Mark Maloney on Kentucky sports

The Bowling Green Hot Rods, new Low-A affiliate of the American League-champion Tampa Bay Rays, have announced their inaugural roster.

Among the 25 players on the South Atlantic League team’s roster are infielder brothers Tim and Jeremy Beckham.

Tim, 19, was selected by the Rays in the first round of layst year’s June draft, coming from Griffin High School in Georgia. The shortstop split last summer between Princeton of the Appalachian League and Hudson Valley of the New York-Penn League. Baseball America named him the top position-player prospect in the Tampa Bay minor-league system.

Jeremy, 22, was a 15th round draft pick last year out of Georgia Southern University. He also split his time between Princeton and Hudson Valley last summer.

The Beckhams are among 12 Hot Rods from Tampa Bay’s 2008 draft class.

Right-hander Matt Moore, a 2007 third-round pick, is Bowling Green’s highest rated pitcher. Baseball America lists him as the No. 6 Rays prospect.

The roster follows.

PITCHERS           Ht.  Wt.   B/T  DOB       Resides         ’08 clubs          W  L  S  ERA

                                                                                   HV–Hudson Valley; P–Princeton 

Chris Andujar           6-0  182    R/R  8-24-87   San Pedro de …, DR HV      3   4  0   5.65

Jamie Bagley            6-2  221   R/R   7-16-87   Huffman, Texas          P         2   2  5   2.70

                                                                                                                 HV      1   1  0   5.59

Joseph Cruz             6-3  214   R/R  7-20-88    Baldwin Park, Calif.   P         1   3  0   3.17

Frank De Los Santos 5-11  175   L/L  11-17-87  Los Forrales, D.R.  HV      4   5  0   5.40

Shane Dyer              6-3  189   R/R   3-9-88    Eaton, Colo.               HV       3   4  0   3.68

Diego Echeverria   5-10  182   R/R   1-1-85    Buenos Aires, Argen.  HV      4   1  1   4.48

Marquis Fleming      6-0  181   R/R   9-11-86  Turlock, Calif.             HV       1   2  1   3.86

Tyree Hayes          5-11  163   R/R  8-8-88     Tomball, Texas           HV        5   6  0   3.39

Michael Jarman       6-1  199   L/L   6-6-85     Oklahoma City, Okla. P           2   2  4   1.52

Matt Moore            6-1  207   L/L   6-18-89   Edgewood, N.M.        P           2   2  0   1.66

Tommy Rafferty     6-0  180   R/R   2-5-85      Lorena, Texas             HV        2   0  0   4.35

Josh Satow            5-9  171   L/L   12-18-85  Gilbert, Ariz.                HV        3   0  2   1.23

Neil Schenk           6-3  216   L/L   6-17-86    Memphis, Tenn.           HV        2   2  1   1.84