June 30, 2010
Asadoorian in familiar surroundings
by NEBJ Staff/
Rick Asadoorian is in familiar surroundings with the Worcester Tornadoes
New England fans, particularly those from Central Massachusetts, should recall the name Rick Asadoorian. A former Northbridge High School star in the late 1990s, Asadoorian was the Red Sox’ first-round pick (17th overall) in the 1999 Major League Baseball first-year draft.
Asadoorian, a first-team high school All-American during his senior year at Northbridge, is back in familiar surroundings this season as a member of the Can-Am League’s Worcester Tornadoes. He’s also back in familiar territory roaming the outfield for the Tornadoes after trying his hand at pitching during recent professional seasons.
Asadoorian’s pitching prowess earned him a spot in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ major-league camp during spring training in 2008, but that’s as far as it took him. He was released by the Dodgers that season, and spent last year pitching for the independent Bridgeport Bluefish.
Originally drafted by the Red Sox as an outfielder, Asadoorian wanted to return to his baseball roots. He contacted the Tornadoes and asked if they had a roster spot open. A roster spot in the outfield.
“If I was going to play, this was the only place I was going to play unless I got signed by [a major league] affiliated club, and that didn’t look like it was going to happen,” Asadoorian told the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. “I might as well play and come home and enjoy it with my family.
“I haven’t hit or played [regularly] in three years, so I just wanted to give it one last effort here. There might be a chance I get picked up, you never know.”
Asadoorian lasted just two years in the Red Sox’ farm system before he was included as part of a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals for pitcher Dustin Hermanson. Two years later, the Cardinals shipped him to the Texas Rangers for pitcher Estaban Yan. The Cincinnati Reds acquired him from Texas in the 2004 Rule 5 draft, and the Dodgers picked him up as a minor-league free agent in December 2007. Working in five major-league organizations in eight professional seasons, his career had taken on journeyman’s status. This could be his last stop on the baseball trail.
According to the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, Asadoorian is also mulling a future career in golf. Using money he earned with his original Red Sox contract, he has enrolled in the Golf Academy of America in Orlando, Fla. But like some of his Tornadoes’ teammates among many others playing in the Can-Am League, Asadoorian has not fully given up the dream of making it to the majors. Even if by big-league standards, he’s something of a dinosaur. He will celebrate his 30th birthday on July 23.
“If I do well, great; if I don’t, well, I’m not capable of doing it anymore,” he reasoned. “I think that’s going to translate into playing well.”
Lynn Invitational returns for sixth year
The Lynn Invitational Baseball Tournament, which showcases some of the area’s best talent each summer, is scheduled for the weekend of Aug. 14-15, with its all-star game slated for Tuesday, Aug. 17 at Fraser Field in Lynn The tournament is still accepting applications from players interested in participating this year.
Among those who have taken part in the Lynn Tournament are 2009 Major League Baseball first-year draft picks Mike Yastrzemski (St. John’s Prep, Danvers), selected by the Red Sox; Regan Flaherty (Deering High School, Maine), selected by the Seattle Mariners; Matthew Carasiti (Berlin High School, Conn.), selected by the Texas Rangers; and Chris McKenzie, San Jacinto Community College in Texas), selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Yastrzemski, playing in the Cape Cod League this season, is the grandson of Red Sox Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski.
The Lynn Invitational, which is made up of four 27-man rosters, attracts scouts from the majority of major-league teams each year, in addition to a representative from the Major League Scouting Bureau. Among the 2007 participants, Brett Anderson (Bristol High School, Rhode Island) and Scott Weisman (Acton-Boxborough Regional High School, Mass.) were selected in the 2008 MLB first-year draft by the Detroit Tigers, while Keith Landers (St. Peter-Marian High School, Worcester, Mass.) was chosen by the Baltimore Orioles.
Lynn Invitational Tournament directors Joel Karakaedos (978 317-3555) and Tim Fila (978 836-6671), who were teammates on back-to-back title teams at St. Mary’s in 1987-88, can be contacted for more information. The tournament’s website is http://www.lynninvitational.com.
Cape League gets radio deal on Sunday nights
For the first time this summer, WEEI Radio (96.3 FM) will broadcast a Cape Cod Baseball League game on Sunday nights. Larry Egan and John Garner, who previously called games on Cool 102, PIXY 103 and on WXTK, return as the broadcasting duo.
The CCBL announced additional broadcast plans. The 48th Cape Cod Baseball League All-Star Game at Fenway Park will be telecast live on CBS College Sports Network (Channel 261 on local Comcast Cable), on WCAI and on the Cape and the islands NPR Stations (90.1, 91.1, 94.3 FM) on July 28 at 7 p.m. Eric Frede returns as play-by-play announcer for the telecast on CBS, while NPR’s Neal Conan and John Garner team up on radio.
WBZ.com will host a Cape League Game of the Week web-cast package schedule for the fourth straight summer. All 10 teams will be shown in a package that includes seven regular-season games and three playoff contests. The web-casts include audio and video streaming. Veteran Boston news/sports anchor Scott Wahle returns as play-by-play voice, along with Garner as analyst. Filling in will be Bob Lobel.
New programming on WCAI includes weekly player interviews with WCAI’s Morning Edition host Dan Tritle discussing players, game highlights and standings. Back for the second straight season is “Cape League, On Deck” a weekly magazine show featuring host Katy Fitzpatrick that airs on Cape Cod Community Television (Channel 17) on Fridays at 6:30 p.m. and on community access channels from New Bedford to Provincetown.
For more information on-line about the CCBL, visit http://www.capecodbaseball.org.
