Mister-Baseball.com has learned that left-handed pitcher Luke Sommer is rumored to join the German Baseball-Bundesliga club Heidenheim Heidekoepfe in a couple of weeks. The 27-year-old Oregon native holds a German passport since last year, when he played for Germany in the European Championship and the World Baseball Classic Qualifier. An official announcement hasn’t been made yet.
The former Triple-A Minor Leaguer with the Chicago Cubs organization was a member of the Dutch Hoofdklasse club Corendon Kinheim during the 2012 season. Following Sommer’s strong performances in Europe he got a minor league contract from the Detroit Tigers, but got released at the end of Spring Training. During his professional career in the United States he had a 13-13 record with an ERA of 2.97. With Kinheim he won the Holland Series and posted a 10-2 record with an ERA of 2.05 in 14 regular season starts.
Heidenheim started with a split against the well-improved Stuttgart Reds into the new season in the German Baseball-Bundesliga and is relying on Martin Dewald and Jake Frawley as starting pitchers at the moment. However Dewald also has experience as a reliever. The combination of Sommer and Frawley as 1-2 duo at the top of the pitching staff and the strong Heidekoepfe offense would certainly push the team towards the favorites for the 2013 title.
Photo: Gregor Eisenhuth, www.eisenhuth-photographie.de