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.

Jeremy Barfield 2016 Atlantic League Player of the Year

Autographed 2016 Sugar Land Skeeters Memorial Hermann Team Set

Attaining the AAA level with both the Oakland and Colorado organizations, Jeremy Barfield joined the Sugar Land Skeeters in 2016 and was instrumental in leading the franchise to their first Atlantic League Championship.

Son of former major leaguer Jesse Barfield, and brother of former major leaguer and Atlantic League veteran Josh Barfield, the younger Barfield hit .306 with a league-leading 27 home runs and 85 RBi’s in his 2016 Skeeter campaign.

In the Atlantic League Divisional and Championship Series, Barfield hit .308 contributing 1 HR and 6 runs scored helping the Skeeters sweep both postseason series (vs. York and Long Island) to earn the league championship.

For his season, Barfield was named the 2016 Atlantic League Player of the Year; the first Sugar Land player in history to be so honored.

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

2016 Atlantic League Champions Sugar Land Skeeters

2016 Sugar Land Skeeter Memorial Hermann Team Set

After making a late-August playoff run to secure the Freedom Division’s second-half title, the Sugar Land Skeeters swept through the York Revolution in three games punching their ticket to the 2016 Atlantic League Championship Series. A 10th-inning rally in game three against York’s premier closer Mike DeMark, who posted an ERA of 0.76 during the regular season, earned the Skeeters the Freedom Division title.

The Skeeter’s continued their perfect post season campaign by likewise sweeping the Long Island Ducks in three games by holding the Flock to only three earned runs in the series to claim their first-ever Atlantic League Championship in their five-year history.

9th-slot hitter, third baseman and September-roster addition, Juan Martinez, was chosen the MVP for the postseason compiling a .333 BA, 2 HR’s and 5 RBI’s. Sugar Land’s closer Derrick Loop earned 4 saves in the postseason and six different Sugar Land pitchers earned postseason wins showing the breadth of team contributions.

Atlantic League Autographs: Record-Setting Month!

Special thanks to all my visitors; August was an incredible month! Up over +600% from last August-- thousands of page views! Welcome to all my Connecticut visitors searching for information on the Atlantic League. I am currently working on finalizing some 2016 acquisitions in this last month of the season, and will be posting them over the next two months. Also, I also have some more unique, non-card-based memorabilia that I will be putting up over the off season. Thanks to all, again!

2015 Atlantic League Champions Somerset Patriots

Autographed 2015 Somerset Team Set Cards of Brett Jodie (MLB), Robert Andino (MLB), Sean Bierman, Aharon Eggelston, Matt Gamel (MLB), Greg Hopkins, Nate Spears (MLB), Jonny Tucker and David Vidal

Ending a five-year drought and claiming their league-leading sixth championship (2001/03/05/08/09/15), the Somerset Patriots defeated the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs in four games to win the 2015 Atlantic League Championship. Roy Merritt was named Playoff MVP by going 3-0 (0.49 ERA) in the postseason. Brett Jodie claimed his first championship at the helm of the Patriots, and his forth affiliated with the team as either a player or a coach.

The dominant force of the Somerset team claimed both half division titles and overall best league record at 89-50.

Sean Bierman set the single-season ERA record in 2015, with an ERA of 1.79, despite being signed by the Baltimore Orioles club the last day in July -- but having enough league innings to qualify for the crown. With this, and the contributions of pitchers like Matt Zielinski (2.86 ERA), Mikey Storey (2.53),  John Hunton (3.09) and other staff members, Somerset also set the team single-season league ERA record with 3.04 in 2015. #LETSEAT!

Bryant Nelson - All-Time Atlantic League Hit King!



Autographed 2012 Long Island Ducks Choice Team Set #10
Autographed 2013 Long Island Ducks Choice Team Set #19

Drafted in the 1993 MLB amateur draft by the Houston Astros, Bryant Nelson would achieve the Major League level with 25 games with the Boston Red Sox in 2002.

Nelson would enter the Atlantic League in 2006, and throughout the next 11 seasons would be a staple of the league with tenures in Bridgeport (2006/15), Long Island (2008/12/13), Lancaster (2010/15), York (2011/14), Camden (2009/14) and Southern Maryland (2015/16).

Far from being just a hired journeyman, the switch-hitting Nelson had instrumental roles with the 2011 York Revolution and back-to-back 2012/13 Long Island Ducks championships earning three Championship rings.

In 2011, Nelson hit a walk-off homerun in the first game of the Freedom Division Series against Lancaster to set the stage for York moving onto the Championship Series and eventually the 2011 Atlantic League Championship trophy.  

Likewise, Nelson was an instrumental player in the 2012 & 2013 Long Island Ducks' championships. The Crossett, Arkansas-native launched a 2-run, eighth-inning home run while the Ducks were trailing Southern Maryland and facing elimination in the 5^th game of the 2012 Liberty Division Championship; propelling the Flock to the Championship Series they would eventually win.

In 2013, Nelson had the game-winning hit in game two, and drove in the championship winning RBI in game five, against the Somerset Patriots to bring the second, consecutive Championship to Long Island in what is arguably the most classic, intense Championship Series in Atlantic League history.

Nelson joined the Atlantic League 1,000-Hit Club on June 2, 2016, joining only Jeff Nettles (7/27/2012) and Ray Navarrete (8/3/2013) to achieve this career league milestone.

On August 3rd, 2016, Bryant Nelson replaced Jeff Nettles as the All-Time Atlantic League Hit King with career league hit 1,053 off of Lancaster pitcher Bryan Evans in Waldorf.

Nelson’s consistency and value to a roster has had him achieved at least 100 career hits with five different Atlantic League teams (Bridgeport, Camden, Lancaster, Long Island and Southern Maryland).

The fan-favorite Nelson was selected by the Long Island Ducks organization as the 3rd baseman for the team's 15^th Anniversary Team in 2014.