J. J. Hoover
James Alan Hoover Jr. (born August 13, 1987) is an American professional baseball pitcher and pitching coach for the Lexington Legends of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Milwaukee Brewers. Early life James Alan Hoover Jr. was born on August 13, 1987 in Elizabeth, Pennsylvania to Jim and Carol Hoover. He graduated from Elizabeth Forward High School in 2006, and attended Calhoun Community College. In 2008, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League and was named a league all-star. Professional career Atlanta Braves Hoover was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 10th round of the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft out of Calhoun Community College. He made his professional debut with the rookie ball Danville Braves, posting 4.2 scoreless innings of work. The next year, Hoover split the season between the Single-A Rome ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the pitcher is assigned the number 1. The pitcher is often considered the most important player on the defensive side of the game, and as such is situated at the right end of the defensive spectrum. There are many different types of pitchers, such as the starting pitcher, relief pitcher, middle reliever, lefty specialist, setup man, and the closer. Traditionally, the pitcher also bats. Starting in 1973 with the American League(and later the National League) and spreading to further leagues throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the hitting duties of the pitcher have generally been given over to the position of designated hitter, a cause of some controversy. The Japanese Ce ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Collegiate Summer Baseball
Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operate from early June to early August. In contrast to college baseball, which allow aluminum or other composite baseball bats, players in these leagues use only wooden bats, hence the common nickname of these leagues as "wood-bat leagues". Collegiate summer leagues allow college baseball players the ability to compete using professional rules and equipment, giving them experience and allowing professional scouts the opportunity to observe players under such conditions. To find a collegiate summer team, players work with their college coaches and prospective teams' general managers. They report to summer leagues after completing their spring collegiate season with their NCAA, NAIA, NJCAA, CCCAA, and NWAC teams. Some players arrive late due ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Juan Francisco
Juan Ramón Francisco González (born June 24, 1987) is a Dominican former professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers and Toronto Blue Jays. He also played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Yomiuri Giants. Professional career Cincinnati Reds Francisco spent his first professional season, with the Gulf Coast League Reds. He batted .280 in 182 at-bats with three home runs, and enjoyed a nine-game call up at the season's end to the Billings Mustangs rookie class team, where he went 12-for-36. Francisco spent 2007 with the single-A Dayton Dragons. He hit .268 in 534 at-bats, slugging 25 home runs and driving in 90. Juan was a Midwest League mid-season All-Star and post-season All-Star for the Dragons. Promoted again in 2008, this time to the single-A advanced Sarasota Reds, he again spent the entire season with the same team. In 516 at-bats, he hit .277 with 23 homers and 9 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Baseball America
''Baseball America'' is a sports enterprise that covers baseball at every level, including MLB, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in the MiLB, college, high school, and international leagues. It is currently published in the form of an editorial and stats website, a monthly magazine, a podcast network, and three annual reference book titles. It also regularly produces lists of the top prospects in the sport, and covers aspects of the game from a scouting and player-development point of view. Industry insiders look to BA for its expertise and insights related to annual and future MLB Drafts classes. The publication's motto is "The most trusted source in baseball." History ''Baseball America'' was founded in 1981 and has since grown into a full-service media company. Founder Allan Simpson began writing the magazine from Canada, originally calling it the ''All-America Baseball News''. By 1983, Simpson moved the magazine to Durham, North Carolina, after it was purch ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Gwinnett Braves
The Gwinnett Stripers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at Coolray Field in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia (with a Lawrenceville address) in suburban Atlanta, Georgia. They are named for striped bass in reference to the popularity of fishing in the region. The team was established in 2009 after the International League's Richmond Braves relocated from Richmond, Virginia. Named the Gwinnett Braves after their major league affiliate, they adopted their current moniker in 2018. The Stripers moved from the IL to the Triple-A East in conjunction with MLB's restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021, but this league was renamed the International League in 2022. History In January 2008, the Atlanta Braves announced plans to relocate its Triple-A Minor League Baseball affiliate from Richmond, Virginia, to Gwinnett County in suburban Atlanta, Georgia. The move cam ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Mississippi Braves
The Mississippi Braves, or M-Braves as they are referred to locally, are a Minor League Baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi, a suburb of Jackson. The team is the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves and plays in the Southern League. The team is owned and operated by Endeavor. Endeavor purchased the Braves from Liberty Media in 2022. History In 2005, the Southern League's Greenville Braves relocated to Pearl from Greenville, South Carolina, due to the poor condition of Greenville Municipal Stadium, and the failure to reach an agreement with the Greenville County council for a new ballpark. The M-Braves' first season began on April 18, 2005 at Trustmark Park with a loss to the Montgomery Biscuits. In conjunction with Major League Baseball's restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the Braves were organized into the Double-A South. They won the 2021 Southern Division title with a first-place 67–44 record. They qualified for the playoffs by having the best ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Myrtle Beach Pelicans
The Myrtle Beach Pelicans are a Minor League Baseball team in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and the Single-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. The Pelicans compete in the Carolina League. Home games are played at TicketReturn.com Field, which opened in 1999 and seats up to 6,599 people. The Pelicans have been members of the Carolina League since 1999 and most recently won the league's championship in 2016. On February 12, 2020, Major League Baseball announced that the Pelicans had accepted a Professional Development League license to continue as the Cubs' Low-A affiliate in the Low-A East. This league was renamed the Carolina League and reclassified as Single-A in 2022. From their inaugural season through 2010, they were affiliated with the Atlanta Braves, before spending four seasons as a Texas Rangers affiliate from 2011 to 2014. The team's current affiliation with the Chicago Cubs began in 2015. History Previously, this franchise was known as the Durham Bulls, but reloca ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Rome Braves
The Rome Braves are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They are located in Rome, Georgia, and play their home games at AdventHealth Stadium. From 2003 to 2020, the team served as Atlanta's Class A, or "Single-A," affiliate before being elevated to High-A with the restructuring of the minor league system in 2021. Rome is the longest-tenured partner club of the Atlanta Braves. History Organization's historical beginnings A longstanding member of the current iteration South Atlantic League since its inception, the Class A Atlanta Braves affiliate's history dates back to 1980 with the founding of the Anderson Braves, sporting a roster featuring future major league talents such as Brett Butler, Brook Jacoby, and Brad Komminsk. The Anderson team received a great deal of support and experienced relatively high attendance figures during its short run. Despite the local support though, former Atlanta Braves owner T ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Danville Braves
The Danville Braves were a Minor League Baseball team in Danville, Virginia. They were an Advanced Rookie-level team in the Appalachian League and were a farm team of the Atlanta Braves. The Braves have played home games at American Legion Post 325 Field. Opened in 1993, Legion Field held 2,588 fans. Before coming to Danville, they played at Calfee Park in Pulaski, Virginia. On September 3, 2006, Danville won their first ever Appalachian League championship, defeating the Elizabethton Twins 2 games to 1, in a best of three series. On September 3, 2009, Danville won their second Appalachian League championship, again defeating the Elizabethton Twins, this time two games to zero. The Danville Braves mascot was a large, green bird named Blooper. In 2019, they had an attendance of 30,000. The start of the 2020 season was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic before ultimately being cancelled on June 30. In conjunction with a contraction of Minor League Baseball beginning with the ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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2008 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2008 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft continued Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, and was held on June 5 and 6, 2008. First round selections ;Key Supplemental first round selections Compensation picks Other notable players * Kyle Lobstein, 2nd round, 47th overall by the Tampa Bay Rays *Tanner Scheppers, 2nd round, 48th overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates *Johnny Giavotella, 2nd round, 49th overall by the Kansas City Royals *Xavier Avery, 2nd round, 50th overall by the Baltimore Orioles *Anthony Gose, 2nd round, 51st overall by the Philadelphia Phillies *Brad Hand, 2nd round, 52nd overall by the Florida Marlins *Robbie Ross, 2nd round, 57th overall by the Texas Rangers *Tyson Ross, 2nd round, 58th overall by the Oakland Athletics * Shane Peterson, 2nd round, 59th overall by the St. Louis Cardinals *Tyler Ladendorf, 2nd round, 59th overall by the Minnesota Twins *Josh Lindblom, 2nd round, 60th o ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |