Weeks, Alonso Selected to Play in Arizona Fall League

Aug. 26, 2009

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Former University of Miami Hurricanes Jemile Weeks and Yonder Alonso have been selected to play in the prestigious Arizona Fall League, an off-season league owned and operated by Major League Baseball comprised of many of game’s top prospects.

Weeks – an Oakland Athletics’ prospect – will play for the Phoenix Desert Dogs while Alonso – a Cincinnati Reds’ prospect – will be a member of the Peoria Saguaros. The former `Canes will join a number of baseball’s top minor league players in the league, including the Braves’ Jason Heyward, the Marlins’ Mike Stanton and the Nationals’ Stephen Strasburg – the first overall selection in the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft.

Alonso will play alongside Heyward for the Saguaros while Weeks will be a teammate of Strasburg in Phoenix.

Alonso spent most of the 2009 season with Single-A Sarasota, hitting .303 with seven homers and 38 RBI in 49 games before getting called up to Double-A Carolina, where he is hitting .239 with a homer and nine RBI in 18 games.

Weeks hit .299 with seven homers, 31 RBI and 29 runs scored in 50 games at Single-A Stockton before moving up to Double-A Midland, where he is hitting .217 with a homer, five RBI and nine runs scored in 17 games. Weeks was also a member of Team USA in the 2009 Futures Game on July 12 as a part of MLB All-Star festivities last month in St. Louis.

The 18th Annual Arizona Fall League beings on Oct. 13 and runs through Nov. 19. The Rising Stars game is slated for Nov. 7, with the league championship game set for Nov. 21.

Alonso and Weeks played together at UM from 2006-08, before Alonso went seventh overall and Weeks 12th in the 2008 MLB Draft. Weeks left UM as the school’s all-time leader in triples with 19, while Alonso ranks third in UM history in homers (52), RBI (215) total bases (432).

Every game of the fall league can be followed live on Gameday on MLB.com and MLBFallBall.com.