2005 Somerset Patriots' "Future Stars"

Autographed Jeff Nettles 2005 Somerset Patriots Multi-Ad Team Set #21
Autographed Ray Navarrete 2011 Long Island Ducks Choice Team Set #16
Autographed Jeremy Owens 2005 Somerset Patriots Multi-Ad Team Set #23
Joe Gannon 2008 Southern Maryland Blue Crabs Updated Choice Team Set #2

Along with winning their third Atlantic League Championship in franchise history, the 2005 season marked a very special Somerset Patriots’ roster which was loaded with “Future Stars’ that would collectively have a significant impact on the history of the Atlantic League.

Jeff Nettles was entering his third season with the team and would go on to have the greatest career the Atlantic League has even seen eventually setting the career marks within the league for Games (1,006), At Bats (3,715), H’s (1,052) and RBI’s (667) and earning two championship series MVP’s.

Although not featured in the 2005 team card set, a Seton Hall Alumnus was entering his first year in the Atlantic League, the only season he would play for Somerset, and he would go on to become the league’s career leader in runs scored (635) and doubles (243). The Somerset rookie was Ray Navarrete who went on to have the greatest Long Island Duck career on record.

To date, both Nettles and Navarrete remain the only players to enter the Atlantic League’s 1,000-Hit Club.

Also in his first year with both the Atlantic League and Somerset that year was outfielder Jeremy Owens who would lead the team with at bats (525) in 2005. Owens would eventually go on to become the premiere franchise player for the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs setting the club’s career marks in games played (734); runs scored (422); hits (601);  home runs (105); stolen bases (96); walks (318) and RBI’s( 337).

To underscore the historic significance of this team’s roster and the future impact these players would have on the League, these three aforementioned players own three out of the top four slots on the Atlantic League career home runs list. Imagine a lineup that would have featured Navarrete batting second, Nettles third and Owens fourth for close to the next decade if this Somerset team had stayed intact.

Position players were not the only significant consideration for “Future Stars” on this roster. A right-handed knuckleballer out of Buffalo was also in his first year with the Pat’s and started in two games. Joe Gannon, also not in this card set, would go on to pitch a no hitter (8/17/04) for the Newark Bears and currently stands 3^rd in all-time innings pitched (853.2), fourth in all-time wins (47) and fourth in all time strikeouts (479) in Atlantic League history.

Glenn Murray - 1999 Atlantic League Player of the Year & All-Time Home Run King

Autographed 2003 Atlantic League All-Star Game Team Set
2000 Nashua Pride WMUR Team Set 

Out of Manning, SC, outfielder and 1989 second-round draft pick Glenn Murray reached the major leagues with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1996, after spending time in the Expos’, Red Sox and Phillies’ farm systems.

Three years later, in 1999, Glenn Murray would enter the Atlantic League with an explosion as a member of the Nashua Pride belting 29 home runs, 102 RBI’s and a .528 slugging percentage that season claiming the Atlantic League Player of the Year Award in his first year.

In the following year, 2000, the fan-favorite Murray led Nashua to their only Atlantic League Championship with a .559 slugging average for the season.

During his seven seasons with the Pride, Murray would average 23 home runs and 75 RBI’s a year and a .512 slugging average marking his power legacy and consistency.

Nashua ended its affiliation with the Atlantic League and Murray in 2005, leaving Murray as the Atlantic League All-Time Home Run King with 158 round trippers. Murray also places favorably on the current all-time Atlantic League career leader boards as well with RBI’s (529; third) and runs (484; seventh).

In a 2008 Bob Wirz interview, Bridgeport Bluefish manager Willie Upshaw cited Glenn Murray as the best ballplayer that he had seen in the first decade of Atlantic League play.

On August 27, 2006, the Nashua Pride retired Glenn Murray’s uniform number 34 hanging it on the press box mezzanine in Holman Stadium.

Jeff Nettles - Atlantic League and Somerset All-Time Great

Autographed Atlantic League Baseball
(r.) Autographed 2004 Somerset Patriots Multi-Ad Team Set #9
(l.) 2012 Somerset Patriots Choice Team Set #21 (Unsigned)

A few days before Christmas in 2002, a concerned father called a former teammate and friend to inquire whether he had a roster slot open for his son to allow his son to continue his professional career after being abruptly released from affiliated ball. Manager Sparky Lyle told Graig Nettles his son was welcomed at Somerset.

As history would unfold, it was actually Graig Nettles who did the favor for an old friend that winter day.

Jeff Nettles went on to become, as the Wall Street Journal titled him, “…the most recognizable fixture in the Atlantic League” and accomplished the greatest career the Atlantic League has ever seen accumulating more at bats (3.715), hits (1,052) and RBI’s (667) than any other player in history at the time of his retirement while finishing in second place all-time for career home runs, runs and doubles as well.

Nettles’ ability to compile career stats was also met with his ability to elevate his play when it counted. Nettles remains the only player in Atlantic League history to be recognized with league championship MVP awards in two different years.

During his first year with Somerset, the great defensive third baseman hit .450 with a home run and five RBI’s while scoring four runs in the 2003 postseason to bring the Patriots their second league title; defeating Nashua in a five game series in the championship series.

In the 2009 Atlantic League Championship Series, Jeff Nettles hit .375, while hitting three home runs and driving in six runs in four games to bring Somerset their fifth title defeating Southern Maryland.

In all, Jeff Nettles led Somerset to three championship titles while on their roster (2003/05/09).

To quantify Jeff Nettles’ consistency and prominence at the plate during his days with Somerset, if you break out his career stats to average 125 games a year played, his average offensive year would calculate to 131 H’s, 27 DB’s, 19 HR’s and 83 RBI’s per season.

In 2012, Nettles was voted the greatest Patriot in franchise history when polling fans, players, coaches and team officials.

Jim Magrane -2009 Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year

Autographed 2009 Somerset Patriots Multi-Ad Team Set #26 (Pitcher of the Year Card)

As a 6’2” right-hander out of the University of Iowa. Jim Magrane became the first Atlantic League pitcher to win pitching’s Triple Crown leading the league in wins (15-4) strikeouts (134) and ERA (2.70) in the 2009 season. This incredible performance secured Magrane the 2009 Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year and the honor of being named First Team Pitcher in Baseball America’s All-Independent Team Awards the same year.

Magrane followed up his Atlantic League success by being named the 2010 Taiwan Series Championship MVP (CPBL) pitching for the Brother Elephants and allowing only 2 runs in 16 2/3 innings pitched in the championship series.

Magrane added another international MVP to his trophy case in 2013, by pitching game one (1ER /7IP), game three (1ER/7IP) and game five on one day’s rest (0ER/7IP) in the Italian Series leading San Marino to a championship as well.

Seemingly low ERA’s are in Jim Magrane’s pedigree as his uncle, Joe Magrane, led the National League in ERA in 1998 on the mound for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Jim Magrane was voted the 12^th greatest Patriot of all time in a 2012 polling of fans, players, coaches and team officials; finishing his Patriot career with a record of 27-16 (.627 winning percentage), a 3.58 ERA and 270 strikeouts in 381.1 innings while contributing to two league championships (2008,2009) for Somerset during his tenure.

Ozzie Canseco - 2000 Atlantic League Player of the Year

Autographed 2000 Newark Bears Team Set (MVP Card)

Drafted as pitcher by the New York Yankees in the second round of the 1983 MLB Amateur Draft, Ozzie Canseco transitioned into an outfielder in the minors after a rotator cuff injury and eventually reached the Major Leagues with both the Oakland Athletics (1990) and St. Louis Cardinals (1992/93).

In the millennium year of 2000, Canseco christened the first full season of the new home of the Newark Bears, Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium, with one of the best offensive years the Atlantic League has ever seen.

Canseco hit 48 home runs and drove in 129 runs establishing the single-season record for the Atlantic League -- a season mark that still stands in the league today. Incredibly, Canseco averaged one home run for every 9.4 (under/10) at bats.

The power clinic that the Newark first baseman put on in 2000 --framed by leading the league with a .644 slugging and 1069 OPS average -- resulted in the Atlantic League naming Canseco the Player of the Year.

Canseco’s twin brother and 1998 American League MVP, Jose, joined him for the 2001 season on the Newark Bears and appeared on the same roster together the first time since the 1990 Oakland A’s.

Atlantic League Career Pitching Leaders

Here are the Atlantic League Career Pitching Leaders in Innings Pitched, Wins and Strikeouts based on my individual research:

Since this posting, the Atlantic League put up the official career leaders on their site. Please click here.

Atlantic League Career Offensive Leaders/Records:

Here are the Atlantic League Career Offensive Leaders based on At Bats, Hits, Home Runs, Runs Batted In and Runs based on my individual research:

Since this posting, the Atlantic League put up the official career leaders on their site. Please click here.