUKE MONTZ, Acadiana High, Marlins system, AAA, originally drafted in the 17th round in 2033 by the Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals out of Hill (Texas) College: Ex-Nationals catcher hitting .229 with 11 home runs in 54 games for Miami-affiliated New Orleans of the PCL;
P BRODY COLVIN, St. Thomas More High, Philadelphia Phillies system, A Advanced, drafted in seventh round in 2010: 3-4 with a 5.13 ERA in 13 games, including nine starts and 52.2 innings, for Clearwater of the FSL despite back issues that had him on the disabled list part of last year;
CF JARED MITCHELL, New Iberia High, Chicago White Six system, AA, drafted first round in 2009: hitting .284 with four home runs in 60 games for Birmingham of the Southern League;
C STRYKER TRAHAN, Acadiana High, Diamondbacks system, drafted first round in 2012: Reportedly agreed to contract terms Saturday;
P JEB STEFAN, Acadiana High, Phillies system, A short-season, drafted 22nd round out of Louisiana Tech in 2012: Signed Thursday and will play for Williamsport of the New York-Penn League.