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.

Justin Jensen - 1999 Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year

Autographed 2004 Somerset Patriot Multi-Ad Team Set #15

Voted the greatest lefthander starting pitcher in Somerset history in their 10^th season anniversary poll, Justin Jensen was the most impactful pitcher in the first 10 years of the franchise.

The Cabrillo College alumnus, and product of the Detroit Tiger farm system, first took the mound for Somerset in the 1999 season and finished the year leading the league in ERA (2.76) compiling a 12-3 record with 111 strikeouts. This effort was rewarded by Jensen being named the 1999 Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year.

Jensen’s championship with the Patriots would come in 2003, when after helping Somerset get to the postseason with a 9-3 regular-season record, he paired with fellow mound mate Brett Jodie pitching back-to-back shutouts sweeping the Riversharks in the divisional playoffs. Somerset would eventually go on to defeat Nashua that year 3 games to 2 in the championship series for their second league title.

Jensen is Somerset’s career leader in innings pitched (527) and second in franchise history in wins (35-24) and strikeouts (385); yielding a 3.62 ERA for his tenure at Somerset.

Jensen was voted the 14th greatest Patriot of all time in a 2012 polling of fans, players, coaches and team officials.

Billy Hall - All-Time Atlantic League Stolen Base King

Autographed 2001 Somerset Patriots Multi-Ad Team Set #13

Out of Wichita State University, and having played at the Triple-A level for San Diego, Colorado and Cincinnati, Billy Hall exploded onto the scene of the Atlantic League in 2000 with the Somerset Patriots.

Hall disrupted the basepaths of the league that year like no player has done before or since stealing 104 bases for the season (still the single-season record for the league) and establishing a professional baseball record for 66 consecutive, base-stealing attempts without being caught.

Hall’s manager, Sparky Lyle has commented, “If that pitcher threw over to first one time, Billy had a read on him [to steal]; it was the most incredible thing I have ever seen anybody do.”

In 2001, the second baseman followed up his dynamic 2000, by leading the league in hits (148), runs (113) and stolen bases (72) and leading the Patriots to their first-ever league championship. His runs scored in 2001 are still the single-season record for Somerset.

In 2005, the switch hitter established a consecutive-hit-streak record for the Atlantic League of 27 consecutive games (Aug. 11th- Sept.10th).

Hall retired in 2005, with four seasons total with Somerset (2000/’01/’02/’05) leading the league in stolen bases in each of these seasons and being the catalyst of a Patriots’ team which brought home two League Championships (2001/’05) for the franchise during his tenure.

Hall retired the Atlantic League All-Time Stolen Base King (290 stolen bases) and was voted the 3^rd greatest Patriot of all time (only surpassed by Jeff Nettles and Josh Pressley) in a 2012 polling of fans, players, coaches and team officials.

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).

Ben Simon - 2003 Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year

Autographed 2003 Camden Riversharks Choice Team Set #24 (Pitcher of the Year Card)

As a minor-league free agent, after attaining the AAA level with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Ben Simon spotted a ballpark while driving to Philadelphia at the base of the Ben Franklin Bridge. Simon followed up with a visit to Campbell Field and a meeting with the Camden General Manager, John Brandt, and soon after had signed a contract to pitch the 2003 season for the Riversharks.

With this new contract, the Eastern-Michigan U-alumnus developed a more-biting slider within the season -- complementing his spot fastball -- which resulted in Simon being named the 2003 Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year.

That year, the right-hander led the league in wins (15-6; 2.38 ERA); four of which were complete games -- three of which were shutouts. His season-shutout record still stands this day (shared w/ Sontag (2000); Stevens (2007) and Reichert (2009)). Even more impressive, two of these three shutouts were in back-to-back outings on the mound (7/25&7/31/03).