Crestwood, IL – Windy City ThunderBolts pitcher Chris Hayes is the team’s second player in three weeks to sign with the Kansas City Royals organization. Hayes joins his 2005 teammate Justin Schuda, whose contract was sold to the Royals in February.
Hayes will participate in spring training at the Royals’ Cactus League facility in Surprise, AZ. It is the first opportunity in affiliated baseball for Hayes after he made his professional debut with Windy City last season.
“Chris came to us right out of college and ended up being our closer. He did a good job without much experience. I’m excited for him to have a chance to get into an organization. He’s a good guy on and off the field,” said ThunderBolts manager Brent Bowers.
The Lake Forest native signed with the ThunderBolts in June after playing four years at Northwestern University. Hayes went 4-1 with a 2.41 ERA and a team-high nine saves in 28 appearances in 2005. The right-hander did not allow a run in 13 straight appearances from July 19 to August 27 and earned five saves in a row during that stretch. He gave up only three runs over his final 21 innings.
Hayes was able to pick up some additional work this past winter. He played for Bowers with the Sincelejo Toros in the Colombian Baseball League.
“I thought highly of him and brought him with me to Colombia. He gained some valuable experience against Double-A and Triple-A level players,” Bowers added.
Single game tickets go on sale on Friday, March 24 at 8AM. Full season tickets, skybox suites, group outings, birthday parties, and Kids Club memberships are currently on sale and can be purchased by calling the ThunderBolts office at 708-489-2255. For the latest team news and schedule info, please visit www.wcthunderbolts.com. The Windy City ThunderBolts are a member of the 10-team Frontier League. The Frontier League is an independent league with teams throughout the Midwest.
