Fan Favorite Garcia Traded, Leesman Returns
(Fort Mill, SC) - On Sunday, May 26, one fan-favorite was welcomed back to the Knights, while another was traded away. The Charlotte Knights welcomed LHP Charlie Leesman back to the mound on Sunday after a long rehabilitation from a left ACL tear. While Leesman returned from his 2012 Governors' Cup injury, another Knight was traded - Drew Garcia. Garcia was dealt to the Colorado organization for a player to be named later.
Drew was born into a baseball family. Dave Garcia, his grandfather, was the manager of the California Angels (1977-78) and Cleveland Indians (1979-82). Dave spent over 65 years in the game of baseball as a scout, Minor League baseball player, coach, and manager.
Drew was a fan-favorite at Knights Stadium. He began his Knights career in 2011 and has been with the Knights in parts of the past three years. A native of El Cajon, California, Garcia was originally selected by the White Sox in the 21st round of the 2008 Major League Baseball draft.
The former University of California, Riverside product worked his way through the Chicago organization. In 2008, he hit .299 for Bristol with eight home runs and 37 RBIs over 61 games. He spent all of 2009 with Kannapolis (Single-A) and hit .269 with six home runs and 62 RBIs over 112 games.
Garcia continued to work his way up the organizational ladder and spent all of 2010 with Winston-Salem (High-A). He hit .253 that season with nine homers and 70 RBIs. He also scored 61 runs.
After beginning 2011 with Double-A Birmingham, he earned a promotion to Triple-A. Knights Stadium would become his home for parts of the 2011-2013 seasons.
It was on May 17, 2011, that Garcia made his Knights debut at home against the Toledo Mud Hens. It was a day later, however, that Garcia recorded his first Triple-A hit. He ripped a two-run double off of 'Hens reliever Matt Hoffman for the first hit of his Knights career. He would later go on to appear in 104 games that season for Charlotte and hit .202 with eight home runs and 43 RBIs.
A year later, Garcia began the 2012 campaign in Birmingham with the Double-A Barons. He appeared in 33 games and hit .316 with one home run and 26 RBIs. Garcia earned a promotion to Charlotte in May, where he would spend the rest of the season.
In 99 games with the Knights last season, he hit .234 with five home runs and 49 RBIs. He had an impressive month of July. As the summer heated up, so did Garcia. In July, he hit .321 with two home runs and 21 RBIs over 28 games.
For his Knights career, Garcia appeared in 227 games and had 175 hits, 50 doubles, 80 runs scored, and four triples.
The Knights would like to take a moment to wish Drew good luck with his new organization.
As for Leesman, 2012 was a memorable season. He went 12-10 with a 2.47 ERA - the second best in the IL. He was a mid-season All-Star, a member of the Chicago 40-man roster, but an injury during the Governors' Cup playoffs changed things.
Leesman would spend the next several months recovering from the left ACL tear. As the 2013 season started, he began the year on Charlotte's DL. He was rehabbing his injury in extended spring training in Arizona.
For his 2012 efforts, on April 11 in a pre-game on-field ceremony at Knights Stadium, Leesman was named to the All Knights Stadium Team. He'll receive his plaque when he returns home to Fort Mill.
On April 14, Leesman was designated for assignment by Chicago. He was later claimed on release waivers by the Texas Rangers, but instead of going to Triple-A with Texas, he decided to become a free agent. He was re-signed by Charlotte and once again back with the Knights and placed on their DL.
Now, Leesman is officially back with the Knights and on their active roster. It has been a long road back for the Cincinnati native. The talented lefty has been slotted back into Charlotte's rotation and could provide a big boost for the club. It will be great to have him back.