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August 23, 2008 - LOVES PARK, Ill. – Justin Dowdy is one stop from the major leagues.
This week, the Oakland Athletics promoted the former Rockford RiverHawk to Triple-A Sacramento of the Pacific Coast League. Dowdy, who pitched for Rockford in 2003 and 2004, is the first former Rockford RiverHawk to reach a domestic Triple-A minor league.
The lefty made his Class AAA debut with the Sacramento River Cats on Thursday. Dowdy gave up an unearned run on two hits and four walks in 2 2/3 innings at Fresno.
“He was a good guy here, and it’s good to see him get an opportunity, especially in an organization where he may have a chance at a September callup,” general manager Josh Olerud said.
Dowdy has averaged nearly a strikeout an inning this season for the Oakland organization. He struck out 44 in 49 innings at Class AA Midland of the Texas League, where he was 1-3 with a save and a 7.16 ERA in 38 appearances.
The Athletics signed Dowdy last fall following his selection to Baseball America magazine’s All-Independent Leagues first team. The lefty was 2-3 with a United League-record 24 saves and a 1.37 ERA for the Alexandria Aces. He struck out 102 in 53 innings.
Dowdy was a combined 6-2 with nine saves, a 2.21 ERA and 74 strikeouts in 81 1/3 innings in two years with Rockford. Dowdy pitched for the RiverHawks as their closer in 2003 and their Opening Day starter in 2004. Each season, he was voted to the Frontier League All-Star Game and signed at the break by a major-league organization. Seattle signed him in 2003 and Anaheim in 2004. He remains the only player to be signed off the Rockford roster twice.
Rich Austin, who now plays professionally in Italy, spent three weeks last season with Tabasco of the Mexican League. The Mexican League has Class AAA status, but has a loose affiliation with Major League Baseball and operates largely independent of the 30 big-league clubs.
Other former RiverHawks currently in major-league organizations include: shortstop Olmo Rosario (San Francisco Giants/Class AA Connecticut); pitchers Derrick Ellison (Milwaukee Brewers/high Class A Brevard County), Reed Dickert (Brewers/Class A West Virginia) and Taylor Sinclair (Arizona Diamondbacks/Rookie-level Missoula) and catcher Christian Rosa (St. Louis Cardinals/short-season A Batavia).
The RiverHawks are members of the Frontier League, a 12-team independent professional baseball league in its 16th season. Fans can also visit the website, www.rockfordriverhawks.com.
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