T-Bones Acquire Lefty Waltrip

KANSAS CITY, Kan.– The Kansas City T-Bones announced today that the club has acquired left-handed pitcher Billy Waltrip from the Texas AirHogs in exchange for outfielder Joe Jackson and a player to be named later.

Waltrip was 1-4 for Texas this season with a 3.85 ERA in 21 games. The lefty out of the University of Oklahoma, made five starts for the AirHogs this season working 49 innings with 52 strike outs. In 2016, Waltrip pitched in 34 games, all in relief for Sioux Falls. For the Canaries, Waltrip posted a 3.69 ERA in 39 innings. He also pitched in three games to start the season at White Sands in the Pecos League. In three starts he went 3-0 with a 1.99 ERA in 22 innings before moving on to Texas.

Waltrip spent two seasons with the Colorado Rockies organization. He was assigned to Grand Junction in the Pioneer League in 2013, where he pitched in 22 innings his first pro season.  In 2014, he went 2-1 at Tri-City in the Northwest League with a 5.58 ERA in 25 games over 30.2 innings.

As a Junior at the University of Oklahoma, Waltrip went 2-3 with a 5.15 ERA, while totaling 45 strikeouts in 36.2 relief innings for the Sooners. He struck out a season-high nine batters in a five-inning, no-decision start against the University of New Mexico. The Colorado Rockies would draft Waltrip in the 12th round of the MLB Amateur Draft with the 349th overall pick after his only season in Norman.

He played two seasons at Seminole State College, where went 7-2 his sophomore year with a 1.60 ERA and 95 strikeouts in 67.2 innings and was named All-Conference. Waltrip hails from Fort Gibson, Oklahoma and was a four-year letter winner at Fort Gibson High School. He earned all-state honors as a senior and was named all-conference for 2008, 2009 and 2010. Waltrip was also drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 12th round of the 2012 MLB Draft but did not sign.

Joe Jackson was signed by the T-Bones in early May and played in 45 games for Kansas City in 2017. The South Carolina native and great-great-great-nephew of “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, hit .264 with six home runs and 22 RBIs for Kansas City.

The T-Bones continue their four-game homestand with the Salina Stockade in the second game of a four-game series tonight at CommunityAmerica Ballpark at 7:05pm. Come celebrate Back to School Night with a drawstring backpack giveaway. For additional information or interview requests, members of the media may contact the T-Bones Media Relations Department at 817-739-3693. Tickets are available online, by calling (913) 328-5618 or by visiting in person the Providence Medical Center Box Office.

--T-Bones--