Former Bruin Baseball Stars Earn Promotions

Glaus called up to the Angels and doubles in first at bat, Byrnes advances to high-A and goes 2-4 in first game.

August 1, 1998

WESTWOOD, Calif. - On Thursday July 30, two former Bruin baseball stars received promotions.

Troy Glaus, the 1997 Pac-10 Player of the Year who blasted a Pac-10 record 34 home runs in 1997 for the Bruins, was promoted from Vancouver (AAA) to Anaheim on Thursday. Glaus becomes the second member of the Bruins' 1997 College World Series team to reach the major leagues, joining lefthanded pitcher Jim Parque (Chicago White Sox). Glaus batted .306 with 16 home runs for Vancouver after hitting 19 homeruns at Midland (AA) to begin the season, giving him 35 for the year. Glaus was the third overall pick in the 1997 draft by the Angels. Glaus started at third base for the Angels on Friday, July 31 and was 1-4 with a RBI-double.

Eric Byrnes, UCLA's all-time hits leader, who was an eighth round draft pick by the Oakland Athletics this past June, was promoted from Southern Oregon (low-A) to Visalia (high-A), Byrnes batted .314 with 10 doubles and seven home runs for Southern Oregon. He was named as the "Player of the Game" on Tuesday and Wednesday before being told of his promotion during a team meeting held before Thursday's game. After playing for Southern Oregon on Thursday night, Byrnes drove up the I-5 all day Friday, arriving in Visalia before the start of his new team's game. He proceeded to go 2-4.