KERSEY – Several months ago, Elk County native Joe Beimel
described his signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a “new
beginning.”

Now that the lefthanded hurler has earned a return trip to the
major leagues, he is making the most of it. Beimel, a relief
pitcher with the Dodgers, earned his first major league save May
14.

Beimel retired Barry Bonds on three occasions during the May
12-14 series with the San Francisco Giants, avoiding the dubious
distinction of being the pitcher who surrendered Bonds’ 714th home
run, tying Babe Ruth for second on the all-time homer list.

Beimel followed that up with a win this past Saturday. Through
Tuesday, he has appeared in 11 games with the Dodgers, posting an
impressive 2.51 earned run average and walking just two batters in
14-plus innings.

“Joe has done everything we’ve asked of him,” said Dodger
manager Grady Little. “He’s an experienced professional who knows
how to pitch and has been hitting his spots.”

A native of Kersey, Beimel, 29, was promoted to the big-league
squad on May 6 after posting impressive numbers with the Dodgers’
Class AAA team in Las Vegas.

Beimel was a free agent after being released by the Tampa Bay
Devil Rays of the American League last October. He appeared in
seven major league games during the 2005 campaign, posting a
respectable earned run average of 3.27.

A 6-3, 215-pounder, Beimel was a regular with the Pittsburgh
pitching staff from 2001 through 2003. However, the Pirates
unexpectedly cut him just before the 2004 season opened. Beimel
caught on with the Minnesota Twins.

Last year, he was signed to a minor league contract by the Devil
Rays and spent most of the season with Tampa Bay’s Class AAA club
in Durham, N.C.

Beimel has appeared in 185 major league games with the Pirates,
Twins, Devil Rays and Dodgers. A 1995 graduate of St. Marys High
School, Beimel played scholastic baseball, football and basketball.
He was a member of the baseball teams at Allegany College in
Cumberland, Md., and Duquesne University.