GBL Rookie of the Year will report to Tuscon for spring training

The Golden Baseball League announced the Colorado Rockies have purchased the contract of Kane Simmons of the Reno Silver Sox.

Simmons will report to Colorado's spring training at Hi Corbett Field in Tucson, Ariz., and will be assigned to either a Northwest, South Atlantic, or California League team in the Rockie's minor league system.

Simmons, 23, a six-foot-one-inch, 200-pound outfielder who throws and bats left from Chattanooga, Tenn., was signed on June 27 by the Silver Sox after completing his collegiate career at NCAA Division I Belmont University, where he led his team in home runs, RBIs and slugging percentage and earned all-conference honors.

He had his first full month in the GBL in July and was the dominant offensive force in the league as he was named Player of the Month. He went on to lead the GBL for the season in home runs with 18 and in slugging percentage with a .628.

He also finished in the top ten in both batting average (.326) and RBIs with 54 while only playing two-thirds of the season.

In the post-season he was named a GBL All-Star, GBL Rookie of the Year, All Independent League First Team, and was tabbed by Baseball America as the No. 4 Independent Prospect in the nation.

Simmons is the 17th GBL player in 2007 to be acquired by a major league organization.

About the Golden Baseball League
The Golden Baseball League, Presented by Safeway Inc./VONS, is a professional baseball league operating in the western U.S. Golden Baseball League teams include the Chico Outlaws in Chico; Calif.,, the Orange County Flyers in Fullerton; Calif., the Long Beach Armada in Long Beach; Calif., the St. George Roadrunners in St. George, Utah; the Yuma Scorpions in Yuma, Ariz..; the Reno Silver Sox in Reno, Nev.; the Edmonton CrackerCats in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; and the Calgary Vipers in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

The season runs from late May to early September. More than 50 GBL players have had their contract purchased by Major League organizations in the last two years.