On this Major League Baseball Opening Day, we spotlight a 2013 Cape Leaguer with Major League – and CCBL – bloodlines.
Wichita State sophomore Casey Gillaspie, who is on the Falmouth roster for 2013, is the younger brother of former Commodore and Cape League MVP Conor Gillaspie, who came off the bench today for the Chicago White Sox in a 1-0 win over the Royals.
The similarities between the two are similar on the surface – Wichita State corner infielders with a great batting eye.
But Casey is making his own name for himself as we speak.
Already a little bigger than his brother – Casey is 6’4, Conor is 6’1 – Casey has gotten a bit more hype to this point. He was the fourth-best prospect in the Northwoods League last summer. Conor was a classic Cape League break-out, and his MVP summer that saw him hit .345 with seven home runs propelled him into prospect status. He was the 37th overall pick in the 2008 draft.
Where Casey winds up remains to be seen, but I think Falmouth will be very happy to have another Gillaspie roaming Guv Fuller Field this summer. Casey is hitting .295 thus far with a .469 on-base percentage, seven home runs, eight doubles and a team-best 20 RBI. He leads the Missouri Valley Conference in home runs and total bases.
For more on Conor, who wound up with the White Sox after a spring training trade, you can catch up on his travels in this Chicago Sun Times piece.
And to read how Casey views comparisons between him and his brother, check out this Wichita Eagle article.