Lackey Shows Potential at Every Stop

Pitcher John Lackey left no doubt he is one of the up-and-comers in the Angels’ farm system. It wasn’t just what he did this season, it was where he did it.

Lackey started the season with Class-A Cedar Rapids, then was bumped up to Lake Elsinore, a higher Class-A team. He earned another promotion to double-A Erie.

Lackey, the Angels’ top pick in the 1999 draft, went 6-1 with a 3.30 earned-run average for the Seawolves. A neat trick, considering Erie finished with a 47-94 record.

Combining Lackey’s three stops, he was 15-9 with a 3.15 ERA in 28 starts.

Meanwhile, Brian Downing may no longer be the Angels’ all-time home run leader, but Brad Downing, his son, got off to a good start with his Angel career. Downing (Class-A Boise) was second in the Northwest League with a .337 batting average.

Pitcher Scot Shields (triple-A Edmonton) led the Pacific Coast League with 156 strikeouts and was third with four complete games. He was also tied for the league high with 13 losses and was fourth with 92 walks.