I love irony, and here was a little delicious double dose that came through the mailbox of Herald interactive media director Andy Perdue on Friday...
"Hi Andy,
I just thought y'all might find it interesting that the Salem-Keizer player (Ryan Lollis) that got the game winning hit in the 13th inning last night is my younger brother. This is significant because I was a pitcher for the 1999 Tri City Posse championship team of the Western League."
It was signed "Collin Kerley."
Kerley, a right-hander, made 18 starts in the independent Western Baseball League for the Posse that season.
According to BaseballReference.com, that marked Kerley's final season in pro ball. He is now 39 and appears to be working for an insurance agency in Houston, Texas.
Talk about a much younger brother. Lollis, 22, graduated from Houston Christian High School and was drafted in the 37th round out of the University of Missouri by the San Francisco Giants.
The left-handed hitting outfielder turned in a solid season for S-K manager Tom Trebelhorn, who, ironically, was the Posse's first manager in 1995.
On Thursday, Trebelhorn guided Salem-Keizer to its third Northwest League championship in four seasons. Two of those titles have come at the expense of the Dust Devils. That's an overdose of irony.
In other Dust Devils news, Baseball America released its Top 10 Prospects for 2009 on Friday. It ranked
Christian Friedrich, a former Dust Devil left-hander, as the No. 8 prospect in all of baseball.
His combined season in the South Atlantic League with Asheville (N.C.) and the California League as a Modesto Nut produced a 6-5 mark with 159 strikeouts in 120 innings. Two other amazing stats were just five HRs allowed and only 43 walks issued.
He's 22, so it's not impossible that he'll be with the Rockies next season. And the Rockies quietly have stockpiled young arms that rival those of the Giants.
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Tri-City's Ebert named NWL's top exec
Tri-City's Ebert named NWL's top exec
PASCO -- Fresh off a record-setting season, the Tri-City Dust Devils added yet another feather in their caps Tuesday when Derrel Ebert, their general manager and vice president, was named the Northwest League's Executive of the Year.
Not bad for someone who had never before experienced a winning season.
"This award is a compliment to all those involved with Dust Devils baseball," Ebert said in a statement. "Our front office works extremely hard throughout the year, and we get great support from our fans, sponsors, the Colorado Rockies and the City of Pasco."
On this date in Mid-Columbia sports history
On this date in Mid-Columbia sports history
On Oct. 31 in ...
* 2000 -- Rosalie Swanson of Richland was selected out of several entries in a contest to name the new Northwest League baseball franchise in Pasco, and the Tri-City Dust Devils were born. Swanson's submission edged out the Rattlers in a close decision. Other ideas for a mascot included the Fire, Black Sox, Triplets and Badgers. For her winning entry, Swanson earned season tickets for life.
Dust Devils' offense missing vs. Volcanoes
Dust Devils' offense missing vs. Volcanoes
PASCO -- The Tri-City Dust Devils had an opportunity to give Salem-Keizer some trouble Wednesday night at Gesa Stadium.
Trailing by four entering the ninth inning, the Dust Devils loaded the bases with nobody out against Volcanoes reliever Cody Hall.
But Hall struck out Jayson Langfels and David Hernandez before Phil McCormick came in to induce a game-ending groundout by Brian Humphries to clinch the Volcanoes' 4-0 Northwest League win.
Ex-Dust Devil Wilson picks football over baseball
Ex-Dust Devil Wilson picks football over baseball
After leading Wisconsin to the Rose Bowl in his lone season with the Badgers, quarterback Russell Wilson has decided to pursue a career in pro football over one in baseball.
Wilson played parts of two minor league seasons for the Colorado Rockies organization, including 32 games in the summer of 2010 with the Tri-City Dust Devils. He has informed the Rockies that he will prepare for the NFL draft instead of report to spring training.
"I want to put all my focus in football and see where it takes me," Wilson said in a phone interview Wednesday.
Dust Devils head to NWL championship series
Dust Devils head to NWL championship series
PASCO -- The Tri-City Dust Devils have been able to hold champagne celebrations in the clubhouse twice this season.
First, the Dust Devils did it in late July after clinching the first-half title in the Northwest League East Division. They did it again Tuesday after a 9-1 win over Boise to win the NWL Divisional Playoff series at Gesa Stadium.
They're counting on getting good and happy one final time, hopefully to commemorate Tri-City's first Northwest League championship since 1984. The Tri-City Triplets were the last team from Tri-Cities to win the NWL title. The Tri-City Posse, an independent team, won the Western Baseball League championship in 1999.
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