MOBILE, Ala. - After playing parts of only three professional seasons, Adam Lind became the 19th South Alabama player to make it to the Major Leagues, as the Toronto Blue Jays called Lind up from the Triple-A Syracuse Skychiefs. Lind will fly to meet the team in Boston before Friday’s game.
Starting the 2006 season in Double-A, Lind tore apart the Eastern League to the tune of a .310 batting average, with 19 home runs and 24 doubles. At the time of his promotion to AAA, Lind was at or near the top in all three categories. Wednesday, he was named the 2006 Eastern League MVP. Until his promotion, he was a threat to win the EL Triple Crown.
In 34 games at AAA Syracuse, Lind showed that he was big league material batting .394 with five home runs and 8 RBIs. Lind got the news from his AAA manager Friday morning.
“My manager called me at 11 a.m. and told me I was going to the big leagues,” said Lind from a Boston hotel room. “I’ve been on the phone all day, so it really hasn’t totally settled in.”
Lind will be activated September 1st when the Major League Rosters are expanded from 25 players to 40. The fulfillment of a life-long dream is not being lost on Lind, who is just trying to take it all in.
“I really don’t know what’s going to happen but I’m starting to get a bit nervous,” he said. “In the minors you don’t really go to the big cities, but being here in downtown Boston, I’m starting to get nervous. The traffic and the buildings, it’s a big step.”
In 2005, his first full season in professional baseball, Lind settled into his pro career by ripping apart the Florida State League for the Dunedin Blue Jays. Lind batted .313 with 12 home runs and a league leading 42 doubles. He also led the league in RBIs with 84.
South Alabama welcomed the Anderson, Ind. native to Mobile after he was named Indiana’s Mr. Baseball and the Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year. His high school career came to an end on a high when he was selected in the eighth round of the Major League draft by the Minnesota Twins.
“We are extremely happy for Adam and his family,” said Jaguar head coach Steve Kittrell. “He is one of the best pure hitters to come through South Alabama in a long time. He uses the whole field and he has developed more power. If he continues to improve he will have an outstanding Major League career.”
Lind was an instant hit for USA. In his first game in 2003, he collected his first career hit in his first career at-bat. As a true-freshman, Lind hit in the middle of the USA order, batting .349 and helping the Jags to an NCAA Regional bid.
As a draft eligible sophomore in 2004, Lind carried momentum from his freshman season to lead the Jags in almost every offensive category. He batted .391, the highest average by a USA player in 17 years. At the end of the year, Lind again had his name called in the MLB draft, this time in the third round by the Toronto Blue Jays. After the draft, Lind was named South Alabama’s 26th All-American.
When he is activated, Lind will bring the number of former Jaguars currently in the Major Leagues to five, joining Luis Gonzalez (Arizona Diamondbacks), Marlon Anderson (Los Angeles Dodgers) Juan Pierre (Chicago Cubs) and Jon Lieber (Philadelphia Phillies).
