Kansas City Royals News

Kansas City Royals News

Allen Named Pitching Coach

Baseball veteran Jim Allen has been named the new pitching coach of the Lincoln Saltdogs. Allen replaces Kennie Steenstra, who left for a position with the Single A - Delmarva Shorebirds (Baltimore Orioles).

“I learned of the opening through my good friend Jim Haller (an Omaha native), who was a first round draft choice of the Dodgers,” said Allen. “In talking with Jim, and my friends in the baseball circle, I heard many positives about the (Northern) League and the Lincoln organization. I can’t wait to see the ballpark.”

Allen has spent 30 years with the San Diego Padres organization pitching batting practice. Signed out of Cal Western by the Padres as a player, Allen also spent seven years in the Los Angeles Dodger’s organization. During the 1972 season, he played with Saltdogs Manager Tim Johnson in El Paso.

Allen is looking forward to working with the Saltdogs’ pitching talent. “I am going to emphasize, and teach, the importance of balancing mechanics and mental attitude. My goal is to teach the player to use the entire body; not just the arm and how to change speeds with a goal of getting that first pitch over for a strike,” commented Allen.

The Phoenix, Arizona native is married to Renate and currently resides in Goodyear, Arizona. He has a daughter living in Australia and two grandchildren.

The Lincoln Saltdogs are scheduled to open the season at 7:05 pm on Friday, May 20th in Sioux Falls, SD against the Sioux Falls Canaries at Sioux Falls Stadium.

Embry eyeing jump from Northern League to Major League

Embry eyeing jump from Northern League to Major League

Saltdogs Catch Wiseman

The Lincoln Saltdogs have signed catcher Jeb Wiseman to a contract.

Wiseman (LS-1), 25, a native of Norfolk, Virginia played in 21 games for the Saltdogs in 2004 after being acquired in a trade with St. Paul on August, 13th. He batted .161 with one home run and three RBI in 62 plate appearances for Lincoln.

“Jeb has a great presence behind the plate,” said Saltdogs Manager Tim Johnson. “He has a strong arm and very good defensive skills.”

The 2005 season will be Wiseman’s third season in the Northern League. Jeb played with the St. Paul Saints in 2003 and most of the 2004 season before being traded to the Saltdogs. His career totals, in three seasons, include a batting average of .142 with four home runs and 24 RBI’s. He played collegiately at Virginia Wesleyan College (Division II).

The Lincoln Saltdogs are scheduled to open the season at 7:05 pm on Friday, May 20th in Sioux Falls, SD against the Sioux Falls Canaries at Sioux Falls Stadium.

LHP Alex Carbajal Signs

Manager Tim Johnson announced, today, that left-handed pitcher Alex Carbajal will be back in a Lincoln uniform this season.

Carbajal (LS-3) appeared in 15 games for the Saltdogs last season, starting nine games and tallying a 1-4 record with a 4.09 ERA. He recorded 48 strikeouts and walked 28 in 70 1/3 innings.

“The key to winning in this league is pitching,” said Johnson. “Alex has the potential to be a dominant pitcher if he continues to work on his game – physically and mentally.”

Carbajal, 27, played collegiate ball at California State-Chico where he was part of the Wildcats' Division II National Championship team, and also played at Cerritos College. He signed as nondrafted free agent by Tampa Bay Devil Rays, on May 25th, 2000.

In five professional seasons, the Rosemead, CA native has a career record of 11-13 with a 4.01 ERA.

The Lincoln Saltdogs are scheduled to open the season at 7:05 pm on Friday, May 20th in Sioux Falls, SD against the Sioux Falls Canaries at Sioux Falls Stadium.

Saltdogs Announcer

The Lincoln Saltdogs have announced the hiring of Len Clark as the club’s director of broadcasting and communications. “Len’s experience will be an asset to the Saltdog organization and we look forward to his involvement with various organizations in the community,” commented Saltdog’s President Charlie Meyer.

Clark, an Indiana native, has an eclectic background in sports, broadcasting and higher education in a career that began in 1982. He most recently served as general manager of public radio station’s KBBI-AM Homer and KDLL-FM Kenai, Alaska. Prior to his time in Alaska, Clark spent ten years at the University of Evansville serving as station manager of WUEV-FM, in addition to providing play by play coverage of Purple Aces athletics and teaching courses in the University’s Department of Communication.

“I’m very excited about my role as an ambassador for the Saltdogs and the opportunity to pursue my passion in sports and broadcasting,” said Clark. “I am looking forward to living, and becoming actively involved, in the Lincoln community.”

In 2001, Clark was named Indiana Sportscaster of the Year by the NSSA and that same year received the NSSA’s Powerade Award - National Broadcast Story of the Year, for his package “The Glamour Game – The Notre Dame-USC Football Rivalry”, which aired on Westwood One’s coverage of Notre Dame Football.

In 1997, WUEV served as the radio station for the Evansville Otters of the Frontier League (Independent). Len shared play by play duties for the team and was named co-Frontier League Broadcaster of the Year that season. He has also broadcast select games for the Indianapolis Indians (AAA), is a member of the NCAA Lacrosse Radio Network and founded the Missouri Valley Conference Sports Broadcasting Workshop.

Clark, 40, is a native of Portage, Indiana and holds degrees from Vincennes University, Butler University, Indiana State University and the University of Notre Dame. He is a graduate of the Sports Management Institute and the University of Kentucky Sports Marketing Academy. Clark is active in many broadcast related organizations, serves on the advisory board of the American Sportscasters Association and is a consultant to sports historian John Miley, owner of the Miley Collection – the world’s largest archive of sports broadcasting history.
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“Len is one of the best sportscasters in the country. His love of the game, along with his understanding of the art of radio broadcasting will be a gift to the listeners of Lincoln.”

Michael Black
Executive Producer, NCAA Lacrosse Radio Network
Co-founder MVC Broadcast Workshop





"Len Clark will bring a level of expertise and an ability to excite listeners that is rare among play-by-play radio talent. His knowledge of cutting-edge technology and his tremendous work ethic makes him a strong asset to the club. He will add so much to the franchise in so many ways.”

Doug Elgin
Commissioner
Missouri Valley Conference




"Len is a forward thinker that stays ahead of the curve. Hs is very resourceful and a har worker. He is a perfect fit for Lincoln."

Mitch Holthus
Voice of the Kansas City Chiefs



“I have just heard that the Saltdogs have hired Len Clark to do their broadcasting this year. That is a wonderful move for Len Clark and, no doubt, an even a better move for the Saltdogs. I have known Len for about ten years and followed his work at the University of Evansville and beyond. The man is not only a very competent announcer, but performs his work with the utmost of sincerity, discipline and dedication.”

John Miley
The Miley Collection

Saltdogs Re-Ink Warner

Saltdogs Manager Tim Johnson has announced the signing of veteran Bryan Warner for the 2005 season. This season will be Warner’s fifth season in Lincoln.

“Having our captain back this season, and one of the all time greats in this league, is important to our team from a leadership standpoint,” stated Johnson. “Personally, I think this is going to be a break out year for Bryan.”

Warner, 30, appeared in 96 games last season for the Saltdogs, batting .304 with 14 home runs and 64 runs batted in.

In 1,023 games played, Warner has a career batting average of .297 with 127 career home runs and 659 runs batted in and a slugging percentage of .460. In four seasons playing in the Northern League for Lincoln, Warner has played in 332 games and has batted .319 with 61 home runs with 248 runs batted in. In 2002 he was named the Northern League (NL) Player of the Year and has been named to the NL All Star team four times.

Originally signed by the Cleveland Indians following his selection in the 14th round of the 1994 draft, Warner signed with the Saltdogs on April 23, 2001 and is the team’s all time leader in at bats (1,358); hits (432); runs (216); home runs (51) and runs batted in (248).

“I’m excited to be back,” said Warner. “My personal goal, this off season, has been to work on adding speed and power to my game in order to allow me to be more aggressive on base. As an organization, we’ve added key personnel to be competitive this season which will help us get back to where we were my first season in Lincoln.”

Warner, a California native, has made Lincoln his family’s home. “The way the fans and this community have supported the resurgence of baseball in this town, we have a distinct advantage of playing at home. It’s a great community to live and raise my family,” added Warner.
The Lincoln Saltdogs are scheduled to open the season at 7:05 pm on Friday, May 20th in Sioux Falls, SD against the Sioux Falls Canaries at Sioux Falls Stadium

Corey Harris Signed

The Lincoln Saltdogs have signed outfielder Corey Harris. Harris, will be an LS-4 this season, played for the Saltdogs during the 2002 season appearing in 43 games for the "Dog's" and batted .316 with 3 HRs and 18 RBI. In 2003, Harris was traded to the Saint Paul Saints where he batted .344 avg., and was a member of the Northern League All-Star team. He was named MVP of the Northern League All-Star game that was played at Haymarket Park in 2003. Later that season, Harris' contract was sold to Baltimore where he played for the Orioles' Class A teams Delmarva and Frederick during the 2003 and 2004 seasons. A native of Davenport, Iowa, Harris will begin his seventh season in professional baseball. In six seasons, Harris has a career batting average of .288 with 36 HRs and 241 RBIs. Harris played collegiately at Pensacola Junior College and was selected by the New York Mets in the 40th round of the 1999 draft.The Lincoln Saltdogs are scheduled to open the season at 7:05 pm on Friday, May 20th in Sioux Falls, SD against the Sioux Falls Canaries at Sioux Falls Stadium