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Bobby Blevins and the Los Angeles Dodgers held different opinions following the 2010 baseball season. Blevins, a 2003 Briarcliff graduate, felt he had a good year pitching between Double A and Triple A and thus earned a spot on one of the rosters.
The Dodgers did not seem to agree, telling him they didnt have any spots in Double A or Triple A. The team management suggested a spot in high Class A ball. The two parties came to a mutual understanding to part ways, making Blevins a free agent.
But the right-hander said he was not angry. Instead, he welcomed the opportunity to prove himself for another organization in his quest to become a major-leaguer. He has received that opportunity and gets to do it just an outfield throw from his Briarcliff home, as a member of the first-year Rockland Boulders, based in Rockland County (Pomona), in the Independent League.
This is a great opportunity for me, said the 6-foot, 200-pound Blevins. This is a great area to play in and I get to play professional baseball for the first professional baseball team in Rockland County. This is something special. Blevins, 26, a LeMoyne College graduate with a degree in Business Administration, was a 13th-round draft choice of the Dodgers in 2007. He is currently 1-0 in three starts with a 3.79 earned run average. He went 6 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on nine hits and struck out four to earn a 3-2 win over the Pittsfield Colonials.
Blevins will start the home-opener Thursday, June 16. Even though the Boulders are in their infancy, Blevins said hes been impressed with everything about the organization.
Boulders manager Dave LaPoint is a former major-league pitcher, including a stint with the New York Yankees. Former major-league catcher John Flaherty, currently a Yankee broadcaster with the YES Network, is a limited partner in the ownership group. He said Flahertys position provides additional credibility to an already credible organization.
The ownership has gone out of its way to make it even more professional than you can say, Blevins said. They have made a commitment to making you enjoy playing baseball. Blevins added that he has found LaPoint to be a players manager.
He has told us that he wants us to have fun playing baseball again, Blevins said. And he also told us his goal is to get people out of here to major-league organizations. Blevins said he is looking forward to taking the ball on opening night. Its going to be very exciting. I want to give the team a chance to win and I also want to give the community a chance to win because they both deserve it.
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