Return of Brian Adams May Help Patriots

Somerset’slast place standing in the Freedom Divisionwith a 6-12 record may look bleak, but it is far too early to count the two-time defending champions out since they only trail division-leading Lancasterby four games (five in the loss column).  The Patriots, who have already tried 22 pitchers this season, have bolstered their mound staff with the return of southpaw Brian Adamsfrom Mexico,where he was 2-0 with an imposing 1.07 ERA for 42 innings.  Adams won 39 games (39-17) for Somerset the last three years, including 13 one year ago.  Somerset has added three left-handed arms of late starting with Bill Pulsipherthen Adams and Andrew Dobies,a 24-25 career minor leaguer.

Two Other Major League Additions

Other fresh arms in the league include lefty John Koronka, who has an 8-13 major league record, at Lancasterand closer Armando Benitezonce again back with Newark.

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Aldridge, Jimerson, Gibbons Have Hot Bats

The string of Atlantic Leaguealumni prospering in affiliated leagues seems never ending.  Derrick Ellison (Southern Maryland, Bridgeport)has allowed only two hits in 12 shutout innings his last 10 games with the New York Mets’ Binghamton, NYfarm club while the Blue Crabs’ Dane DeLaRosahas posted a 3-1 record and 0.66 ERA in his last 10 appearances with Tampa Bay’s Montgomery, ALclub.  He has won seven of nine decisions for the year, all in relief.

Among hitters, Cory Aldridge (Newark)has picked up right where he left off with Salt Lake Citybefore his promotion to the Los Angeles Angelsby going 7-for-17 in his first four games back with the Bees, and Charlton Jimersonhas taken his hot bat from Bridgeportto the Angels’Double-A Arkansasclub with three homers, 11 RBI and a .319 average (15-for-47) in his first 11 games.  Jay Gibbons (Long Island)has had another torrid stretch at Albuquerque (Dodgers)by going 3-11-.406 in his last 10 games to run his season log to 17-75-.335.

(These are excerpts from the Atlantic League Notebook.  Subscriptions to the full Notebook are available via www.AtlanticLeagueBaseball.com or www.WirzandAssociates.com .  Bob Wirz also writes a weekly column, the Independent Baseball Insider, as well as a blog, www.IndyBaseballChatter.com. The author has 16 years of major league baseball public relations experience with Kansas City and as chief spokesman for two Commissioners and lives in Stratford, CT.)