Sean Green Gets Call to the Big Leagues
May 01, 2006 | Baseball
May 1, 2006
SEATTLE, Wa. - Former University of Louisville pitcher Sean Green's contract has been purchased from Triple-A Tacoma by the Seattle Mariners, and will join the team in Minneapolis where the Mariners will meet the Twins tonight and tomorrow at 8:10 p.m. ET.
"We knew that if he continued to work hard, he had the ability to get to the big leagues," said Louisville Head Coach Lelo Prado.
Green, a Louisville Male High School graduate, played for the Cards from 1998-'00 and was drafted in the 12th round of the 2000 MLB Draft by the Colorado Rockies after his junior season at U of L.
After spending his first professional season in Portland with the Rockies Northwest League affiliate, the right-hander moved up the organizational ladder, pitching for Asheville in the South Atlantic league in 2001, Salem in the Carolina League in 2002, and California League's Visalia Oaks before jumping to AA Tulsa in 2004 where he was 4-3 with a 3.03 ERA.
In an off-season trade the Mariners acquired Green from the Rockies for pitcher Aaron Taylor, and Green flourished in the Mariners farm system, logging Texas League-high 14 saves and posting a 2.96 ERA for San Antonio in 2005 before being promoted to AAA Tacoma.
He completed the 2005 season in Tacoma and pitched in seven spring training games with the big league squad in Arizona before opening this season back in Tacoma.
His spring training performance and 4-0 record and 1.38 ERA as the Raniers' closer has caught the eye of Mariners manager Mike Hargrove.
"He threw strikes and had a nasty sinker," Hargrove said.
Following his senior season at Male, Green was selected by Toronto Blue Jays in 32nd round (959th overall) of 1997 amateur entry draft, but elected to attend U of L.
Position player Fred Koster, a U of L Athletic Hall of Famer who lettered in four sports from 1924-'28, is the only other Cardinal to compete in the Majors, competing in 76 games for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1931.
Three other former Cardinals are currently playing professional baseball. J.T. LaFountain is with the Charleston River Dogs of the South Atlantic League(A). Adam Haley, a middle-infielder is with the Tennesse Smokies of the Southern League(AA) and Mark Jurich is currently re-habbing from shoulder surgery in the Atlanta Braves organization.
