Former Atlantic League catcher Mike Rivera (Atlantic City, NJ) is back with the Milwaukee Brewers for the fifth time in six years and his ninth major league season overall. Rivera, 34, was brought up this week from Triple-A Nashville, where he hit .250 with three homers and 10 RBI in 18 games.
Going the opposite way, Seattle sent rookie pitcher Tom Wilhelmsen to Double-A Jackson, TN so he could get some work. Wilhelmsen became quite a story when he made the Opening Day roster since he was out of pro baseball entirely for five years (2004-08) until the Golden League’s Tucson (AZ) Toros got him away from his bartending and coed softball activity and resurrected the career of the 6-foot-6 hurler, who still is only 27. He had not pitched above Class A until this season.
The Mariners want Wilhelmsen to begin working as a starter. “I’m very happy about starting,” he told MLB.com.
The following is an excerpt from an Independent Baseball Insider column including Chicagoland news ...
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