BERRY BREAKS RECORD

CLEARWATER, Fla. –Threshers centerfielder Quintin Berry set a new Clearwater record for stolen bases by an individual in a season tonight, August 8. Berry’s steal in the second inning was his 41st of the season and broke the old mark of 40 that was set in 1997 by Reggie Taylor.

The evening also marks the third annual Pitch for Pink Night – an evening during which the Threshers join with Morton Plant Mease to raise awareness about and funds for the fight against breast cancer, and Berry setting the record on this night should not be surprising. Julio De La Cruz threw a no-hitter on Pitch for Pink Night in 2006.

A native of San Diego, Calif., Berry led the South Atlantic League in steals last season while with Lakewood, swiping 55 bags and finishing second overall among all minor league players in the category.

He was named to the SAL’s mid-season and postseason All-Star teams for his speed on the basepaths and his consistency at the plate. The left-handed batter hit .312 over 126 games, including a 14-game hitting streak.

That streak was the best of his short professional career until he surpassed it this season during a hot July for him in Clearwater. For the month, he hit .367 including hitting in 15 straight to end the month. The streak has continued into August as he now has the longest streak in the Florida State League this season at 24.

The 2007 winner of the Paul Owens Award – given each year to the player deemed the best in the Philadelphia Phillies minor league system – was selected by the Phillies in the fifth round of the June 2006 draft. He is in his third professional season.