Melville Cole Armstrong (born August 24, 1983) is a Canadian former professional baseball
catcher
Catcher is a Baseball positions, position in baseball and softball. When a Batter (baseball), batter takes their at bat, turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home plate, home) Umpire (baseball), umpire, and recei ...
and current
manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities o ...
for the
Kamloops NorthPaws
The Kamloops NorthPaws are a collegiate summer baseball team located in Kamloops, British Columbia. The NorthPaws are members of the West Coast League and play their home games at NorBrock Stadium. They are scheduled to begin play in 2021.
Hist ...
, who has played in international competition with the
Canada national baseball team
The Canada national baseball team represents Canada in international baseball. They are overseen by Baseball Canada, the governing body of baseball in Canada. Their manager is Ernie Whitt, a former Major League Baseball catcher for the Toronto ...
.
Career
While attending high school at Delphi Academy in
Langley Langley may refer to:
People
* Langley (surname), a common English surname, including a list of notable people with the name
* Dawn Langley Simmons (1922–2000), English author and biographer
* Elizabeth Langley (born 1933), Canadian perfor ...
,
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
, Armstrong played multiple seasons for the Whalley Chiefs of the
B.C. Premier Baseball League
The British Columbia Premier Baseball League, commonly referred to as the BCPBL or the PBL, is a competitive youth baseball league consisting of 13 teams located throughout British Columbia, Canada. Over the years, the BCPBL has served as a tal ...
. He played for
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
at the 2000 World Junior Baseball Championship in
Sherbrooke
Sherbrooke ( ; ) is a city in southern Quebec, Canada. It is at the confluence of the Saint-François and Magog rivers in the heart of the Estrie administrative region. Sherbrooke is also the name of a territory equivalent to a regional count ...
,
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
.
Armstrong, who also played at Chipola (Fla.) Junior College, was drafted by the New York Mets in the 32nd Round of 2001 Draft but did not sign. He was drafted again by the
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...
in the 12th round (487th overall) of the
2003 Major League Baseball Draft. He played one year for the
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. Tw ...
Jayhawks in before entering the Minor League. After stints with the
Gulf Coast League Braves
The Florida Complex League Braves are the Rookie-level affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. Prior to 2021, the team was known as the Gulf Coast League Braves. The team plays at CoolTo ...
in , the
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 3 ...
in and the
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 ...
in , Armstrong was picked by the White Sox that winter in the
Rule 5 Draft.
He split parts of the next two seasons between the
Winston-Salem Warthogs
Winston-Salem is a city and the county seat of Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. In the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the second-largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region, the 5th most populous city in N ...
and the
Birmingham Barons
The Birmingham Barons are a Minor League Baseball team based in Birmingham, Alabama. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox and plays at Regions Field in downtown Birmingham. The current ...
.
He re-signed with Chicago on Feb. 27, 2008 for a one-year deal and signed another one-year contract for $400,000 with the White Sox on Feb. 24, 2009. Halfway through the season, Armstrong was promoted to the Triple-A
Charlotte Knights
The Charlotte Knights are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. They are located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and play their home games at Truist Field, which opened in 20 ...
where he remained through the season.
Armstrong was designated for assignment on January 12, 2010.
On January 19, 2010, Cole was out-righted to Triple-A Charlotte. He finished the 2010 season with the Birmingham Barons.
He joined the
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...
organization in 2011 and was assigned to the Triple-A
Salt Lake City Bees
The Salt Lake City Bees was a primary moniker of the minor league baseball teams, based in Salt Lake City, Utah between 1911 and 1970 under various names. After minor league baseball first began in Salt Lake City in 1900, the Bees were long-time ...
.
Armstrong became a coach with the AZL White Sox in 2014.
See also
*
Rule 5 draft results
Below are lists of Rule 5 draft results since 1997. Players selected in the Major League Baseball (MLB) phase of the Rule 5 draft must be kept on their new team's active roster for the entire following MLB season, or they are placed on waivers ...
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Armstrong, Cole
1983 births
Living people
Águilas Cibaeñas players
Canadian expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic
Baseball catchers
Baseball people from British Columbia
Baseball players at the 2011 Pan American Games
Birmingham Barons players
Canada national baseball team players
Canadian baseball coaches
Canadian expatriate baseball players in the United States
Charlotte Knights players
Danville Braves players
Gulf Coast Braves players
Minor league baseball coaches
Minor league baseball managers
New Orleans Zephyrs players
Pan American Games gold medalists for Canada
Pan American Games medalists in baseball
Rome Braves players
Salt Lake Bees players
Sportspeople from Surrey, British Columbia
Kansas Jayhawks baseball players
Wichita Wingnuts players
Winston-Salem Warthogs players
Medalists at the 2011 Pan American Games
Chipola Indians baseball players
Mat-Su Miners players