The MANNHEIM TORNADOS confirmed a few player transactions on their website on Wednesday. As rumored the past few months, starting pitcher Eddie Aucoin is leaving the TORNADOS after just one season and joins the 2008 German Baseball-Bundesliga champion BUCHBINDER LEGIONAERE REGENSBURG. The 33-year-old Massachusetts native Aucoin is one of the best pitchers in Germany the past few years. In 2008 he had a 8-3 record with an ERA of 0.94 in twelve starts. He struck out 102 in 86 innings, while walking just four batters all season long. In the playoffs (4-0, ERA 2.87, 37.2 IP, 37 SO, 3 BB) he helped MANNHEIM reaching the German finals against his new team from Regensburg. The British pitcher Paul Waterman (4-0, ERA 1.91, 33 IP, 22 SO, 14 BB) is also leaving the club.
The TORNADOS also announced officially the signing of center fielder Sascha Lutz, who is coming from the MAINZ ATHLETICS. The 25-year-old member of the German national team and brother of CINCINNATI RED Donald Lutz, was hindered by an injury in 2008 and batted .400 (OBP .607/SLG .550) in just 61 plate appearances during the regular season. He won the German championship with the A’s in 2007.
In addition MANNHEIM welcomes back Jan Ruessel and brings in Michael Otto to reinforce the pitching staff. Ruessel was not able to play for the TORNADOS in 2008, as he was in India due to his job at SAP. In 2007 he had a 5-3 record with an ERA of 4.03 with 36 strikeouts (23 walks) in 67 innings.
Otto already hung up his cleats following the 2007 Baseball World Cup due to back problems and began his coaching career with the DARMSTADT WHIPPETS in the 2nd Baseball-Bundesliga. However the 27-year-old went through rehabilitation the past few months and wants to try a comeback in 2009. He last pitched in the Baseball-Bundesliga in 2007 with the SAARLOUIS HORNETS, where he had a 1-2 record with one save, an ERA of 4.34 and 36 strikeouts (17 walks) in 37 1/3 innings. At the World Cup in Taiwan Otto pitched seven scoreless innings for Germany in a 2-0 shutout against Thailand, their only victory in the tournament.
Head coach Georg Bull also is getting a new assistant coach, as the 60-year-old Bob Lindsey joins the TORNADOS. He is the scouting coordinator of the Cincinnati Reds for Europe and South Africa, who is living in Frankfurt, Germany. He also was the assistant coach with the 2nd Baseball-Bundesliga club BAD HOMBURG HORNETS and was responsible for the Baseball team of the International School in Frankfurt.
