Baseball in Fort Wayne

Most observers had a pretty good idea that Michael Barrett was on his way out of the Chicago Cubs organization. However, very few knew that it meant Fort Wayne native Rob Bowen was on his way in.

Bowen gives the Cubs a defensive-minded switch-hitting backstop. Having played previously with the Twins and Padres, the Chicago Cubs is Bowen’s third professional organization. Bowen, who was hitting .268 with eight doubles, two homers and 11 RBIs in 30 games with the Padres arrived and was in uniform for Wednesday’s game against the Texas Rangers, but saw no game action. He may get his first start as a Cubs player on Thursday.

“You look at this deal from a standpoint that we’re getting a catcher who we can control for the next three or four years, and we’re getting a nice, young left-handed bat [outfielder Kyler Burke] in the system who we can put in the system and grow in the system,” Piniella said. [source: MLB.com]

Burke, 19, was selected by the San Diego Padres in the supplemental round of the 2006 Firt Year Player Draft. As a senior at Ooltewah High School in Tennessee he batted .459 with 20 homers and 58 RBIs in 45 games.

While in Fort Wayne with the Wizards, Burke hit .211 with 45 hits and 1 home run in 213 at-bats.

Photo: Kyler Burke during an at-bat at Memorial Stadium – by Chad Gramling

[tags]Kyler Burke, Michael Barrett, Rob Bowen, Baseball in Fort Wayne[/tags]

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