MELVILLE WINS MINKER AWARD

Wilmington, DE - Wilmington Blue Rocks pitcher Tim Melville was named the 2011 Matt Minker Community Service Award winner by the Carolina League office last week. Each Carolina League club was eligible to nominate one player for consideration of the honor that represents the values of Wilmington's late former owner.

From the first team meeting, Melville became the Rocks' go-to guy for public appearances. He spent many hours volunteering in the Wilmington area, including lifting the spirits of patients at the A.I DuPont Hospital for Children and sweating on a hot and humid afternoon helping with a construction project for Habitat for Humanity.

Melville was selected by the Royals in the fourth round of the 2008 June draft out of high school in Wentzville, MO, In his second year as a Blue Rocks starter, the right-hander finished with an 11-10 mark and a 4.32 ERA.

Named in honor of the late Blue Rocks team president, the Minker Award is bestowed upon the league player who does the best job of serving his club's community during each season.

Minker passed away in November of 2007 after a five-year battle with cancer. He was 60. His brother Jack Minker, Blue Rocks Vice President and Carolina League Director, presented the award at Frawley Stadium. Matt Minker was integral in the inception of the modern Blue Rocks. He was involved in the ownership of the team since the franchise came to Wilmington in 1993 and his construction company built Frawley Stadium, in five months. He became president of the club in 1995. During his 13 years representing Wilmington on the CL's Board of Directors, he served the league as an officer, a member of the executive committee and as league representative on the Minor League Baseball Board of Trustees.