Monmouth, USM product Fairchild chosen SAL All-Star

With the professional baseball season reaching its middle innings, it’s a good time to touch base on Maine hardball prospects in the minors.

Former Monmouth High School star Thomas “Tip” Fairchild is enjoying a stellar first professional season in the Houston Astros organization.

The Astros’ 12th round selection in the 2005 draft leads the Single A Lexington Legends of the South Atlantic League with a 10-3 record and 1.66 ERA after 16 starts and 18 total appearances.

The former University of Southern Maine standout has allowed 90 hits and 19 walks while striking out 98 batters in 108 2/3 innings.

The 22-year-old righthanded sinkerball pitcher earned a spot in the SAL All-Star game, but that may not be the highlight of the season for the Monmouth native.

The teammate of Roger Clemens’ oldest son Koby got a chance not only to play with Koby’s famous father, but to pick his brain as well while he was a teammate during a recent stint before “The Rocket” rejoined the Astros.

Fairchild’s former teammate and fellow Mainer Eric Cavers hasn’t been so lucky, however. The Otisfield native was released by the Legends, but was signed last week by the Rockford RiverHawks of the independent Frontier League. Cavers hit .165 with six RBIs in 79 at-bats with Lexington.

Another player looking for work on the diamond is former University of Maine and Portland High star Simon Williams, who was released by the St. Louis Cardinals July 1 after hitting .123 with a home run and 10 RBIs in 24 games (65 at-bats) with the low Single A Swing of the Quad Cities affiliate.

Bangor native and former Bangor American Legion baseball star Josh Pressley didn’t fare much better with the Cardinals organization. Despite hitting .250 with two homers and 14 RBIs in 33 games (92 at-bats) with the Double A Springfield Cardinals, Pressley was released on June 22.

Camden native and former University of Maine ace Mike MacDonald is enjoying another solid season with a 7-5 record and 3.63 ERA for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the Toronto Blue Jays’ Double A affiliate. MacDonald has made 18 starts through Sunday, walking just 19 batters but yielding 106 hits in 106 2/3 innings. He also has 62 strikeouts.

Former Bangor High and American Legion star Matt Kinney has rebounded from a slow start with the San Francisco Giants’ Triple A affiliate.

Kinney is 5-5 with a 4.61 ERA with the Fresno Grizzlies. He’s notched 70 strikeouts in 97 2/3 innings, but issued 42 walks and 99 hits.

Mark Rogers, the fireballing former Mount Ararat High School of Topsham star pitcher, is 1-2 after 16 starts with the Single A Brevard County Manatees.

The Milwaukee Brewers’ first round and fifth overall pick in the 2005 draft has a 5.07 ERA with 96 strikeouts in 71 innings. The native of Orrs Island has allowed 68 hits and 53 walks. The Brewers’ No. 2-ranked prospect is ranked No. 44 overall in the minors.

Former UMaine hurler Rusty Tucker has cut his ERA down drastically since joining the Portland Sea Dogs and switching Sox. The former Chicago White Sox prospect, who was signed by Boston in late June is 0-1 with the Dogs, but has a 3.38 ERA over eight innings of relief in seven games. He’s allowed 11 hits and three walks to go with one strikeout. With the Double A Birmingham Barons, Tucker was 1-2 with an 8.77 ERA in 25 2/3 innings.

Former UMaine and Maranacook High standout Greg Creek is enjoying a good season in the Atlanta Braves’ organization for the Single A Myrtle Beach Pelicans. He’s hitting .268 with three homers, 29 RBIs, and four stolen bases.

Former Bangor Lumberjacks pitcher Tim Rall has been used sparingly with the Triple A Sacramento River Cats since his promotion from Double A Midland in late April. Rall is 0-0 with a 4.15 ERA in just 4 1/3 innings with three hits, two walks and five strikeouts.

Tornadoes give Lemieux a spin

Jared Lemieux of Readfield has signed to play baseball for the Worcester Tornadoes of the independent minor league Canadian-American Baseball Association.

The former Maranacook High School and Bowdoin College star outfielder was a three-time All-New England Small College Athletic Conference first team selection and set career college records for hits (184), runs (148), doubles (36) and walks (94) in four seasons with the Polar Bears. He committed just one error in 138 games for Bowdoin.

The Can-Am League, formerly the Northeast League in which the Bangor Lumberjacks played two seasons, is based in Durham N.C., but has teams in New England, New York, and Quebec.

Andrew Neff can be reached at 990-8205, 1-800-310-8600 or at aneff@bangordailynews.net