December 7, 200421 yr For Ryan Cameron of Williamstown, maybe the third time will be the charm. Or in this case, maybe the third organization will be the charm. Cameron, the former Mount Greylock and University of Massachusetts pitching standout, has signed a minor-league contract with the Florida Marlins organization, and will report to spring training in Jupiter, Fla., on March 6. Free to choose As a six-year free agent, Cameron had his choice of organizations. And while he flirted with the chance to rejoin the Colorado Rockies, he decided the Marlins' offer was the best for his situation. "They work on a tight budget. They're not an organization that's afraid to give you a shot," he said. "I'm real excited about going there." Cameron became a free agent after the Boston Red Sox elected not to put him on their 40-man roster. After six years, a player who hasn't stuck in the major leagues, is declared a free agent and can sign with any team. Talks with the Marlins commenced last Thursday, and the team and Cameron agreed to a minor league deal Friday night. Began with the Roclies Cameron was an 11th-round draft choice of the Rockies back in 1998, and spent five seasons with the organization. He was traded to Boston in 2003 for reliever Javier Lopez. In two years with the Red Sox, Cameron shuttled between Class AAA Pawtucket and Class AA Portland. His best statistics with the Red Sox came in 2003 when he was 2-4 with Portland, but had a 3.14 earned-run average in 10 appearances. The 27-year old right-hander started nine games with the Sea Dogs, striking out 37 in 51 2/3 innings of work, and he had a 2.18 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Last year, Cameron started the season with Pawtucket, getting 10 relief appearances and registering a 3.94 ERA in 16 innings. Returning to Portland, Cameron started in the bullpen but ended up starting 15 times in 23 appearances. He had a 4.30 ERA in 90 innings, striking out 83 and walking 37. He had a 2.24 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Cameron said he had spoken with the Rockies as well as Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Toronto. But it was Florida where he said he felt like he'd have a good opportunity to show what he could do. Florida also had a vice president and assistant general manager named Mike Hill, who worked with Colorado when Cameron was working his way through the Rockies' minor league system. "It's tough as a six-year free agent without major league [service] time," said Cameron. "You can have great numbers, but if they don't know you and you don't have someone in your corner, it can be tough. "Where I sat in the pecking order [with other teams], they were going to have to wait until after the Rule 5 Draft," he continued. "I would have been waiting [to sign] until after Christmas." Under the Marlins' current plans, Cameron will report to Florida and then probably break camp with the Alburquque Isotopes of the Pacific Coast League. If not, Cameron would pitch with the Carolina Mudcats of the Class AA Southern League. It would be Cameron's second stint in Carolina, as the Mudcats were a Rockies' farm club in 2001 and 2002, when he pitched there. This will be his second time in the PCL as well, having reached Colorado's PCL affiliate in Colorado Springs in 2002 for one game. Cameron's signing with Florida ends his two-year stint with the Red Sox organization, an end that he has mixed feelings about. "It was a tough situation. It didn't work out, but it was a real learning experience," he said. "What it cost me was two years of my career. "Now I have an opportunity to go to a team that needs pitching." And while the Marlins made no promises, Cameron said he's hoping he can parlay a good spring into a summertime call-up to Miami. "I'm more excited about this than I was about Colorado," he said. "This presents an outstanding opportunity." http://www.berkshireeagle.com/Stories/0,14...2581071,00.html
December 7, 200421 yr He'll have to prove he is better than all these other scrubs: Aaron Small, Manzanillo and Bump.
December 7, 200421 yr Author finally! the big signing we've all been waiting for! 629171[/snapback] LMAO!!!!!!!!! My face hurts from laughing so hard. :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol
December 8, 200421 yr Is it come to that point where any signing is worthy of an in-depth written article?
December 8, 200421 yr Hawaiian papers don't do the same for area players? 629425[/snapback] Ha ha good point I should have looked at who wrote the article. I just assumed it was the Herald or Sentinel :lol
December 8, 200421 yr meh...good to have a guy who wants to be here. Got something to prove, that is always good to have.
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