For Immediate Release Monday, October 6, 2008 Arizona Fall League Opens 17th Season Phoenix, Arizona — The Arizona Fall League, known throughout professional baseball as a “finishing school” for Major League Baseball’s elite prospects, begins its 17th season on Tuesday, October 7 with three games — Surprise Rafters @ Peoria Javelinas (12:35 p.m.), Mesa Solar Sox @ Phoenix Desert Dogs (12:35 p.m.), and Peoria Saguaros @ Scottsdale Scorpions (7:05 p.m.). The Future Of The six-team league, owned and operated by Major League Baseball, plays six days Major League per week (Monday-Saturday) in five Cactus League stadiums (Mesa, Peoria, Phoenix, Baseball Now Scottsdale, Surprise) in the Phoenix metropolitan area. This year’s schedule concludes with a championship game on Saturday, November 22 at Scottsdale Stadiium. The mid- Facts season “Rising Stars Game” will be played on Friday, October 24 at Surprise Stadium. • Over 1,600 former Fall The Phoenix Desert Dogs, playing in the National Division this season, seek their Leaguers have reached the fifth consecutive Arizona Fall League title with players from the Arizona Diamondbacks, major leagues Colorado Rockies, Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics, and Toronto Blue Jays. • 413 Ex-AFLers On 2008 MLB Opening-Day Rosters American Division • 136 MLB All-Stars Mesa Solar Sox Peoria Saguaros Scottsdale Scorpions including 36 in 2008 (Hohokam Stadium) (Peoria Stadium) (Scottsdale Stadium) •Atlanta Braves •Chicago White Sox •Boston Red Sox • 5 MLB MVPs •Jason Giambi •Chicago Cubs •New York Mets •Houston Astros •Ryan Howard •Detroit Tigers •St. Louis Cardinals •Los Angeles Angels •Justin Morneau •Florida Marlins •San Diego Padres •Pittsburgh Pirates •Albert Pujols •Philadelphia Phillies •Washington Nationals •San Francisco Giants •Jimmy Rollins Manager Manager Manager • 3 Cy Young Award winners Rocket Wheeler (Braves) Ron Warner (Cardinals) Shane Turner (Giants) •Chris Carpenter Pitching Coach Pitching Coach Pitching Coach •Roy Halladay Ray Burris (Tigers) Wally Whitehurst (Padres) Ray Searage (Pirates) •Brandon Webb Coach Coach Coach Ryne Sandberg (Cubs) Rick Eckstein (Nationals) Eric Owens (Angels) • 18 MLB Rookies-of-the-Year Trainers Trainers Trainers • 3 World Series MVPs Chris Mudd (Phillies) Joe Golia (Mets) Greg Barajas (Red Sox) Cesar Roman (Marlins) Scott Johnson (White Sox) Jamey Snodgrass (Astros) • 6 All-Star Game MVPs • 38 MLB Silver Sluggers National Division • 34 MLB Gold Glove Awards Peoria Javelinas Phoenix Desert Dogs Surprise Rafters (Peoria Stadium) (Phx. Municipal Stadium) (Surprise Stadium) • 8 MLB batting champions •Cincinnati Reds •Arizona Diamondbacks •Baltimore Orioles • 11 MLB season hits leaders •Milwaukee Brewers •Colorado Rockies •Cleveland Indians •New York Yankees •Minnesota Twins •Kansas City Royals • 4 MLB season RBI leaders •Seattle Mariners •Oakland Athletics •Los Angeles Dodgers • 2 MLB season homer leaders •Tampa Bay Rays •Toronto Blue Jays •Texas Rangers Manager Manager Manager • 7 MLB season stolen-base leaders Daren Brown (Mariners) Stan Cliburn (Twins) Gary Allenson (Orioles) • 23 MLB managers Pitching Coach Pitching Coach Pitching Coach • 31 MLB umpires Ted Power (Reds) Doug Linton (Rockies) Rueben Niebla (Indians) Coach Coach Coach • 71 administrators serving Ozzie Timmons (Rays) Charles Poe (Blue Jays) Terry Bradshaw (Royals) the baseball industry Trainers Trainers Trainers Tim Lentych (Yankees) James Ready (D’backs) Jason Roberts (Rangers) Phoenix Municipal Tommy Craig (Brewers) Justin Whitehouse (A’s) Carlos Olivas (Dodgers) Stadium 5999 E. Van Buren — afl — Phoenix, AZ 85008 Media Contact: Paul Jensen ([email protected], 480.710.8201) Office: 602.681.9362 Stephanie Armijo ([email protected], 602/791-2590) FAX: 602.681.9363 Adam Nichols ([email protected], 480/232-1291) www.mlbfallball.com Arizona Fall League Q & A Q: What is the Arizona Fall League (AFL)? A: Major League Baseball created the Arizona Fall League in 1992 to serve as an off-season “graduate school” for top prospects. The AFL often is known as a showcase league because its players have the opportunity to display their skills for baseball scouts, general managers, and farm directors. For baseball fans, it’s a 40-day Valley homestand featuring many of baseball’s elite prospects. Q: What is the genesis of the Arizona Fall League? A: Long-time baseball executive, current special assistant to the president of the Arizona Diamondbacks, and Phoenix resident Roland Hemond is considered the “Architect of the Fall League.” His dream to create a six-week off-season league for baseball’s top prospects in Arizona each fall became reality when the Arizona Fall League began play in 1992 after he spent two years selling the concept to baseball’s hierarchy — first general managers, then owners. After veteran baseball front-office executive Mike Port shepherded the Fall League through its maiden voyage in 1992, former Cincinnati Reds’ traveling secretary and Triple-A Columbus Clippers’ executive Steve Cobb was hired as the Fall League’s executive director. Q: Who oversees the Arizona Fall League? A: Major League Baseball owns and operates the Arizona Fall League. Cobb has been the executive director since 1993. Major League Baseball’s Arizona Fall League oversight committee is comprised of three team general managers — Josh Byrnes (Diamondbacks), Tony Reagins (Angels), and Mark Shapiro (Indians) — and long-time baseball executive Terry Ryan who currently serves the Twins as special advisor to the general manager. Q: Where is Fall League information available online? A: Visit www.mlbfallball.com for updated Arizona Fall League information. Q: How are the teams assembled? A: Each Major League organization sends seven players to the Arizona Fall League. Five-organization groupings comprise the six AFL teams. The 2008 groupings follow. Q: Where is the Arizona Fall League located? A: The Fall League is housed in the spring-training offices of the Oakland Athletics at Phoenix Municipal Stadium during the Fall League season. Phoenix Municipal Stadium, 5999 E. Van Buren, Phoenix, AZ 85008 Office: 602/681-9362, FAX: 602/681-9363 Q: Who is eligible to play in the Arizona Fall League? A: Roster size is 35 players per team. Each major-league organization is required to provide seven players subject to the following eligibility requirements. All Triple-A and Double-A players are eligible provided they are on Triple-A and Double-A rosters no later than August 1. One player below the Double-A level is allowed. Foreign players are allowed as long as the player is not on his native country’s protected player list. No players with more than two years of credited Major League service as of August 31 (including Major League disabled list time) are eligible except a team may select one player picked in the most recently concluded Major League Rule 5 draft. To be eligible, players on Minor League disabled lists must be activated at least 45 days before the conclusion of their respective seasons. Each team is allotted 20 pitchers, but only 15 are designated “eligible” each game day. No game will exceed 11 innings, the “Robinson Rule.” Games tied after 11 innings will be considered suspended. They will not be made up but statistics will count. Q: What is the league’s schedule? A: The six AFL teams each play a 38-game schedule from October 7-November 22. The third “Rising Stars Game” will be played at Surprise Stadium at 7:15 p.m. on Friday, October 24. The league championship game is scheduled for 12:35 p.m. on Saturday, November 22 at Scottsdale Stadium. Q: Where are the games played? A: The 2008 Fall League will utilize five of the Valley’s outstanding spring-training stadiums. Mesa Solar Sox—Mesa Hohokam Stadium (spring home of the Cubs) Phoenix Desert Dogs—Phoenix Municipal Stadium (spring home of the Athletics) Peoria Javelinas—Peoria Sports Complex (spring home of the Mariners/Padres) Peoria Saguaros—Peoria Sports Complex (spring home of the Mariners/Padres) Scottsdale Scorpions—Scottsdale Stadium (spring home of the Giants) Surprise Rafters—Surprise Stadium (spring home of the Rangers/Royals) Q: What are daily start times? A: First pitch for day games is 12:35 p.m. and 7:05 for night contests: ’08 Arizona Fall League Staff Q: What changes have been made for the Fall League in 2008? Executive Director A: The divisions have been renamed. The American Division and National Steve Cobb Division replace the East Division and West Division. Senior Administrator Joan McGrath Q: Is the designated hitter rule employed in the Arizona Fall League? Director of Baseball Operations A: Yes, the designated hitter is utilized in all Fall League games. Tommy Jones Q: What impact has the Arizona Fall League had on Major League Baseball? Assistants, Baseball Operations A: As the Arizona Fall League stages its 17th season, the contribution the Michael Bouscher league has made to major-league baseball is undeniable. Over 50 percent of Sean Decker Fall League players — over 1,600 — have become major leaguers, including Media Relations Director 86 players from a year ago who reached the big leagues in 2008. Over 400 Paul Jensen former Fall Leaguers dotted MLB rosters in 2008, including eight from the Assistants, Media Relations 2007 Fall League who made Opening Day rosters. One hundred twenty- Stephanie Armijo, Adam Nichols seven ex-Fall Leaguers have been named to major league all-star teams. In the past five seasons, the major-league all-star teams included 18 AFL Administrative Assistant Brenda Crosswait alums in 2004, 23 in 2005, 30 in 2006, 24 in 2007, and a record 36 in 2008. Former Fall Leaguers also have won numerous MLB awards, including Team Operations Managers 5 MVPs, 3 Cy Youngs, 16 rookies-of-the-year, 8 batting champions, 11 Ben Einbinder (Solar Sox) hits leaders, 4 RBI leaders, 2 home-run leaders, 7 runs leaders, 6 stolen- Brian Johnston (Desert Dogs) Nathan McNair (Scorpions) base leaders, 3 on-base percentage leaders, 33 Silver Sluggers, and 27 Gold John Meyer (Rafters) Gloves.