TWO AMERICANS SIGN WITH GERMAN TEAM IN HEIDENHEIM

With their 2008 season opener less than a month away, the German League’s Heidenheim Heidekoepfe have signed two Americans for 2009.


Thirty-one-year-old pitcher Dusty Bergman is joining Heidenheim after spending ten seasons in the minor leagues. A sixth-round draft pick by Anaheim out of the University of Hawaii in 1999, Bergman made one major league appearance for the Angels in 2004, giving up three runs in two relief innings against Milwaukee. He’s spent the past two seasons in independent baseball. Bergman has German roots, and may not count as an import player.

Californian Ray Stokes spent three seasons with minor league affiliates of the San Diego Padres at the Rookie and Class A levels, hitting .241 with 37 runs scored in 57 career pro games. The 23-year-old Stokes was a 16th round pick of the Padres in 2006.