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July 13, 2007 - LOVES PARK, Ill. – The Milwaukee Brewers have signed one of the top closers in Frontier League history.
The Rockford RiverHawks announced today that the Brewers have signed reliever Mike Marksbury, the team’s all-time saves leader. Marksbury was 0-0 with a league-leading 14 saves and a 1.33 earned-run average in 20 appearances with Rockford.
The two-time FL all-star is the eighth RiverHawk signed by a major-league organization in the team’s six seasons in Rockford. Milwaukee has assigned Marksbury to the Brevard County Manatees of the high Class A Florida State League.
In his final appearance, Marksbury picked up the save last Saturday at River City to continue a dominant mid-season stretch. The 25-year-old right-hander picked up the save in each his last 10 appearances. In that span, Marksbury pitched 10 2/3 scoreless innings and scattered three hits – two against Chillicothe on June 21 and one on July 7 – for an .091 (3-for-33) opposing average, struck out 18 and walked four.
In 20 1/3 total innings this season, Marksbury struck out 32, walked 10 and held opposing batters to a .119 average.
Marksbury broke the team career saves record on June 28. Marksbury has 26 saves in two seasons with the RiverHawks. Josh Latimer set the old record by saving 22 games in 2002-04. Marksbury, who saved 12 games last year and recorded a career-best save total this year, is the first pitcher in team history with two seasons of double-digit saves. He had matched Jason Glosser for second place on the RiverHawks’ single-season saves list. Latimer holds the single-season record of 15 saves, set in 2004.
Marksbury is fifth on the FL’s career saves list. He is second among active league pitchers, trailing only Evansville closer Mike Bille, who has 29 career saves.
Major-league teams have purchased nine contracts from the RiverHawks in the team’s six seasons in Rockford. Marksbury’s signing is the fourth time a RiverHawk went to the Frontier League all-star game and was picked up. Pitcher Jason Shelley was signed by the Brewers at the 2003 all-star break and was named Baseball America magazine Independent League Player of the Year following the season. Lefty Justin Dowdy was signed by Seattle the same week, returned to Rockford the following spring and was picked up by Anaheim at the break in 2004.
Other RiverHawks signed by major-league clubs are: infielder Jayson Drobiak (New York Yankees, 2002), pitcher Justin Olson (Minnesota, 2003), pitcher Scott Sobkowiak (Cincinnati, 2003), outfielder Rich Austin (Kansas City, 2004) and pitcher Derrick Ellison (Seattle, 2005).
The RiverHawks are members of the Frontier League, a 12-team independent professional baseball league in its 15th season. Advertising, season-ticket and suite information is available by calling the box office at (815) 885-2255. Some games are broadcast live on WNTA (1330 AM). Fans can also visit the RiverHawks online at www.rockfordriverhawks.com.
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