Top 20 Patriots Voting, Ceremony & Baseball Card Set

2017 AT&T Top 20 Somerset Patriots Baseball Card Set

(Updated 2/24/18) During the 2017 baseball season, the Somerset Patriots celebrated their 20th-anniversary by announcing their top 20 Somerset Patriots of all-time. This list was composed by a hybrid method having a panel of experts rate the top 20 players that were voted on by fans.

On August 31st, the Patriots invited 5 retired Top 20 Patriots players back to TD Bank Ballpark, joining 3 current roster Top 20 players, and celebrated this history.

The first 2000 fans that night got a complimentary SGA baseball card set of the Top 20 Patriots as determined by this process. This set will not be offered in the Patriot's shop, so it makes a nice collectible. The ranking of the Top 20 Patriots was as follows:

#20 Adam Donachie (Autographed)

#19 Corey Smith (Autographed)

#18 Casey Cahill (Autographed)

#17 David Vidal (Autographed)

#16 Jim Magrane (Autographed)

#15 Jake Fox

#14 Justin Jensen (Autographed)

#13 Elliott Ayala (Autographed)

#12 Matt Hagen

#11 Aharon Eggleston (Autographed)

#10 Travis Anderson

#9 Darrin Winston (d.)

#8 Michael Warner

#7 Brian Adams (Autographed)

#6 Ryan Radmanovich

#5 Emiliano Escandon (Autographed)

#4 Jon Hunton (Autographed)

#3 Jeff Nettles

#2 Billy Hall (Autographed)

#1 Josh Pressley (Autographed)

Mike Loree - 2011 Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year

Coming out of Gillette, NJ, 6’6” right-hand pitcher Mike Loree was drafted by the San Francisco Giants organization and headed to their Arizona League team in 2007.

After rising as high as Double A ball with Pittsburgh’s affiliate the Altoona Curve, Loree took the mound for the Long Island Ducks in 2011 and delivered one of the greatest Atlantic League pitching seasons ever recorded.

Finishing the 2011 season with a record of 14-5, with 131 strikeouts and an ERA below two (1.98), Mike Loree had no peers in any of these categories that year as he claimed both the 2011 Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year award as well as the Atlantic League Pitching Triple Crown  -- becoming only the second pitcher in league history to dominate in such a way (Magrane-Somerset; 2009).

That year, Loree set a Long Island franchise record with 14 strikeouts in a game (since tied by MLB pitcher Rich Hill in 2015 when pitching with the Ducks), while also shining in the post season with a 2-0 record coupled with an 1.10 ERA.

2012 saw the Villanova alumn be signed away from the Ducks by the Lamigo Monkeys of the Chinese Professional Baseball League where Loree would become the most dominant in-season and post-season mound star over the next few years.

Loree matched his-triple crown performance on Long Island with a CPBL triple-crown year in 2015 pitching for the EDA Rhinos finishing with a 16-5 record, 3.65 ERA while striking out 144. 

Loree led the CPBL in wins (13) and ERA (3.98) in the 2016 season, and added a second CPBL league pitching triple crown to his resume in 2017 pitching for the Fubon Guardians (16-4, 2.18 ERA, 154K’s).

Mike Loree was named to the 15^th-Anniversary Long Island Duck team in 2014.

Long Island Ducks' 15th-Year Anniversary Team

Autographed 2014 Long Island Ducks 15th-Year Anniversary AARP Team Set

Early in 2014, to mark the 15th anniversary year of the Long Island Ducks playing in the Atlantic League, the franchise asked fans to vote and create a 15th Anniversary Team  -- marking the greatest Ducks in franchise history. The task was to select one player at each position, a manager and final vote selection for a player that may have been overlooked. To commemorate this undertaking, the Ducks released a 15th Anniversary Team baseball card set in May highlighting the final selections.

This is a great keepsake for all Duck fans really highlighting their history! The selections were as follows:

Header Card – Bud Harrelson (Autographed);

Catcher – Francisco Morales (Autographed);

1st Base – Doug Jennings; (Autographed)

2nd Base – Ray Navarrete (Autographed);

Shortstop – Dan Lyons (Autographed);

3rd Base – Bryant Nelson (Autographed);

Outfielder – Justin Davies (Autographed);

Outfielder – Lew Ford (Autographed);

Outfielder – Kimera Bartee (Autographed);

Designated Hitter - Patrick Lennon (Autographed);

Left-hand Starting Pitcher – Randy Leek (Autographed);

Right-hand Starting Pitcher – John Brownell (Autographed);

Reliever – John Valentine (Autographed);

Closer – Bill Simas (Autographed);

Manager – Kevin Baez (Autographed);

Final Vote – Mike Loree (Autographed).

Somerset Patriots Top 20 Anniversary Signed Atlantic League Baseball

During the 2017 baseball season, the Somerset Patriots celebrated their 20th-anniversary by announcing their top 20 Somerset Patriots of all-time. This list was composed by a hybrid method having a panel of experts rate the top 20 players that were voted on by fans.

On August 31st, the Patriots invited 5 retired Top 20 Patriots players back to TD Bank Ballpark, joining 3 current roster Top 20 players, and celebrated this history.

Above is a 20th-anniversary official Atlantic League baseball with Steve Kalafer's director's signature imprinted on the sweet spot (the official baseball for 2017 Patriots) with 9 signatures of the 20 anniversary team members: Adam Donachie, Corey Smith, Casey Cahill, David Vidal, Justin Jensen, Elliott Ayala, Aharon Eggleston, Jon Hunton and Josh Pressley. This is a work in progress. I will post updates as signatures are added.

20th-Year Anniversary Fans' Vote for Atlantic League Hall of Fame

With the 20th anniversary of the Atlantic League coming in 2017, I thought it would be interesting to ask the fans who they think should be an inaugural class of an Atlantic League Hall of Fame Class if it existed. PLEASE VOTE FOR ONLY TEN!

Fans' Vote: Who should be in the inaugural Atlantic League Hall of Fame class for the first 20 years of its history?

Angel Espada BPT IF

Billy Hall SOM IF

Brad Strauss CMD OF

Bryant Nelson LID IF

Corey Thurman YRK P

Dwayne Pollok LAN P

Dwight Maness CMD OF

Francisco Morales LID C

Glenn Murray NSH IF

Jeff Netlles SOM IF

Jeremy Owens SMD OF

Joe Gannon SMD P

Jon Hunton SOM P

Josh Pressley SOM IF

Lew Ford LID OF

Lincoln Mikkelsen CM P

Luis Lopez BPT IF

Ray Navarrete LID IF

Rolo Avila BPT OF

Ross Peeples LAN P

Tim Cain BPT/CMD P

Victor Rodriguez SOM IF

Will Pennyfeather BP OF

Bud Harrelson LID MGR

Butch Hobson LAN MGR

Frank Boulton LID EXE

Joe Klein EXEC

Peter Kirk LAN YRK EX

Sparky Lyle SOM MGR

Steven Kalafer SOM EX

 

pollcode.com free polls

Topps Allen & Ginter Autographed Cards

Assorted Allen & Ginter Autographed Cards

A frequent focus of autograph collectors that attend Atlantic League games is to collect the autographs of players that have reached the Major League level on MLB cards, photos and merchandise.

Although my focus is almost always Atlantic League, I do like to collect autographed Allen & Ginter cards for their attractive artwork and the high-end quality stock that they are produced on.

Here are a couple from recent years featuring former Major Leaguers: Henderson Alvarez, Nolan Reimold, Lew Ford, Brendan Harris, Bill Hall, Jordan Pacheco, Tyler Colvin and John Lannan.

2017 Atlantic League All-Star Game - Bridgewater, New Jersey

The complete, signed set (50 Cards) of the 2017 All Star Choice Card Set

In front of an over-capacity house with an attendance of 8,175, the Somerset Patriots hosted the 2017 Atlantic League All Star Game at TD Bank Ballpark on July 12th, in Bridgewater, New Jersey.

The Honorary Guest Managers of Sparky Lyle and Willie Randolph brought celebrity status to the event and highlighted the 40th anniversary of the 1977 World Championship New York Yankees.

Yankee radio broadcaster John Sterling provided his recognizable voice for the Home Run Derby that was won by Zach Wilson with 12 home runs total in the contest. Wilson, the Southern Maryland Blue Crab First Baseman, also took away the game MVP Award via a 3rd-inning 3-run home run.

With two other Freedom Division Home Runs from Sean Halton and Kevin Ahrens, the Freedom Division took the game by the final score of 10 to 3.