Roger Clemens - Bridgeport Bluefish Guest Manager

Autographed 2016 Bridgeport Bluefish Dot Generation Team Set

On August 5^th, 2016, seven-time Cy Young Award winner and 350-game-plus game winner Roger Clemens returned to the Atlantic League and served as guest manager for the Bridgeport Bluefish in a Friday night game against the Long Island Ducks.

The event gained national media attention from MLB.com, Yahoo Sports, CBS sports and other newspapers and newsroom across the nation as Clemens joined the list of previous high-profile sports names to serve as guest managers for the ‘Fish including Pete Rose, Paul O’Neill  and Jennie Finch.

It was Clemens second year being listed on an Atlantic League roster as he pitched two games for the 2012 Sugar Land Skeeters; being able to form a battery with his son Cody who was on the Skeeter roster as a catcher the that year.

On the evening of Clemens’ guest managerial appearance, the Long Island Ducks defeated the Bluefish 6-2.

Jonathan Albaladejo - 2016 Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year

Autographed 2016 Bridgeport Bluefish Dot Generation Team Set 

Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2001 amateur draft, Jonathan Albaladejo spent parts of five seasons in the major leagues with the Washington Nationals, New York Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks. His best season came In 2009 with New York where the Puerto Rico native went 5-1 pitching in relief for a team that would eventually become World Champions.

After stints with Japanese and Mexican baseball leagues, Albaladejo was signed by the Bridgeport Bluefish in 2016, and the former relief pitcher quickly became one of the most dominant starting pitchers in the league. His 15-6 led the league in wins that season, as did his 172.2 IP, and his 164 strikeouts within a season set a new Atlantic League record breaking Nashua Pride’s Len Picota’s record of 161 set 15 years earlier.

Albaladejo was honored for his stellar season by being named the 2016 Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year

Al Sontag - 2000 Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year

Autographed 2000 Bridgeport Bluefish Multi-Ad Team Set #38 (Pitch/YR Card)
Autographed 2001 Bridgeport Bluefish Multi-Ad Team Set # 38

Having the distinction of being the first pitcher to toe the mound in Bluefish history, Al Sontag would leave the mound in Bridgeport 5 years later (1998-2003) as the franchise leader in wins (45), innings pitched (677), games started (97) and complete games (15).

The Plainedge High School (Massapequa, Long Island) grad was drafted twice by the Baltimore Orioles in 1983, but began his affiliated career by being successfully drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 1984, eventually reaching as high as AAA ball with Edmonton in the Angels’ organization. In 1985, Sontag would lead the Midwest League in innings pitched (220.1), complete games (15), shutouts (6) and strikeouts (213) which would foreshadow a record-setting 2000 Atlantic League season.

Serving the dual role as both starting pitcher and the Bluefish pitching coach during his tenure in Park City, Sontag had a commitment to strong pitching mechanics that served him well with durability and success during his 'Fish years.

These mechanics allowed Sontag to set the Atlantic League single-season record for innings pitched (207) -- a mark that still stands to this day -- on his way to claiming the 2000 Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year Award.  In addition to leading the league in innings pitched that year, Sontag led the league in ERA (2.70), strikeouts (158), shutouts (3) and WHIP (1.01).

Sontag concluded his Atlantic League and baseball career in 2002, after 15 years in professional ball, within the top eight of Atlantic League career leaders in wins (45), innings pitched( 677), and strikeouts (460).

Welington Dotel - 2015 Atlantic League Player of the Year

Autographed 2015 Bridgeport Bluefish Dot Generation Team Set (MVP Card) 

Sometimes sabbaticals are much needed and provide enhanced performance upon the return. After taking the whole 2014 season off from professional baseball, Welington Dotel came back well rested and with a fury in his first year in the Atlantic League.

The former Seattle Mariner farm prospect took the outfield for the Bridgeport Bluefish in the 2015 season and led the league in hits (180), triples (13), extra base hits (52) and total bases (261). He also became the first player in the history of the Atlantic League to lead the league in both stolen bases (45) and slugging percentage (.492) the same year. He was the unanimous choice for 2015 Atlantic League Player of the Year.

In addition, the Dominican Republic-native was electric on the bases with a better than 80% stolen-base-attempt success rate.

As Dotel’s offensive reputation grew throughout the league during the year his defensive reputation kept pace while patrolling right field at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard. Dotel’s explosive speed would allow him to spear hard line drives hit into the right-center field gap as well as to make shoestring, sliding catches on balls hit weakly in front of him denying opposing teams scoring opportunities. Dotel was selected by Atlantic League managers and executives to the inaugural 2015 Red, White and Blue All-Defensive team at season's end recognizing the best defensive player at each position.

Dotel would have also had the batting championship on his resume for the 2015 season, but his .3396 batting average missed league lead by .0007 to Long Island Ducks’ designated hitter, and former Bluefish teammate,  Sean Burroughs.

Luis Lopez - Bridgeport Bluefish and Atlantic League Great

Autographed 2007 Bridgeport Bluefish Team Set
Autographed 2013 Bridgeport Bluefish Printech Team Set
Autographed 2013 Bridgeport Bluefish Dot Generation Team Set 

Despite having a NCAA career at Coastal Carolina (1991-93) that would eventually land him in the Big South Conference Hall of Fame, Luis Lopez went undrafted in the 1994 MLB amateur draft. Lopez took increased determination with his professional baseball career from this snub by hitting .357 in Indy Ball for the Ogden Raptors (1995), and gained the attention of the Toronto Blue Jays organization, where in 1997 Lopez was awarded the South Atlantic League Most Valuable Player while playing for their Class A team in Hagerstown (.358/11/99).

Eventually achieving his goal of playing at the Major League level with both the Blue Jays (2001) and Expos (2004), Lopez entered the Atlantic League in 2006, as a member of the Riversharks, but found his home with the Bridgeport Bluefish in 2008.

The Brooklyn-born infielder spent the next 7 seasons at the center of the Bluefish lineup marking his tenure by reliability and productivity. Lopez would average over this span of these years 127 games played and 129 hits per season.

This consistency and compiling resulted in Lopez leading the Bluefish in nearly every career offensive category by the time he was done: AB’s (3,338); H’s (905); DB’s (149); Extra Base Hits (208), and RBI’s (460).

Lopez in one of five Atlantic Leaguers to compile more than 900 hits within the league (928); joining Jeff Nettles (1,052), Ray Navarrete (1,031), fellow-Bluefish Rolo Avila (933) and Bryant Nelson (active).

The Bluefish announced that Sept. 19^th, 2015, will be “Luis Lopez Day” at the Ball Park at Harbor Yard where his number 19 will be retired becoming only the second Bluefish player to be so honored (Espada).

Kevin Henthorne - 2004 Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year

Autographed 2004 Bridgeport Bluefish Subway Team Set #13 (Pitcher of Year Card)

La Crosse, WI-native and Yankee-prospect Kevin Henthorne entered the Atlantic League in 2003 and took one year to distinguish himself as the Atlantic Year Pitcher of the Year.

Having one of the best Bridgeport Bluefish pitching seasons ever in 2004, the right-hander was undefeated through his first 13 starts leading to a 12-3 final record for the season. The Bridgeport hurler also lead the Atlantic League that year with a 2.69 ERA accomplished by stellar control underscored by a better than 5-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

In addition to the dominating the Atlantic League in 2004, Henthorne likewise dominated the Chinese Professional Baseball League securing the 1998 wins title and 1999 ERA crown for the China Trust Whales.

Henthorne could be seen on his off days resting his arm and sharpening his skills in photography by taking action shots from the dugout of the ongoing game.

Henthorne finished his eleven-year professional pitching career with a stunning .710 winning percentage; never having a losing season in his career and underscoring he won everywhere he took the mound. 

Tim Cain - Atlantic League All-Time Career Wins and Strikeout Leader

2000 Newark Bears Citation Graphics Team Set #11 (Unsigned)
Autographed 2004 Bridgeport Bluefish Subway Team Set #8

Achieving the level of Triple-A in both the Red Sox and Blue Jays organizations, Tim Cain entered the Atlantic League in its 1998 inaugural year and went on to become the League’s all-time career leader in innings pitched (1150 2/3), wins (74) and strikeouts (737).

With a career that spanned 10 seasons in the Atlantic League, the former UCONN Huskie, had double-digit-win seasons a total of five times toeing the rubber for Newark(’98-’01), Bridgeport (’02-’05),  Long Island (’06-’07)) and Camden (’07) during his tenure. The Springfield, MA native is the only Atlantic League pitcher to win 10 games in each of his first four seasons.

Cain’s Atlantic League signature season came with the Bridgeport Bluefish in 2004, finishing the season 12-3 with a 3.12 ERA and averaging 7.8 hits and less than one home run per nine-inning game.

Kinnis Pledger - 1998 Atlantic League Player of the Year

Autographed 1998 Bridgeport Bluefish Multi-Ad Team Set #23 (MVP Card);
Autographed 2000 Bridgeport Bluefish Multi-Ad Team Set #2

Selected by the Chicago White Sox in the third round of the 1987 Amateur Draft, Kinnis Pledger went on to reach the Triple-A level with both the White Sox (1990) and Chicago Cubs’ organizations (1994/95) prior to arriving in the Atlantic League.

The power-hitting, Arkansas native was the inaugural 1st baseman for the Bridgeport Bluefish when the franchise was established upon the formation of the Atlantic League in 1998. 

In that inaugural year of 1998, Pledger lit up the league batting .331 and slugging an incredible.625 with 26 home runs and 89 RBI’s. Pledger had such a dominant year that he finished in either first or second place in league batting for runs, hits, RBI's, total bases, OBP, OPS and slugging average.

This earned him selection as the first Atlantic League Player of the Year Award  – an honor he shared with Felix Jose of the Nashua Pride.

The award and his level of play in the Atlantic League drew the attention of the Seattle Mariners in 1999. During the Atlantic League All Star Game that year, Pledger was scratched from the Home Run Derby when the Seattle Mariners offered him a Triple-A contract.

Pledger retired in 2001, after 15 years in professional ball and to the appreciation of Bluefish fans who saw him play for four seasons.  

Pete Rose; All Time Hit King - Bridgeport Bluefish Manager For A Day

Pete Rose Autographed NL Baseball.

Bridgeport Bluefish Commemorative Pete Rose Managerial Ticket & T-Shirt

In 1988, Minor league GM and promotional legend Ken Shepard vowed to sleep in a press box until his team, the Geneva Cubs (Class A), broke their losing streak.  Shepard ended up sleeping in the press box for 12 long nights but the national attention his pledge brought increased Geneva’s attendance during this streak by 36%.

But Shepard may have saved his biggest promotional splash for his time as GM of the Bridgeport Bluefish.

On June 16, 2014, – with MLB’s permission – All-Time-Hit-King Pete Rose returned and participated on a roster of a professional baseball team for the first time in 25 years. Rose had received a lifetime ban from MLB for betting on baseball.

Rose served as the Bluefish’s manager that day, as Shepard brought national coverage (ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune, etc…) to the city of Bridgeport and his team. For his efforts, Shepard was awarded the 2014 Atlantic League’s Executive of the Year posthumously.