Former Midville Dodgers lefty slugger Matt Rizzotti received an invitation to Spring Training after the Philadelphia Phillies added the 24-year old first baseman to the organization's 40-man roster last month. Rizzotti led the entire Phillies organization with a .343 batting average, while hitting 17 home runs in the minors last season, finishing in Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Rizzotti hit .333 with 12 RBI and a .500 on-base percentage in 19 games for the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League playing against some of the top Major League prospects.

Matt Rizzotti, who stands at 6’5” and 235 pounds, broke several club batting records while playing for the Midville Dodgers from 2000 to 2004. He was elected to Midville’s hall of fame in 2005.

“Matt is an unbelievable talent, with Midville he would hit Ruthian-like blasts – in fact we had to erect a large mesh screen in Juniper Valley Park to prevent injuries to park-users from his monster home runs,” said Robert Holden, president of the Juniper Park Civic Association. Holden is also founder and president of the Midville Dodgers.

Rizzotti is the second Midville Dodger in three years to make it to the Major Leagues. Humberto Sanchez who pitched for Midville in 1998, was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 9th round of the 2000 MLB Draft, later traded to the New York Yankees and made his MLB debut in 2008.

Greg Modica, currently vice president of the Midville Dodgers and Glendale, Queens resident, was signed by the San Diego Padres in 2001 and pitched 6 years in the Minor Leagues until an arm injury derailed his MLB bid.

For more information on Philadelphia Phillies 40-man roster announcement please visit /www.phillies.mlb.com. For more information on the Midville Dodgers visit: www.midvilledodgersbaseball.com or call Greg Modica at 917-903-7211.