July 19, 1999	Contact: Geoff Rose or
	Ric Sisler 607-734-1270

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

1998 NORTHEAST LEAGUE MVP, FOUR OTHERS JOIN PIONEERS

The Elmira Pioneers have traded relief pitcher Jimmy Hooper to the Albany-Colonie Diamond Dogs for 1998 Northeast League MVP, infielder Dan Kopriva the team announced today. The Pioneers also announced the signings of outfieders Ossie Garcia and Chris Edelstein and pitchers Chris Brown and Scott Madison. The four will take the roster spots of second baseman Juan Guerrero, pitcher Shane McKeon, catcher Matt Stockmann and outfielder Christian Rojas.

Kopriva, a lifetime .302 hitter with 62 home runs and 308 RBIs, comes to the Pioneers after a solid 1998 campaign that saw him drill 16 round trippers while driving in 64 runs and holding a .391 batting average. In 46 games this season, Kopriva had a .275 batting average with five homers and 25 RBIs.

Kopriva, a native of Waterloo, Iowa, has advanced as high as Class AA ball when he played for Chattanooga of the Cincinnati Reds organization in 1995. In 51 games with Chattanooga, he hit .281 with a home run and eleven RBIs. Kopriva, a seven-year veteran, drove in a career-high 70 RBIs in 1993 with Class A Charleston. That year he also had 98 hits and seven triples while batting .244.

Garcia, a former 20th round pick of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1993, joins the Pioneers after starting the 1999 season in Class A Arkansas. In 1998 he hit .245 with 24 RBIs. A speedster, Garcia has 95 career stolen bases, including a career-best 24 in both 1994 with New Jersey and 1995 with St. Petersburg.

Edelstein comes to the Pioneers as a rookie, having spent the first part of the season in New Jersey. In 22 games, he had a .255 batting average with eight RBIs. He also had two stolen bases.

Brown, a former 33rd round choice of the Chicago Cubs in 1998, spent his rookie season with Class A Williamsport last season. In 28 appearances, all in relief, Brown carried a 2-1 record and a 2.97 ERA. He fanned 31 batters in 39.1 innings, and limited his opponents to just 35 hits.

Madison, a 12th round choice by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 1996, split time with Class A Charleston and St. Petersburg in 1998. He started eight games in Charleston, going 4-2 with a 3.63 ERA. He was later converted to a reliever when he moved to St. Petersburg, appearing in 27 games and going 2-0 with a 5.36 ERA.

The Pioneers will return to historic Dunn Field on Friday, July 23 when they host the Massachusetts Mad Dogs at 7:05 p.m. Sport will be in attendance on July 23 to provide some of the zaniest stunts ever before seen in Elmira. Saturday night will be Toshiba Display Devices Fireworks Night. Come see exciting Pioneers baseball and then be thrilled with an exciting fireworks display at the conclusion of the game. As always, advance tickets are available at the Pioneers administrative office between nine and five, Monday through Friday.