Bees Ink Two

NEW BRITAIN–The New Britain Bees have announced two key signings—catcher catcher James Skelton and outfielder Ozney Guillen—in preparation for the 2018 Atlantic League season.

This will be Skelton’s third season with the Bees, his sixth in the Atlantic League, and 15^th overall in professional baseball. Last year with New Britain, the backstop appeared in 117 games, hit .255 with 14 HRs, 33 RBIs, 69 runs scored, 17 stolen bases, and a .408 on-base percentage. He also tied an all-time Atlantic League single-season record with 101 walks drawn.

Originally drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 14^th round of the 2004 MLB amateur draft, Skelton spent five years in the Tigers organization, and continued to play in the organized ball through 2012, reaching the AAA level with Louisville (Reds) in 2011 and Syracuse (Nationals) in 2012. The 32-year-old backstop made his Atlantic League debut in 2013, and has played in the league since with the Somerset Patriots, Lancaster Barnstormers and Southern Maryland Blue Crabs in addition to the Bees. Overall, Skelton has, James owns a .258 batting average with 59 home runs, 405 RBIs, 550 runs scored, 145 stolen bases, and a .390 on-base percentage in 1,080 career minor league games.

Guillen joins the Bees for his second season in the Atlantic League and fifth of professional baseball. No stranger to Connecticut sports fans, last season the 25-year-old outfielder played with the Bridgeport Bluefish, where he hit .253 with two homers, 29 ribbies, 30 runs scored, and five stolen bases in 86 games. The son of former MLB star and Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Gullen, Ozney was originally drafted out of high school by the White Sox in the 22^nd round of the 2010 MLB draft. He made his professional debut in 2014 with Normal of the independent Frontier League, spending two seasons with Normal before joining Sioux Falls of the American Association in 2016. Overall, he has hit .241 with 16 dingers and 127 RBIs in 233 career games—all on the independent circuit. He also has crossed the plate 132 times and swiped 32 bases.

The Bees will open their home schedule against The Road Warriors,
the former Bridgeport Bluefish, who will be moving to High Point, NC,
next season. Meanwhile, the team's former home, the Ballpark at Harbor
Yard (pictured), remains vacant while the Warriors play the entire
2018 season on the road. Go figure. (Photo by Bob Phillips)

“Only one week remains until players report for spring training ,and we’re excited how the roster is looking,” says Bees general manager Brad Smith. “James has been one of the better catchers in the Atlantic League the past few years, and will be a very important part of the team in working with our veteran pitching staff. Ozney adds some versatility to the club and has proven he can be an asset in this league.”

The Bees will open the season with a six-game series in Sugar Land, Tex., a suburb of Houston, where they will challenge the Sugar Land Skeeters, beginning on Apr. 27. They will then return home to host the former Bridgeport Bluefish who will be playing this season as The Road Warriors—yes, playing the entire season on the road (even though their former ballpark in Bridgeport remains unoccupied and dormant) while a new state-of-the-art stadium is being built for them in High Point, NC, for the 2019 season. The home opener will be on Fri., May 4, with the first pitch slated for 6:35 p.m. at New Britain Stadium. For more information on the Bees, click HERE.

Join Da Club!

 
The Bees are happy to announce Xfinity Kid’s Club for the 2018 season, open to all kids up to 13-years of age and it is free to join.

Membership includes a ticket to every Bees Sunday home game, an official Kid’s Club membership card, 10 percent off all kid’s apparel in the team store, a 10 percent discount off the price of summer Bees Baseball Camps, and an invitation to Sting’s Birthday Bash and Xfinity Kid’s Club Day on Sat., Aug. 18. In addition, Xfinity Kid’s Club members who book a Birthday Party with the Bees will receive a 10 percent discount, and have the opportunity to toss out the first pitch of the game.

“We are excited to partner with Xfinity and announce the start of the Bees Kid’s Club,” says Bees General Manager Brad Smith. “This will be an exciting program in 2018 and we look forward to giving all the participants a fun-filled experience.” 

To sign up for the Xfinity Kid’s Club online, CLICK HERE. A registration form is also available by CLICKING HERE. For more information on the Xfinity Kid’s Club, please email info@NBBees.com or call (860) 826-2337.

—Staff Reports