The United Shore Professional Baseball League has their first major league signing of the 2017 season. It was recently announced that third baseman Alex Maloney of the Birmingham-Bloomfield Beavers has signed a pro contract with the Chicago White Sox.
BREAKING: Our own Alex Maloney of the Beavers has received the call from the #Whitesox. Now 14th USPBL player to move up! pic.twitter.com/NgHwctXvg5
— USPBL (@uspbl) June 25, 2017
Detroit Metro Stars alumni Alex Maloney signed by the Chicago White Sox #starsinproball #livinthedream pic.twitter.com/hxyRrF3cDY
— Detroit Metro Stars (@detmetrostars) June 26, 2017
Maloney (6-3, 200 pounds) is a former product of Chelsea High School in Michigan. He attended Chelsea High through the fall trimester of his senior year, before transferring to Delta High School in Muncie, Indiana. Muncie is also the home of nearby Ball State University, where Alex’s father Rich was the head coach for the baseball team.
Alex played four years for the Cardinals from 2014-17, hitting a very solid .272 with a .756 OPS in nearly 230 career games with BSU.
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After going undrafted, Maloney signed on to play with the USPBL’s Birmingham-Bloomfield Beavers. He played in just four games and was actually pulled midway through his most recent (and ultimately his last) game on Saturday, June 24. Maloney went 2 for 15 with one run and one run batted in in his 3+ games for the USPBL.
“Skip came over and I thought he was taking me out the game honestly, but he said ‘hey you just got picked up by the Chicago White Sox,’ and it was just one of those moments that you really cherish,” said Maloney.
“I’m very thankful for the opportunity that the USPBL gave me and that the White Sox are giving me now,” Maloney added. “Everything you worked for as a kid just finally comes into one thing here and you finally get the opportunity that you waited your whole life for.”
Andy Appleby, founder and commissioner of the USPBL, offered these thoughts on Maloney, who became the 14th player ever from the USPBL to sign a major league contract since the league began last year.
“We couldn’t be happier for Alex Maloney and the other 13 USPBL players who have been signed by Major League organizations,” said Andy Appleby, Commissioner and Founder of the USPBL. “Our goal has always been to make every player better and see them succeed at the next level and beyond.”
Click here to see a complete look at the other former USPBL players to have signed with major league clubs in the last year.
A report from Sunday said that Maloney reported to the White Sox rookie level club in Arizona on Monday.
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