MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com – INDIANAPOLIS -- Indianapolis Indians middle infielder Brian Bixler has been recalled by the Pittsburgh Pirates. This marks the first Major League promotion of Bixler’s five-year professional career.
Bixler was named the 2007 Indianapolis Indians Most Valuable Player after hitting .274 with five homers, 23 doubles, 10 triples, 28 stolen bases and 51 RBI in a team-high 129 games.
"Brian was a solid contributor in his first Triple-A season," Indians Manager Trent Jewett says. "He did a nice job of settling in early, and was consistent over the course of a very grueling year."
Bixler represented Indianapolis at the 2007 Triple-A All-Star Game and was the only Indians player to receive International League Postseason All-Star honors. The Triple-A rookie tied for first in the league in triples, ranked fourth in runs (77) and tied for fourth in stolen bases.
The 25-year-old collected 28 multi-hit performances and eight multi-RBI efforts a season ago. He notched three hitting streaks of 10+ games (April 5-April 18, April 22-May 5, June 25-July 6), and committed just 16 errors in 568 total chances between shortstop and second base.
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Bixler was named the team’s June Player of the Month after batting .283 with two dingers, seven RBI and 16 runs in 27 affairs. He also swiped 11 bases during the month.
"Brian is a calm kid on the exterior, but I think there’s a fire that burns inside of him," Jewett adds. "He wants to grow, and he wants to succeed. Brian is a very talented kid -- he can hit for power, he can hit for average, he has some speed and he has some athletic ability."
A native of Sandusky, Ohio, Bixler owns a .283 batting average in 450 Minor League games. He was 0-for-9 with two RBI in three Triple-A games this season.
Bixler replaces 2004 Major League All-Star Jack Wilson, who was placed on Pittsburgh’s 15-day disabled list with a left calf strain.
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