National team pitcher Dirk Fries signed a contract with the HAAR DISCIPLES. The 28-year-old right-hander joins the Munich suburb club after pitching for the COLOGNE CARDINALS in 2007. He had a 9-4 record with an ERA of 2.08 last season. He struck out 53 (13 walks) in 86.1 innings pitched.
Fries also was a member of the German national team at the Baseball World Cup and the Final Olympic Qualifying Tournament (FOQT) in Taiwan. Last November he received the victory in relief against Thailand. It was the first win for a German team in World Cup history. A couple of weeks ago at the FOQT, he got the win against South Africa and a loss versus the Canadians.
In HAAR he is going to replace Eddie Aucoin (99 IP, ERA 1.91, 117 SO, 9 BB) as number one starter of the club. Aucoin left for the MANNHEIM TORNADOS. Also new with the Disciples in 2008 are Austrian Baseball League MVP Clemens Cichocki and the Caribbean sluggers Adalberto Paulino and Alexis Hernandez. They also installed a new coaching staff with Christian Haas and Michael Almstetter.
They are open the new season next Sunday in NEUENBURG. With their acquisitions they have high hopes for 2008.
