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Northern League Transactions

Schaumburg Flyers -- Acquired the contracts of OF Brian Baker and IF Kevin Bass from San Angelo of the United League in exchange for two players to be named later. S igned OF Kevin House to a 2007 contract.

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CHICAGO (December 11) - Northern League teams may face some different opponents in pre-season exhibition games in 2007.

The Northern League Board of Directors has approved a resolution permitting member clubs to schedule Spring Training exhibition games against clubs in other independent leagues.

The Board of Directors did not approve any inter-league play during the Northern League's regular season.

The resolution was approved during the Board of Directors Annual Meeting at the Marriott Orlando World Center December 7 and 8.

More Info: The Northern League is the premier Independent Professional Baseball League, with eight member clubs located in four Midwest states and two Canadian provinces. In the 14 seasons since the League's re-formation in 1993, the contracts of more than 600 Northern League players have been sold to Major League Baseball organizations, while more than 30 of those players have returned to the Major Leagues after playing in the Northern League. The league plays a 96-game schedule from mid-May through early September, and boasts the highest average attendance of any short-season Independent League.

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Teammates in 2006, Joel Posey and Randy Rapp will look to maintain that bond in the coming season.

Goldeyes manager Rick Forney announced today the signing of the pair, bringing to four the number of players under contract for 2007, all pitchers. Both began the 2006 season in training camp with an independent league club, were signed days apart by the Athletics and split the season between two of Oakland's minor league affiliates.

Posey, 25, can start or pitch out of the bullpen. He went 1-2 last year in 28 appearances (three starts) with Stockton of the California (A) League and Kane County of the Midwest (A) League after being picked up from Florence of the Frontier League. He is a career 15-6 with a 3.65 earned run average in 59 games (34 starts) over three seasons while fanning 258 in 244-plus innings.

"I look for big things out of Joel," said Forney. "He was one of the most dominant guys in the Frontier League in 2005 and has the ability to strike out a lot of guys. I'm excited to see him come in and compete for a job as a starter."

Rapp, 25, has pitched exclusively as a reliever in three seasons, going 5-4 with a 3.62 ERA and 14 saves in 69 games. Picked up last year from New Jersey of the Can-Am League, he went 2-0 with a 3.94 ERA and two saves in 29 games with Stockton and Kane County.

"I'm really excited to add Randy to our roster because he has a lot of versatility," said Forney. "He's shown he can close games, but I like that we can also use him as a set-up man because he can go two innings."

Posey and Rapp join Brett Lawson and Brian Beuning on the Goldeyes roster. Forney expects to announce further signings by the end of December, including a new pitching coach by the end of this week.

FISH FOOD: Shoppers looking for the perfect stocking stuffer for the Fish fan on their list can find it exclusively at any Wal-Mart in Manitoba where, for just $3.97, the 2007 Goldeyes calendar is now available with proceeds from all sales going to the Field of Dreams Foundation.

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JOLIET, IL-As the Christmas holiday nears, the Joliet JackHammers encourage all fans to stop by the team's Box Office and Pro Shop at Silver Cross Field to fill their wish lists with JackHammers merchandise. The Box Office and Pro Shop will be open Monday-Friday during normal business hours to assist those fans interested in purchasing holiday gifts. The JackHammers start their sixth season in the Northern League on Thursday, May 17, 2007 at 7:05 p.m. against the Calgary Vipers at Silver Cross Field.

"The JackHammers offer a wide variety of gift ideas this holiday season," said JackHammers executive vice president/general manager Kelly Sufka. "We have undated flex packs, mini-plans, t-shirts and hats plus plenty of other items. There are tons of great gift ideas for any JackHammers fan."

The JackHammers currently offer 24, 8 and 6 game "ticket flex packs." These undated voucher packs can be redeemed for box seat tickets to any game during the 2007 regular season (based on availability).

"We just received our first shipment of JackHammers ticket flex packs for the 2007 season," said Kyle Kreger, JackHammers director of ticket operations. "These packages give our fans extra value and benefit in customizing which games best fit their schedule this season!"

The Pro Shop at Silver Cross Field continues to be open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. The JackHammers have a full compliment of t-shirts, sweatshirts, caps, baseballs and souvenirs available for purchase. Whether you have something in mind or are just looking for gift ideas, the JackHammers Pro Shop is open for you. For more information, or to access the Pro Shop, stop by the JackHammers Front Office at Silver Cross Field.

Loose Gravel: The JackHammers Front Office will be closed for the Christmas holiday from Saturday, December 23 until Monday, January 1. The Front Office will re-open on Tuesday, January 2, 2007 at 8:30 a.m.

The JackHammers have full season tickets, mini-plan ticket packages, and all group outings available for purchase for the 2007 season. For ticket information, please give the JackHammers ticket department a call at (815) 726-BALL (2255), go online to JackHammerBaseball.com or visit the Silver Cross Field box office during normal business hours.