Williams, Hose and Budkevics signed by Long Island
(Central Islip, N.Y., Feb. 15, 2013) – The Atlantic League champion Long Island Ducks today announced the signings of infielder Shawn Williams along with pitchers T.J. Hose and Pete Budkevics for the 2013 season. It will be Williams’ second campaign with the Ducks while Hose, who was acquired in a trade for pitcher Jon Hunton, and Budkevics both enter their first season on Long Island.
“We are pleased to bring back Shawn and welcome T.J. and Pete to our club,” says Ducks president and general manager Michael Pfaff. “Shawn was an important contributor to our success last year, and both T.J. and Pete bring live arms to our bullpen.”
Williams played in 102 regular season games for the Ducks in 2012, batting .272 with six home runs, 46 RBI and 14 doubles and 18 stolen bases. In the field, he played six different positions and finished the year with a superb .984 fielding percentage. In seven postseason games, the switch-hitter picked up a run batted in, a run scored and two stolen bases.
The 29-year-old son of former Red Sox manager Jimy Williams spent parts of four seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays organization, reaching the high Single-A level. A native of Florida, he carries 474 games of minor league experience with a .283 career batting average and .973 fielding percentage into 2013. Williams was originally drafted by the Astros in the 35th round of the 2002 amateur draft.
Hose spent the 2012 season with Somerset, compiling a 3.58 ERA and one save in 31 appearances. In 32 and two-thirds innings, he struck out 29 batters while walking just 12. The 26-year-old has played five seasons of professional baseball, spending time in the Arizona Diamondbacks and Boston Red Sox organizations. His best season came in 2009 when he posted a 2.11 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 42 games. Hose, who has career ERA of 3.74 and 232 strikeouts in 252 innings, was originally drafted by the Diamondbacks in the 36th round of the 2008 amateur draft.
Budkevics last pitched in 2011 with the Great Lakes Loons (A, Dodgers) in the Midwest League. The right-hander posted a 4-4 record with a 3.39 ERA and five saves in 45 games. He also struck out 71 batters in 85 innings pitched. In 2010, the Deer Park native went 4-1 with a 3.38 ERA in 12 games (five starts) with the Ogden Raptors (R, Dodgers). The 25-year-old played his collegiate baseball at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Dodgers in 2010.
In addition, Ducks bullpen coach Jamie Quinn has been signed by the Arizona Diamondbacks organization and has been assigned to the Hillsboro Hops (A, Northwest League) as a member of their coaching staff, acting in the capacity of video coordinator. Quinn joins the club after spending four seasons with the Ducks, including the last two as the bullpen coach. Quinn made his Ducks playing debut in 2010 as a catcher and has previously served on the coaching staffs for the Hofstra University, Long Island University – Brooklyn and Queens College baseball teams. He is currently the pitching coach of the Merchant Marine Academy.
In Hillsboro, Quinn will join former Ducks catcher J.R. House, who was recently named the club’s hitting coach for the 2013 season. House played for the Flock in 2011 and batted .305 with 19 homers, 81 RBI and 22 doubles in 113 games. Last season, the Florida native served as the hitting coach for the Missoula Osprey (R, Pioneer League) in the Diamondbacks organization.
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