Cardinals sign Tim Dorn from the Frontier League

[jdk82]

Big dude at 6'8 255 plays first and will be headed to Quad City

MARION - The line to see Tim Dorn stretched from the concourse all the way down to the field after Sunday's Southern Illinois Miners game.

Already a popular player because he hit the franchise's first home run, Dorn etched another historic place for himself with the team as he became the first Miner to get called up by a major league team. The St. Louis Cardinals called Miners general manager Tim Arseneau just after noon Sunday asking for the Monrovia, Calif., native. Dorn, 24, leaves today for Davenport, Iowa, and the Cardinals' Class A affiliate in the Midwest League.

About 40 minutes after he signed for every autograph hound that came his way in Marion, the 6-foot-8 first baseman said he was still at a loss for words.

"It's overwhelming to see everybody there just to get my autograph. I'm still in the minor leagues, but when I get to the big leagues, I'll be happy to sign a million autographs," Dorn said. "Albert Pujols, I'm coming to get your job, buddy."

Dorn, the Frontier League's home run leader with 12, was hitting .344 in 31 games for the Miners entering Sunday's contest. His 34 RBIs was second only to Kalamazoo's Josh Carter (38), so the move didn't send too many shockwaves through the organization.

Dorn became the second Frontier League player to sign with the Cardinals this season, after Slippery Rock reliever Pete Parise.

"I don't know how you put up those numbers and not get a chance," Miners manager Mike Pinto said. "Granted, there's a lot of guys in this league that are putting up numbers, but I thought his were certainly worth the attention that he got. He doesn't play in a small ballpark. He doesn't have any cheap home runs. He has legitimate home runs."

Dorn didn't find out until teammate Chris Hall told him in the middle of the game. As Dorn prepared for the top of the ninth inning, he was interrupted by Arseneau at first base, where the general manager presented him with a Cardinals cap as it was announced he had been signed by the Redbirds.

Dorn hopes to make his second run with a major league team a longer one. He was previously a 14th-round selection of the Seattle Mariners, but after the team tried to turn him into a pitching prospect, he was released three years later. Beginning today, with the Swing of the Quad-Cities, he hopes to prove to scouts how effective he can be as a first baseman.

"Pitching was tough. I'd never pitched before, and they wanted to throw me in there to get to the big leagues faster," Dorn said. "Three years later, I got released, and I always knew I could be a first baseman, and now I get to show what I got."

The move, however, created a major void in the power portion of the Miners' lineup as the team enters today's off-day. Ralph Santana and Chris Hall were first and third in the league's batting race entering Sunday's game, but the two had combined for only six home runs. Hall's five round-trippers now lead the team.

"I'm thrilled for him. Now I gotta get on the phones and find a replacement, because, Tuesday, life goes on for the Southern Illinois Miners without Tim Dorn," Pinto said. "The tough part, is he's so good, and he plays at such a level. Finding a guy with that kind of power production, that kind of batting average, that's a tough order."

http://www.southernillinoisan.com/artic ... 682959.txt

[picklefork]

Get in front of the ball, Dorn!

I thought you said we didn't have any high priced talent. Forget about Dorn, he's just high priced

[jdk82]

Nice article on Tim

Big addition helping Swing
By Steve Batterson | Wednesday, July 04, 2007
No comments posted. | Rate this article | Default | Large

TIM Dorn bristled when a coach in the Mariners system suggested that he might have “lost’’ his swing during a short stint on the mound as a Seattle farmhand.

“That was all the motivation I needed,’’ the Swing of the Quad-Cities first baseman said. “My bat had always been a big part of my game. I knew it wasn’t lost.’’

Midwest League teams are finding that out now.

The 6-foot-8, 245-pound Dorn is making a sizeable impression as a newcomer to the Cardinals organization.

After going hitless in his Quad-City debut June 26, Dorn has collected at least one hit in each Swing game. He also belted his first home from for Quad-Cities on Monday against Wisconsin, the Midwest League’s Mariners affiliate.

Seattle saw different possibilities for Dorn.

Although he never had pitched competitively in a game, the Mariners were impressed enough with Dorn’s potential after watching him throw a bullpen session to draft him in the 14th round in 2003 as a pitcher.

“Even though I hadn’t pitched, they said they felt I had a chance to get to the big leagues in three-to-four years. That sounded OK,’’ Dorn said.

He toiled two years with Seattle’s affiliate in the Arizona Rookie League, going 0-0 with a 6.83 ERA in 19 appearances before being released during spring training in 2005.

“I talked with them about going back to first base, but one of the coaches said I had probably lost my swing since I hadn’t worked at it for a couple of years,’’ Dorn said. “On the five-hour drive home from Arizona to Los Angeles, I decided to prove them wrong.’’

Dorn sat out the entire 2005 season, working out on his own to prepare for a return to the game.

He signed with Pensacola of the independent American Association a year ago, batting .327 with 10 homers, 43 RBIs and 24 doubles.

That led him to Southern Illinois and eventually to an opportunity to join the St. Louis organization.

He played 31 games for the first-year Frontier League franchise based in Marion, Ill., but Dorn’s 12 home runs and .344 batting average made him a favorite with fans of the Southern Illinois Miners.

Timing allowed Dorn to enjoy a curtain call before he left to join Quad-Cities.

The deal that sold the rights to Dorn to the Cardinals was finalized while Southern Illinois was playing a home game June 24.

With his team ahead by 10 runs, Dorn didn’t think much about it when manager Mike Pinto pulled him into the dugout before the eighth inning of a game.

“I figured we were up big, and he was going to get some other guys in,’’ Dorn said. “He had always told me that if I got a chance with an organization that I would owe him a hat. He brought me over and told me that it was time to buy that hat.’’

Pinto then sent Dorn back out to first base, where his transaction was announced to the crowd before he left the field to a standing ovation.

“That meant a lot because the people there were so great,’’ Dorn said. “Then when I found out that I was replacing a guy (Brandon Buckman) who had hit 14 homers and was hitting about .350, I knew I had to get to work because I had some pretty big shoes to fill.’’

A little over a week into his stay with Quad-Cities, Dorn finds himself making adjustments.

“I’m getting used to the differences in the game at this level. Everything is so much quicker. I expected that, but to experience it is another matter,’’ Dorn said.

Quad-City manager Keith Mitchell has shortened Dorn’s swing and adjusted his stance, positioning him in more of an athletic stance which is giving him greater vision of the strike zone.

“I like the potential I see there and I like his willingness to work,’’ Mitchell said.

Dorn said that won’t change.

“I’ve learned a lot here already, and the changes they’ve made, they’re working,’’ Dorn said. “I’m settling in with the team and starting to feel like I fit in. It’s great. It’s what I’ve been working toward.’’

http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2007/07 ... 585791.txt

[Jocephus]

Get in front of the ball, Dorn!

I thought you said we didn't have any high priced talent. Forget about Dorn, he's just high priced

Don't give me this "olé" bulls***!