WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Wingnuts, proud member of the American Association of Professional Baseball (AA), announced a major addition to their lineup today, signing outfielder Dustan Mohr.
An 11-year pro out of the University of Alabama, Mohr joins the Wingnuts after spending all or part of the last seven seasons in the Major Leagues. This past season, Mohr played 58 games with the International League’s Durham Bulls and enjoyed seven games with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, hitting a home run in 16 at-bats.
"The signing of Dustan Mohr is huge for this ball club. To bring a guy in with his Major League experience has many benefits, besides just what he can do in the field”, said Wingnuts manager Kash Beauchamp. “I love the fact that he gives us a legitimate right handed power bat in the middle of the lineup, but he will also bring his knowledge of the game at its highest level - which will certainly help our younger players.”
A ninth round pick (291st overall) of the Cleveland Indians in the 1997 MLB Draft, Mohr began his pro career later that summer with Watertown of the New York-Penn League, hitting .291 in 74 games. Following two more seasons in the Indians system, he was signed by the Minnesota Twins and made is major league debut on August 29th, 2001. Mohr was added to the Twins postseason roster and made a huge impact, going 7-14, as the Twins fell just shy of a trip to the World Series.
Mohr spent the next three seasons in the majors, the last one with the San Francisco Giants in 2004. Over that time he started a majority of those games, picking up 29 home runs and 109 RBI. In 2005 he was signed by the Colorado Rockies, where he hit a career-high 17 home runs in just 98 games. Mohr also played for the Boston Red Sox in 2006.
In 504 career major league games, Mohr hit .249 with 49 home runs and 156 RBI. His career minor league numbers include 86 more home runs, 405 RBI and a .273 batting average. Mohr is no slouch in the field either, recording just 37 errors in 1209 career games. Over the last three seasons, he has made just two errors in 263 games.
“Dustan is determined to get back to the Major Leagues and knows that playing here for the Wingnuts will give him the opportunity to do so”, said Beauchamp.
The Wingnuts also announced that they will hold a press conference on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. to introduce their first mascot. The introduction will be made in the home clubhouse at Lawrence Dumont Stadium.
Mohr is the 21st player signed by the Wingnuts and is penciled in as the opening day center fielder. The Wingnuts will begin their inaugural season on May 7th with a three-game home stand versus the Sioux City Explorers. The Wichita Thunder, meanwhile, returns to action on Friday when they host the Oklahoma City Blazers at 7:05 p.m. For more information on baseball or hockey, please call our office at 264-GOAL or visit our websites www.wichitathunder.com and www.wichitawingnuts.com.
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