2007 Atlantic League All-Star Game - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Autographed 2007 Atlantic League All Stars Choice Set

During the 10^th-anniversary season of the Atlantic League, Lancaster's Clipper Magazine hosted the 2007 Atlantic League All-Star Game on July 11^th, treating the 7,361 fans in attendance to a slug fest featuring home runs by Javier Colina (NW), Kevin Haverbusch (LI), Jeremy Todd (LA), Dominick Ambrosini (LA), Denny Abreau (CM) and two home runs by game MVP and Bridgeport outfielded Bobby Malek.

The 14-run/21-hit game, featured Long Island’s Ray Navarrete earning the game-winning RBI in the fifth and Newark pitcher Gary Knotts gaining the victory before inclement weather ended the game in the 8^th with the win going to the North Division who was leading 8-6 at that time.

Former Major League, 288-win veteran Tommy John skippered the North Division team while Lancaster Manager Frank Klebe managed the South Division.

A 29-card set was produced commemorating this occasion featuring such Atlantic League greats as Jeff Nettles (who did not play in the game because he was signed a week earlier by the Kansas City Royals), Ray Navarrete, Dwight Maness, and 2007 Pitcher of the Year Brian Adams with 2007 Co-Player of the Year Victor Rodriguez.

Victor Rodriguez - 2004 & 2007 Atlantic League Player of the Year

(L.) Autographed 2004 Somerset Patriot Multi-Ad Team Set (MVP Card)

(C.)Autographed 2007 Somerset Patriots 10th-Anniversary Legacy Choice Promotional Card #14 

(R.) Autographed 2007 Newark Bear Choice Team Set #23 (MVP Card)

Only one Atlantic League player has been able to win two Player of the Year Awards. That player, is Victor Rodriguez.

In 2004, on his way to the Atlantic League Player of the Year, Rodriguez slugged 25 home runs with 111 RBI’s and a .592 league-leading slugging average while playing 3rd base for the Somerset Patriots.  With this, Rodriguez also set the single-season Atlantic League batting average record of .371 that still stands today.

In 2007, while donning a Newark Bear uniform, as 1B/DH Rodriguez once again tore up the league batting .365 with a .550 slugging percentage.  For his efforts, Rodriguez was named Atlantic League co-Player of the Year (Jesse Hoorelbeke/Bridgeport). 

That year, Rodriguez's Newark Bears were Atlantic League Champions beating Somerset bringing the trophy to Newark for their second time in team history (2002).  

Atlantic League fans were fortunate to see Rodriguez play for many of their hometown teams.

From 2004 to 2010, Rodriguez played for five different towns: Somerset (2004), Newark (2006/07/10), Long Island (2009), York (2010) and Bridgeport (2010). 

Rodriguez retired in 2010 leaving the Atlantic League with a .334 lifetime average and a slugging average of .514 to help the League remember his dominance.

Joe Gannon - 2008 Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year

(L.) Autographed 2008 Southern Maryland Blue Crabs Updated Choice Team Set #2 (Ptch/YR Card)

(C.) Autographed 2009 Southern Maryland Blue Crabs Choice Team Set #05

(R.) Autographed 2011 Southern Maryland Blue Crabs DAV Team Set #306

Yielding from Buffalo, New York, knuckleball-pitcher Joe Gannon was a fixture in the Atlantic League for 10 seasons (2004-09/2011-14). The Canisius College alumnus spent time with the Newark Bears (2004-06), Nashua Pride (2005/07), Somerset Patriots (2005), Lancaster Barnstormers (2012); eventually retiring from six seasons with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs (2008/09-2011/14).

Achieving the Triple-A level with the Baltimore Orioles, the right-hander announced his entrance to the league in 2004, by becoming only the second man in Atlantic League history (Rod Henderson -2001) to throw a no-hitter while on the mound for Newark (August 17, 2004). The no hitter was preserved by future Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson's pair of outstanding catches in the outfield in both the eighth and ninth innings at TD Bank Ballpark against the Somerset Patriots.

In 2008, Gannon had his best Atlantic League season, leading the league in complete games (8) and earned run average (3.17) while securing a personal record of 12-6. His season and efforts were recognized with the Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year Award.

Currently, Joe Gannon ranks fourth across many Atlantic League career pitching records including Innings Pitched (853.2), Wins (47) and strikeouts (479).

2016 Inaugural New Britain Bees Team

Autographed 2016 Inaugural New Britain Team Official Atlantic League Baseball

Having 2016 as their inaugural season, the New Britain Bees played their first regular-season home game at New Britain Stadium on April 21^st, vs. the York Revolution. New Britain joined and rebalanced the Atlantic League following a season where the Camden Riversharks ceased operations in 2015.

Atlantic League-veteran skipper Stan Cliburn served as the Bee’s first manager; making his way north from managing Southern Maryland in 2015 and returning to New Britain where he managed the affiliated Rock Cats from 2001-05.

Cliburn led the Bees to a winning record 71-69 in their first year as the Bees served as a pitching reservoir for affiliated scouts seeking quality pitching. Many former-major-league hurlers on the Bees roster were signed during their opening season including pitchers: Nick Greenwood (Twins), Eric Fornataro (Orioles), Josh Outman (Pirates) and Josh Zeld (Mets). New Britian’s front office eye for pitching talent also paid dividends to the team as RHP Kyle Simon earned the 2016 Atlantic League ERA crown.

The History of Official Atlantic League Baseballs

Here is an overview of the history of Official Atlantic League baseballs based on my individual research (please contact me with any additional knowledge you may have). I have seen autographed baseballs from the famous MLBer's who played in the Atlantic League (especially Rickey Henderson) online at auction sites that with this history now established makes the authenticity of these autographs less likely: (Updated 2017)

History of Atlantic League Baseball Card Sets

Here is an overview of the all the baseball card sets that have been issued by Atlantic League Teams through the years based on my research. Please contact me with any additional knowledge you may have.

Atlantic League 1,000 Hit Club Autographed Baseball

Here is a nice piece of Atlantic League memorabilia; an official baseball signed by all three members of the Atlantic League 1,000 Hit Club!

At TD Bank Ballpark on Friday, July 27, 2012, in the sixth inning of the first game of a doubleheader, Patriot 3^rd baseman Jeff Nettles singled to left-center off Southern Maryland pitcher Nick Green to become the first player in Atlantic League history to reach the 1,000-hit milestone.

Click here to watch the video.

Barely over one year later, on August 3, 2013, Long Island Duck Ray Navarrete hit a home run to left field off of York Revolution pitcher Michael Wuertz to become the second player in league history to join the 1,000 Hit Club.

Click here to watch the video:

On June 2, 2016, at Regency Furniture Stadium, Bryant Nelson became the third member of this hit club playing for Southern Maryland, driving a hit off Somerset pitcher Darin Gorski on his way to becoming the Atlantic League All-Time Hit King.
Click here to read the story: