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Tuesday, June 27, 2000

Snider signs
pro contract
with Athletics

The most outstanding pitcher
for the Rainbows this year is
thrilled to play for Oakland's
farm club in Vancouver

By Al Chase
Star-Bulletin

All Rich Snider wanted was a chance at professional baseball.

After being passed over in the recent major- league first-year player draft, that chance would only materialize if some team had to fill a need.

Fortunately, the Oakland Athletics needed pitchers for their Vancouver, British Columbia, farm team in the short-season Class A Northwest League.

"The A's called last Tuesday and he was there Thursday," said Snider's father, Rick.

"Rich has been working half a day in a book store and helping his brother haul hay at night so it wasn't really a hard decision. He was ready to go."

"They gave him a little bonus and he was on his way. He was pretty tickled to get a chance."

Snider, a 5-foot-10, 182-pound right-hander from Ada, Okla., was the University of Hawaii's Most Outstanding Pitcher in 2000.

Despite a 6-9 won-loss record, he posted the best earned run average (3.98) among UH starters.

Snider was second in strikeouts with 74 and walked just 36 in 108 innings.

He went 6-6 as a junior.

Ah Sui to stay in college:

Former Nanakuli standout Silas Ah Sui, picked in the 42nd round by the Cleveland Indians, has decided to return to the College of the Siskiyous (Weed, Calif.) for a second season.

"They are going to draft-and-follow with me. It depends on how I do next year," Ah Sui said.

The Indians think another year of junior college ball, another year to mature, will benefit the 6-foot, 205-pound third baseman.

"I think he hit about .380 with eight home runs. Silas made all-conference in his division," said Darren Chun, Hawaii's part-time scout for the Indians.