 (Jerry Hale - MiLB.com)
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Known for hitting massive home runs out of the Fort during the 2010-11 season for the Cavalry, Cincinnati Reds prospect Donald Lutz was promoted from the Class High A Bakersfield Blaze to the Class AA Pensacola Blue Wahoos overnight. Lutz just missed playing with his Cavalry teammate Didi Gregorius who left Pensicola for AAA Louisville last week.
In the inaugural season of the Australian Baseball League, Lutz lead the Cavalry in home runs (5), runs batted in (21), triples (3), total bases (52), and slugging percentage (.520). Along with Canberra native Michael Collins, he was the driving force for the Cavalry offense.
When he returned to the Reds organisation at the end of his stint in the nation's capital he put up stellar numbers for the Class A Dayton Dragons and earned a spot on the Reds 40 man roster. During Spring Training he continued to hit well with the Major League team and was promoted to High A to start the season.
Lutz continued to show the Reds that he is a force to be reconed with. While he has only played in 63 games for the Blaze due to a hamstring injury early in the year, he lead the team in home runs and was one off the team lead in RBI. This prompted the promotion to AA.
"First Didi moves to AAA and now Lutzy follows to AA; this is great," Cavalry General Manager Peter Bishell said. "Both of these young men are good citizens of the game and it is great to see them progress in their careers. It is also great for our fans. This shows that any night that a Canberran comes to The Fort they could be watching a future Major Leaguer."
Lutz joins four other Cavalry playing AA baseball. Mark Thomas and Ty Morrison are playing for the Montgomery Biscuits in the Tampa Bay Rays organisation. John Tolisano is playing for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in the Toronto Blue Jays organisation. Canberra's own Hayden Beard is currently pitching for the San Antonio Missions in the San Diego Padres organisation.
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