VIPERS MAKE BLOCKBUSTER TRADE; COMPLETE COACHING STAFF

The Calgary Vipers have made the blockbuster trade of the off-season in the Golden Baseball League.

The Vipers today sent all-star first baseman and 2007 Northern League RBI king Jason Colson to the Brockton Rox of the Can-Am League along with right handed starting pitcher Chris Schutt.

In return Calgary gets former Viper and outstanding relief pitcher Jon Huizinga, veteran second baseman Jorge Mejia and a pitcher to be named at a later date.

Huizinga, who led the Vipers with 12 saves in the 2006 season, was the key to the deal. “We never really had a true closer last season”, said Vipers Field Manager Mike Busch. “Zinger is one of the best in all of independent baseball so that fills an instant hole. We may have been forced to use our best starter, Evan Greusel, in that role but now he can concentrate on what he does best.”

Huizinga has only lost five games in his five year professional career. He played the 2007 season with the St. Paul Saints of the American Association where he finished 5-1 with a 3.83 ERA while appearing in 36 games.

Mejia fills a hole at second base for the Vipers following the retirement of versatile infielder Manabu Kuramochi. The 25-year old Mejia should fit in well with fellow Dominicans Carlos Duncan and Nelson Castro to give the Vipers a solid infield. Following stints in the Oakland and Cincinnati systems Mejia hit .329 for Brockton last season.

In accommodating Colson’s request to play closer to his home in Rhode Island the Vipers give up a Northern League all-star who drove in 89 runs in 2007. Originally drafted as a pitcher by the Toronto Blue Jays Colson because a home run threat once he picked up the lumber for the NL Free Agent camp in 2005. Signed by the Gary-SouthShore RailCats, Colson came to the Vipers via trade right after the All-Star break in 2005. He hit 16 home runs in 2007 while appearing in all 96 games for the Snakes.

Schutt was a workhorse for the Vipers last season with a record of 9-5 and an ERA of 7.75 in over a hundred innings of work.

Busch also rounded out his coaching staff for the 2008 season. Morgan Burkhart, who played for both the Red Sox and Royals, will return for his second season as the Vipers hitting coach. With Pat Daneker heading to the Yankees organization Busch has recruited a good friend, Jim Allen to take over as pitching coach. Allen, a former San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers coach and brother of 2005 Vipers pitching coach Dave Allen, worked with Busch on Tim Johnson’s staff in Lincoln the year before the Vipers came into existence.

Two Viper players will act as player-coaches in the 2008 season. Independent League All-Stars Darryl Brinkley and Carlos Duncan will assist in the batting cage with the younger Viper hitters. Both will be instructors at the new Absolute Baseball Academy adjacent to Foothills Stadium.