26 August, 2005

Miller tabbed as top pro prospect

For two summers, Andrew Miller of the Chatham A's has shut down the best college players in the country with remarkable ease. 

The 6-foot, 6-inch, 195-pound southpaw flame-thrower from the University of North Carolina followed up his fine 2004 season with an even more impressive performance in 2005, earning the Robert A. McNeece Outstanding Pro Prospect Award. 

Early in the season, Chatham General Manager Charlie Thoms predicted his team's success would hinge on the performance of its lefty ace, who many predict could be the No. 1 player taken overall in next year's major league draft. 

Miller lived up to Thoms' words, helping pitch Chatham into the playoffs with a 6-0 record in seven starts. He gave up only 22 hits and struck out 66 batters in just 49 innings of work, maintaining a minuscule 1.65 ERA. 

In Chatham's only playoff win, Miller tossed eight innings against Orleans, getting a no-decision while striking out 10 and giving up three hits. 

Following his first summer on the Cape in 2004, Miller was named the Cape League's top major league prospect by Baseball America. He rejoined the A's in 2005 after a strong sophomore campaign in Chapel Hill. 

The Gainesville, Fla., native went 8-4 with a 2.98 ERA and 104 strikeouts for the Tar Heels this spring before becoming part of a talented Chatham pitching staff that included Robert Woodard, Jared Hughes and Derrick Lutz. 

Miller, Norton named outstanding pitchers 

Miller and Falmouth's Tim Norton of the University of Connecticut were named co-winners of the B.F.C Whitehouse Outstanding Pitcher Award for their summer work. 

It didn't take Norton long to make his presence known on the Cape. The Commodore right-hander hurled a two-hitter in his first appearance this summer and was named the league's first 2005 Coca Cola Pitcher of the Week. 

The 6-foot, 5-inch hurler was equally impressive throughout the rest of the summer, finishing with a 5-1 record and a 1.77 ERA. In 10 appearances, including nine starts, Norton tossed 61 innings, yielding just 15 walks while tallying 77 strikeouts, second in the league. 

Norton, a native of Pascoag, R.I., and former Cotuit Kettleer John Kelly are the only players from UConn to be named as the outstanding pitcher in a CCBL season. The award was first given to Bernie Kilroy (Boston College) of Cotuit in 1964.