St. Paul Lefthander Ken Holubec sold to Texas Rangers

The St. Paul Saints have sold the contract of lefthanded pitcher Ken Holubec to the Texas Rangers organization, it was announced today.

Holubec was 2-0 with a 2.08 era in six games/three starts with the Saints this season. The lefty was the Northern League Pitcher of the Week for May 31-June 6 after pitching a 2-hit complete game shutout on June 4 against Kansas City.

Holubec was in his first Northern League season after four years in the Minnesota Twins organization.

He is the sixth Northern League player signed by a major league club since the start of the regular season, the third St. Paul pitcher to be purchased. The other players signed:

May 18--INF Troy Farnsworth, Sioux Falls to Milwaukee
May 29--RHP Roy Smith, St. Paul to Los Angeles
June 4--LHP Tim Christman, St. Paul to Seattle
June 14--RHP Brad Ziegler, Schaumburg to Oakland
June 14--OF Matt Walker, Sioux Falls to Baltimore

St. Paul also traded lefthanded pitcher Jake Whitney to the Lincoln Saltdogs for future considerations. Whitney is 0-3 in 2004 and is currently on the disabled list after last pitching on June 6. He wa 6-6 in 2003 and is St. Paul's all-time leading winner with 24 victories.