LANCASTER, Pa.—A big-league pitcher and Atlantic League triples king are in the barn. The Lancaster Barnstormers signed right-hander Trey Hodges and ’08 star Lloyd Turner for the 2009 baseball season, the club announced today.
Hodges, 30, signed with Atlanta in 2000 as the Braves’ 17th round draft choice out of Louisiana State. He reached the Major Leagues in 2002 following consecutive 15-win seasons at Class A Myrtle Beach in 2001 and Class AAA Richmond in 2002.
After picking up a pair of wins in four relief appearances for Atlanta in September 2002, Hodges posted a 3-3 mark with a 4.66 ERA in 52 games pitching for the Braves throughout the 2003 season. Since then, he has pitched three additional seasons at the Class AAA level. Last year he went 8-8 with a 5.76 ERA with Class AA Frisco in the Texas League.
“We’re going to look at Trey first as a starter and then make a decision,” said Keith Lupton, Barnstormers senior vice president of baseball operations. “The key for us is the Major League experience he brings to the mound. We expect him to be a leader.”
Turner, who played in all but ten games for the Barnstormers last season and appeared at six different positions, batted .300 with 13 homers and 56 RBIs. In the process, he also established a new Atlantic League record with 13 triples, breaking the previous league mark with a three-bagger to left center in his final at bat of the season on Sept. 21.
The former Kennesaw State star came to the Barnstormers in 2008 after spending the first six seasons of his career in the Oakland A’s organization. With the A’s, his most successful season was in 2004, when he batted .292 at Class A Modesto, playing for Barnstormers manager Von Hayes. He later joined Class AAA Sacramento, where he currently resides.
“We feel that Lloyd is one of the most exciting players in the Atlantic League with his speed and bat,” Lupton said. “Plus his versatility is really a valuable asset to any organization, and that is especially the case here.”
