There’s no shortage of former Dust Devils players that made it to the Major League
When there is a pandemic and really not much live sports going on to speak of, you find other sports things to keep you busy.
Sometimes you come across some really interesting information.
Such was the case when I started wondering one day how many Tri-City Dust Devils players have made the leap to the big leagues in the last 10 years.
The answer?
Try 36 players, who at one point or another, made their Major League-debut in that time frame.
Some of those players are out of baseball now. Others are hanging in there, finding spot roles. And still others are just coming into their own stardom.
It’s the draw of going out to Gesa Stadium in Pasco to watch these young guys when they’re just starting out, and then keep an eye on their progress.
Here’s a look at those guys who still are playing with big-league clubs, in alphabetical order:
• Catcher Austin Allen (2015 Dust Devils player) made his MLB debut last season for the San Diego Padres. However, he’s now playing for the Oakland A’s.
• Reliever David Bednar (2016) is a member of the Padres’ bullpen.
• Outfielder Charlie Blackmon (2008, 2012) has been a standout for the Colorado Rockies for years. This season, at one point he was batting .500 (33 for 66).
• Reliever Ryan Castellani (2014) is pitching with the Rockies.
• Infielder Ty France (2015) is playing for the Padres.
• Catcher Dustin Garneau (2010) has seen spotty action this season playing for the Houston Astros.
• Pitcher Eric Lauer (2016) was a starter last year for San Diego before being traded to Milwaukee, where he is a starter for the Brewers now.
• Pitcher Joey Lucchesi (2016) has been a starter for the Padres for a few seasons.
• Nick Margevicius (2017), who has made some starts as a pitcher for the Seattle Mariners.
• Reliever Phil Maton (2015) made his MLB debut with the Padres. However, he’s now with the Cleveland Indians.
• Adrian Morejon (2017), a pitcher from Cuba who just got called back up by the Padres.
• Reliever Cal Quantrill (2016) continues to be a member of the Padres bullpen.
• Pitcher Antonio Senzatela (2013) has been a starter for the Rockies this season.
• Fernando Tatis, Jr. (2016), who played just 12 games for the Dust Devils. He has become a standout slugger in the major leagues for San Diego, and the shortstop currently leads MLB in home runs (12) and RBIs (29).
• Outfielder Mike Tauchman (2013-2014) saw action with the Dust Devils when they were part of the Rockies’ organization. For the last few seasons, he’s been a solid lineup guy with the New York Yankees.
• Infielder Luis Urias (2015) saw action for the Padres these past few seasons, but he’s now with the Brewers.
• Shortstop Pat Valaika (2013) has been playing with the Baltimore Orioles.
Former Ams in Europe
• According to the MacBeth Report, ex-Tri-City American Richard Nejezchleb has signed a one-year contract with Cracovia Kraków in the PHL in Poland.
Last season, Nejezchleb played in 30 games, scoring 2 goals and 8 assists, for Poruba in Czech Republic’s top league, 1.Liga.
The right winger, who was drafted by the New York Rangers in 2014, played just part of the 2014-15 season for the Americans.
In 47 games, Nejezchleb scored 19 goals and 30 assists for the Ams.
• Center Joel Broda, who played for the Americans from 2004-08, has signed a one-year deal with the Graz 99ers, a team based in Austria that plays in the Bet-At-Home Liga.
Last season, Broda played for Innsbruck in Austria, scoring 23 goals and 18 assists in 50 games.
Broda played in 126 games for Tri-City in the Western Hockey League, scoring 21 goals and 30 assists. He was drafted by the Washington Capitals in 2008.
Notes
• Sean Kato of Redmond, Wash., fired a first-round 65 and then held on to win the Washington State Men’s Amateur golf championship last week at Chambers Bay.
Kato, who plays for Oregon State University, had rounds of 65, 69 and 73 for a 207 total, 9 strokes under par. He earned $600 for the victory.
There were only three Mid-Columbians in the tournament.
Sunnyside’s TJ Inions had a two-round total of 159, while Benton City’s Richard Gleed II had a 166.
Kennewick’s David Vonghaleth – who set a course record at Columbia Point in Richland two years ago with a 59 — withdrew after a first-round 84.
• Grays Harbor Community College announced last week it had signed Chiawana’s Preston Close to a letter of intent to play baseball there.
Close was also part of the Hanford Flames summer American Legion program these past few years. He’ll be vying for an outfield spot for the 2021 season for the Chokers.
• Scorebook Live Washington recently came out with its list of top female high school athletes from Walla Walla County.
Historians couldn’t be surprised to see Jeanne Eggert Helfer atop the list. The 1977 Wa-Hi grad was a joy to watch, whether it be on the basketball court, in track and field, the volleyball court or tennis court.
Watching her myself, and not long after Title IX came into effect, she was way ahead of her time.
Earlier this year, Helfer was inducted into the Pac-12 Conference Hall of Honor for her outstanding basketball career at Washington State University.
She is the WSU women’s basketball program’s No. 2 all-time scorer.
After college, Helfer went on to become a standout coach at both Mead and Mt. Spokane High Schools.
The other major athlete from Walla Walla, 1994 grad Seville Broussard, was just a top-notch hurdler in track. She won seven state high school track championships, and then went on to Eastern Washington University and became an All-American.
There were three honorable mentions: Alyson Ambler, who played softball at UConn; Mikayla Ferenz, for both basketball and soccer – and she bows plays pro basketball after a standout career at the University of Idaho; and Jamie Weisner Scott, who played at Wa-Hi her sophomore season but then moved to Clarkston when her father was named principal at Clarkston High.
Weisner played basketball at Oregon State and was drafted in the WNBA.