Published: May 07, 2008 11:33 pm            

Three former AAABA stars pitching in the big leagues

Tuesday was a big night for AAABA Tournament graduates in the major leagues.

The most high-profile event involved Chicago White Sox pitcher Gavin Floyd, whose near-miss, no-hit bid was well-documented in print, on the Internet and cable television highlight shows most of Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.

The 6-foot-5, right-handed Floyd pitched for runner-up Baltimore in the 2000 AAABA Tournament in Johnstown.

“Gavin has gotten so much bigger and stronger,” said Dean Albany, manager of the five-time defending champion Youse’s Maryland Orioles of Baltimore team. “He hasn’t had it easy. He didn’t pitch very well when he was a Phillie. The Phillies traded him for Freddy Garcia.”

Philadelphia drafted Floyd in the first round – the fourth pick overall – in June 2001. He joined the White Sox last year and is 3-1 with a 2.50 ERA this season. In addition to coming within two outs of a no-hitter in a 7-1 win over Minnesota on Tuesday, Floyd had another near no-no in April, going 71⁄3 innings without allowing a Detroit hit.

“He’s always been a hard-working kid,” said Albany, reached while scouting a high school tournament in Puerto Rico. “When he didn’t have success early in his career he didn’t let it bother him. His curveball looked great on Tuesday night. He’s always had a big-time curveball. I think he lost it for a few years, but he’s got his confidence back.”

Los Angeles Angels right-handed rookie Nick Adenhart had a no-decision on Tuesday in his second start. Adenhart threw 41⁄3 innings, allowing three runs on six hits in a 5-3 Angels win.

The 21-year-old pitched for Baltimore in the 2003 AAABA Tournament. Youse’s Maryland Orioles won the title with a victory over Johnstown’s Delweld entry in the championship round that year.

Tournament MVP Kevin Hart pitched for the Orioles in the 2003 title-clinching game. Hart pitched in the majors for the Cubs until being sent to Class AAA Iowa on Friday.

One of Adenhart’s current teammates also played in the AAABA Tournament. Angels left-hander Joe Saunders is 6-0 with a 2.61 ERA.

The Angels selected Saunders in the first round in the 2002 draft. That was two years after Saunders pitched for Washington’s Arlington Senators in the AAABA Tournament.

In fact, during that 2000 tournament, Johnstown’s Galliker Dairy was eliminated by a pair of future first-round draft picks.

Floyd defeated Galliker’s on the second night of the tournament, a 4-1 Baltimore win. A 17-year-old senior at Mount St. Joseph’s (Md.) High in 2000, Floyd consistently hit 90 miles an hour while striking out 10 and walking three.

“He hit his spots so really well,” Galliker’s first baseman Brian Babik said in a postgame interview on Aug. 8, 2000. “He worked all his pitches really well. He kept us off balance. It took us a while to catch up to the ball.”

Galliker’s bounced back with two wins before falling to Saunders and Washington in the fifth round. Washington won 4-0 as Saunders tossed a two-hitter while striking out 12 and walking none to eliminate the host team.

“You guys in Johnstown lost two games to major league pitchers in 2000,” Albany said. “That’s the toughest row of teams and pitchers you would have to face. To go against Gavin and Saunders within a few days, that’s tough.”

        

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