MLB Draft Results: 2009 │ 2008 │ 2007 │ 2006 │ 2005 │ All-Time Roster
Cal Ripken League Alumni News
Hot news: Baseball America released its 2010 college preview edition, and three Ripken League alumni have earned spots on the preseason All-America Teams. In the same issue, Baseball America features Coastal Carolina third baseman Scott Woodward (Herndon Braves '07), who has grown accustomed to overcoming challenges.
Derrik Gibson (Youse's Orioles '07-'08) has been named a Top 10 prospect in the Boston Red Sox by both Baseball America and FanGraphs. Meanwhile, Carlos Gutierrez (Bethesda Big Train 2005) has been named the No. 7 prospect in the Minnesota Twins farm system by Baseball America.
Four Ripken League alumni earned spots in Baseball America's Minor League Top Prospects lists. Carlos Gutierrez was listed as the #11 prospect in the Florida State League for 2009. Derrik Gibson was listed as the #15 prospect in the New York-Penn League, while Connor Hoehn (Bethesda Big Train '07-'08) was listed as the #18 prospect in the Northwest League. Mycal Jones (Herndon Braves '08) was listed as the #17 prospect in the Appalachian League this season and has already turned heads for the Danville Braves. A trade brought Steve Johnson (Youse's Orioles) back home to Maryland, but he was later selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 2009 Rule 5 Draft.
The 2009 season saw many Ripken League alumni make tremendous strides in their professional careers, and none more so than Brett Cecil (Silver Spring-Takoma T-Bolts '05), who made his Major League debut for the Toronto Blue Jays on May 5. And as Baseball America notes, Cecil has proven he belongs. Cecil joined Joe Smith (Rockville Express '05) as the only Ripken League alumni to reach the Major Leagues.
Follow all of your favorite Ripken League alumni as they continue their baseball journeys with the help of our revamped alumni section. Of course, it's a wide world of baseball out there and we are trying our best to keep track of our alumni in and out of professional baseball. Do you have news about CRSCBL alumni, baseball or otherwise? Please let us know at: info@calripkenleague.org
Major Leagues
Joe Smith │ Wright State │ Rockville Express '05
Drafted: 2006 (Round 3, Overall Pick 94), New York Mets
Current team: Cleveland Indians
The first Ripken, Sr. League alum to reach the Major Leagues, Smith is currently on the 15-Day Disabled List for the Cleveland Indians. Between the 2008 and 2009 seasons, Smith was acquired by the Indians in a three-team trade with the Seattle Mariners and New York Mets.
Smith had a solid sophomore campaign for the New York Mets in 2008. The sidewinder went 6-3, 3.55 in 82 relief appearances for the Mets. He allowed 28 runs (25 earned) on 51 hits and 31 walks in 63.1 innings-pitched. Smith struck out 52 batters and allowed just four home runs.
The Rockville Express alum went 3-2 with a 3.45 ERA out of the bullpen for the Mets in 2007. He appeared in 54 games, striking out 45 batters in 44.1 innings-pitched. Smith allowed just three home runs.
Brett Cecil │ Maryland │ Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts '05
Drafted: 2007 (Round 1-S, Overall Pick 38), Toronto Blue Jays
Current team: Toronto Blue Jays
Cecil made his Major League Debut on May 5, 2009 when he started for the Toronto Blue Jays against the Cleveland Indians. Cecil tied a club-record by striking out six batters in his debut. He allowed two runs on six hits and no walks as he pitched to a no-decision.
Baseball America's top pitching prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays farm system and the #17 overall prospect in the Eastern League, Cecil rose quickly through the Minor League ranks in 2008. After making four starts and posting a 1.74 ERA with the Dunedin Blue Jays of the Class-A Florida State League, Cecil joined former Maryland Terrapins teammate and fellow Ripken, Sr. League alum Seth Overbey and the New Hampshire Fisher Cats of the Class-AA Eastern League. Cecil went 6-2, 2.55 in 18 starts for the Fisher Cats, while striking out 87 batters in 77.2 innings. He was then promoted to the Syracuse Chiefs of the Class-AAA International League, where he went 2-3, 4.11 in six starts with 31 strikeouts in 30.2 innings. Overall, Cecil went 8-5, 2.88 in 28 starts in 2008. He struck out a combined 129 batters in 118.2 innings-pitched and allowed just 41 walks. Opponents hit a combined .225 off of him in 2008. Baseball America projects Cecil as the Jays' fourth starter in 2012 and called his slider the best among prospects in the organization.
In 2007, Cecil proved his value very quickly for the at Class-A Short-Season Auburn, where he went 1-0 with a 1.27 ERA in 14 appearances for the Doubledays. Cecil struck out 56 batters in 50 innings and walked just 11. He allowed just one home run, and opposing hitters batted just .197 off of him. Baseball America named Cecil the top pro prospect in the Class-A Short-Season New York-Penn League in 2007 and also a short-season classification All-Star.
