The Tri-County Journal
& Chattahoochee Chronicle
PO Box 850, 71 Webb Lane
Buena Vista, GA 31803
229-649-6397
tjournal@alltel.net
working toward the 'Big Leagues'
By RICHARD HARRIS (From the June 6, 2006 issue)
Buena Vista native Chad Spann continues to be impressive as he works his way toward the “Big Leagues” with the Boston Red Sox organization. Spann, playing with the Red Sox’s Double-A affiliate Portland Sea Dogs, is leading the team at the plate so far this season and was last week’s Eastern League Player of the Week.
Spann leads the Sea Dogs with a batting average of .294 (50 hits in 170 at-bats). He also has three home runs, 14 doubles, 21 RBI and an on-base percentage of .441. He ranks 10th in the league in hitting.
Spann hit a league best .481 (13-27) during last week’s action. He hit three doubles, a triple and a home run. Spann drove in seven and scored eight times. His .778 slugging percentage was the best in the league for the week.
The Portland Sea Dogs have won five straight and own the best record (32-22) in the Eastern League’s Northern Division, five games ahead of both the Connecticut Defenders (Giants) and New Britain Rock Cats (Twins).
Spann is a graduate of Southland Academy in Americus. The 22-year-old was drafted by the Red Sox with the fourth pick in the fifth
In 2005, he tied for the team lead with 13 home runs for the Class A (Advanced) Wilmington Blue Rocks. He earned a late August promotion to Portland and quickly made an impression, as he belted a two-out walk-off grand slam to give the Sea Dogs a 5-3 win in the first game of the Northern Division Championship Series. In the second game of the championship series, he hit a two-run go-ahead homer, making him the first Sea Dog with two game winning RBI hits in a playoff series. For his efforts, he as dubbed “Mr. September.”
Other highlights of Spann’s professional baseball career so far include:
* 2004: A nine-game hitting streak and 15 hits in 18 games with Sarasota (before being placed on the disabled list with a knee injury);
* 2003: Red Sox Minor League Player of the Year for Augusta (also named an all-star and ranked 3rd among Red Sox minor leaguers and 6th in the South Atlantic League with a .312 batting average, while not making an error in 28 consecutive games).
* 2002: Tied for third in the Gulf Coast League with six home runs.