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July 18, 2008
Ellison Signed
One of the top relief pitchers in the Atlantic League this season has finally been rewarded. Bridgeport Bluefish left-hander Derrick Ellison was signed by the Milwaukee Brewers today and will join the Brewers in the Arizona (Rookie) League before being officially assigned within the organization.
The opportunity caps what was a roller coaster week for Ellison. It began with him suffering through the worst of his 22 appearances with the Bluefish last Sunday in front of a scout from the Boston Red Sox at Long Island. He allowed three runs on one hit and three walks in two-thirds of an inning. Ellison, who was a late addition to the Liberty Division All-Star team, then impressed the Brewers by firing a scoreless inning at the league All-Star Game Wednesday in Bridgewater, N.J.
Ellison, 29, becomes the third member of the Bluefish to be signed by a major league organization this season. Catcher Brian Peterson (Baltimore Orioles) and centerfielder Adam Greenberg (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) were both picked up in May.
``My wife and I just laughed and we just said that God created this opportunity,’’ Ellison said. ``The Red Sox had come to see me pitch in Long Island and I just had a bad day at the office. The same day the All-Star team was announced and at that very moment I wasn’t on the All-Star team. So for God to put me on that team and allow me to throw in that game and, obviously, to have the result that I had the other night I just felt that God’s created this opportunity and we’re extremely excited and thankful for it.’’
Ellison was 1-1 with one save and a 1.42 ERA in 25 1/3 innings for the Bluefish. Opponents were hitting .195 against him (16-for-82) and he had a scoreless innings streak stopped at 16 1/3 during the aforementioned outing at Long Island.
Ellison was clocked as high as 96 miles per hour at the All-Star game when he struck out three. He will depart for Arizona Sunday.
``When I called him I said to myself this is the fun part of the job because I could see the kid smile through the phone,’’ Bluefish general manager Todd Marlin said. ``It couldn’t happen to a better guy.’’
Ellison said that he has been told by a Brewers official that based on how he performs next week in front of what he termed as ``the upper decision-makers in the minor league system’’ there’s a 50-50 chance that he’ll be assigned to either High Desert in the high Class A California League or to Huntsville in the Class AA Southern League by the end of next week.
This will be only the second stint in a major league organization for Ellison during his eight-year career. He was signed by the Seattle Mariners in 2005 and made seven appearances at Inland Empire in the Class A California League.
``They said that they’re going to give me the opportunity to finish the year with them and their plans are to have me in spring training,’’ Ellison said. ``So we’re just going to try to keep pitching well and let them make the decisions they need to make. The big leagues feel a lot closer than they did (Thursday). So we’re still dreaming that that can be accomplished.’’
Rich
Posted by Elliott on July 18, 2008 4:48 PM
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