Derek Hankins To Play For Korea Team, Area Players In Minors

Altamont native Derek Hankins will be living and playing baseball in Seoul, Korea. Hankins, a member of the Toledo Mud Hens was listed on the temporary inactive list recently and for good reason.

Hankins will take his baseball skills to the Doosan Bears, a Seoul-based club in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). Hankins signed for $100,000. The 30-year-old right-handed pitcher will replace Garrett Olson.

The Bears released Olson who went 1-1 in 10 appearances with a 6.52 ERA. Hankins made his pro debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates' Class A affiliate in 2004. He has pitched for minor league teams for the Texas Rangers and the Detroit Tigers.

He had a 4-4 record with a 3.03 ERA for the Toledo Mud Hens. He threw 86 innings allowing 84 hits, 36 runs, 24 of those earned, nine home runs, issued 24 walks and struck out 43.

Doosan is above .500 at this point but are in sixth place in the nine-team league.

In other area news:

-- Nick Gardewine, Effingham, was drafted in the seventh round by the Texas Rangers. He's a member of the 2.6 Rookie for the Arizona League Rangers.

-- Derek Thompson, Teutopolis, was also drarfted by the Texas Rangers and is a teammate of Gardewine's in the 2.6 Rookie for the Arizona League Rangers.

-- Chad Green, Effingham, is competing for the Lakeland Flying Tigers, a Class A Advanced Florida State League for the Detroit Tigers. He has a 1-0 record with a 3.00 ERA going three innings, allowing three hits, a run, one earned and a home run. Sunday he pitched two innings and had one strikeout.

-- Ross Wolf, Newton, has a 1-3 season record for the Texas Rangers with a 3.79 ERA. He has pitched in 14 games, 35 innings, allowing 17 runs, 15 earned, three home runs, 11 walks and 11 strikeouts. He has a .283 average. On July 20 he went against Baltimore and pitched two innings allowing nine hits, two walks and striking out two.

-- Danny Winkler, Effingham, competes for the Modesto Nuts in California. This is a Colorado Rockies affiliate. His last game was July 20. He has a 6-1 record with a 2.40 ERA. He has pitched in 10 games, 63.2 innings allowing 32 hits, 19 runs, 17 earned, seven home runs, 15 walks and 73 strikeouts.

-- Cody Overbeck, who has family in Effingham, is competing for the Lehigh IronPigs, a Triple A Philadelphia Phillies team. He has played in 88 games and has a .250 average with 78 hits, 15 home runs and 47 RBI.

-- Phil Wetherell, Stewardson-Strasburg graduate, drafted in eighth round by New York Yankees. Currently with Charleston Riverdogs in Charleston, SC. They are a Class A affiliate.  He is 1-0 with a 3.06 ERA, 47 innings pitched with 46 strikeouts  He is currently on the DL.
 
-- Tanner Bushue, South Central graduate, drafted in second round by Houston Astros. Currently with Tri-City Valley Cats in Troy, New York. They are a Class A short season affiliate. He is 3-1 with a 2.56 ERA, 31.2 innings pitched with 25 strikeouts.
 
-- Spencer Patton, another South Central graduate, drafted in 24th round by Kansas City Royals. Currently with Wilmington Blue Rocks in Wilmington DE. They are a Class A Advance affiliate. He is 5-2 with a 1.96 ERA, 64.1 innings pitched with 76 strikeouts.