Mills Journey in the Major Leagues

By Paul Disselkoen                                                                       
Turks Broadcasting Intern

In the midst of the MLB All-star break, players are gearing up for the second half of the season.  Former  Turk Brad Mills, will now join them, as he has been called up to the Los Angeles Angels.

Mills played college ball for the Arizona Wildcats while he brought his skills to the Turks during the summer of 2005.

Mills was drafted in the 22nd round in the 2006 MLB draft by the Toronto Blue Jays which he declined to return for his senior season with the Wildcats.  Mills was then drafted by the Blue Jays again, this time in the fourth round of the 2007 amateur entry draft.

Mills enjoyed varying degrees of success in 2007-08 pitching at all three levels of the Blue Jays farm system.  He began the 2009 season with Triple-A Las Vegas, before being promoted June 18 versus the World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies, allowing four earned runs, in 3.2 innings.

December 3, 2011, Mills was traded to the Los Angeles Angels for catcher Jeff Mathis.  This season the left-handed pitcher earned a 3-4 win-loss record, with an ERA of 4.76 in 51.0 innings.

While this year’s Turks team was enjoying the Valley League All-Star game Bard Mills was called upon for another major league start July 8th.  Against the Baltimore Orioles, Mills went 5.0 innings, allowing only 3 hits and no walks on 6 strikeouts.  The long road to the majors is a grind, and yet another former Turk has found his way to the big show, and enjoyed success earning his first win on the major league level.