Barnstormers Sign Bladergroen
Atlantic League
LANCASTER, Pa.-The Lancaster Barnstormers have signed 1B-OF Ian Bladergroen to a 2008 contract, club vice president of baseball operations Keith Lupton announced today.
The Barnstormers acquired the rights to Bladergroen last week from the expansion Southern Maryland Blue Crabs in exchange for a player to be named later.
The 25-year old resident of Albuquerque, N.M., batted .275 with 21 doubles, nine home runs and 51 RBIs while playing in 76 games for the Road Warriors last year, his first season in the Atlantic League. He previously spent two seasons each in the New York Mets and Boston Red Sox organizations.
He got off to an incredible start for the Capital City Bombers of the Class A South Atlantic League in 2004, driving in 34 runs in his first 20 games. He finished with a .342 average, 13 homers and 74 RBIs in 72 games before being shelved by an injury for the final two months of the season. Bladergroen spent the next two seasons in Wilmington, Del.
"Ian is someone we've wanted since day one," Lupton said. "If he gets 400 at bats, he should have an outstanding year. He's a good left-handed bat with gap-to-gap power, which should play well in our ballpark."
Bladergroen becomes the 18th player under contract with the Barnstormers in 2008. The club heads to spring training in Lakeland, Fla., on Monday, April 14 and will return the following week to open the season at home against the Bridgeport Bluefish on Friday, April 25.
Tickets to Opening Night will go on sale during the Barnstormers annual FanFest on Saturday, April 5. Single-game tickets to all other regular season games are ON SALE NOW during a special internet pre-sale on Monday, March 31.
|