Another No-No Thrown By a Pearl River Pitcher
Topic: Crusaders
JUNE 13 - A little over a month after Mark Buerhle threw the first no-hitter of the 2007 MLB season, Justin Verlander matched his effort by throwing one of his own. Both were teammates for the 2007 Pearl River Pirates and Verlander is hoping there will be a spot in next year's rotation for the St. Jack's Demons.
 
"It's great to have that type of depth in the minor leagues, knowing that guys like Justin are making strides toward being a big part of our future," Owner/GM Jack Flynn said the day after Verlander's no-hitter.
 
The young right-hander looked like he had a very good shot at making the big club in the off-season, when he was acquired along with four other players from Floral Park as part of a deal for Alex Rodriguez. His numbers were high (33/27), but Verlander kept the ball in the park and had a -6 hold, important for a team that appeared likely to be starting Victor Martinez and his +3 arm behind the dish.
 
However, St. Jack's traded for staff ace Roy Oswalt a month later and drafted catcher Josh Bard in the second round of the 2007 NYLISL draft, eliminating the need to take a chance with the future star. He appears a good bet to earn a spot in the 2008 Demons rotation.
 
Buerhle, a left-hander approaching free agency, was highly unlikely to see any time with the big club this season, with Verlander, Jason Schmidt and Felix Hernandez all ahead of him on the depth chart. He was traded to Massapequa on August 3 as part of a package for Jered Weaver.