Brian Adams - 2007 Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year

Autographed 2007 Somerset Patriots Multi-Ad Team Set #1 (Pitch/YR Card)

Arguably the greatest left-handed pitcher in Atlantic League history, Brian Adams is inarguably the greatest starting pitcher ever to toe the rubber for the Somerset Patriots.

Pitching as a reliever in the Boston Red Sox and Milwaukee Brewers’ farm systems, Adams joined the Pat’s in 2007, and made an explosive transition into a starting pitcher role and the rotation by putting up a 15-2 season (incorporating a perfect 11-0 home record) with 117 K’s while seizing the Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year Award for that season.

Adams would follow up his 2007 campaign with two more back-to-back double-digit wins seasons for Somerset with records of 11-7 in 2008 and 13-8 in 2009. In these 3 seasons, Adams had close to a .700 winning percentage.

In his four-year tenure with Somerset, the Clemson alumnus was instrumental in leading Somerset to post-season berths in each year and a major contributor to two Atlantic League Championships for the franchise (2008/2009).

Adams finished his career as the Patriots all-time career win leader with 43 wins which also places him in 8th place on the Atlantic League all-time career wins list, but in first place for all-time career wins in the league by a southpaw.

Adams was voted the 6^rd greatest Patriot of all time in a 2012 polling of fans, players, coaches and team officials and was also so honored on the poll by having the highest ranking of any Somerset pitcher in their history.

Bill Madlock - 4X NL Batting Champ & Newark Bears Manager

Autographed 2004 Newark Bears Choice Team Set #27
Autographed Atlantic League Baseball Inscribed "Newark Bears MGR 2003-04"

With a major league career batting average of .305 and four National League Batting Championships (1975,1976, 1981 and 1983) to his name, Bill Madlock became the 3rd manager of the Atlantic League’s Newark Bears taking the helm for the 2003 and 2004 seasons.

Nicknamed “Mad Dog” for his ability to get riled up with umpires, Madlock’s two-year managerial tenure saw some of the most recognizable MLB names in Atlantic League history on his rosters including Jamie Navarro, Jose Lima and the 44-year-old All-Time Stolen Base King Rickey Henderson.

Madlock quibbed about having the elite base stealer on his Bear’s teams, ”I had the greatest base stealer in the world those years, and if you don’t believe me you can ask him yourself and he will tell you the same thing…”

Corey Thurman - Atlantic League and York All-Time Great

Autographed 2008 York Revolution Choice Team Set #19
Autographed 2011 York Revolution Pizza Hut Choice Team Set

Achieving a professional pitching career that spanned two decades including two seasons (2003/04) at the major league level with the Toronto Blue Jays, Corey Thurman is one of the greatest, all-time pitchers in Atlantic League history.

On the roster for eight seasons (2008-15) with the York Revolution, Thurman established his number-one-starter reputation on the mound in the Atlantic League as he four times achieved both double-digit-win seasons and over one-hundred strikeouts in the same year.

Included in these seasons, the 6’2” right-hander put together back-to-back .800 winning percentage seasons together in 2011 & 2012 with records of 13-3 and 14-3 respectively.  In addition, Thurman was an integral part and a clubhouse leader for the 2010/2011 back-to-back York Revolution Atlantic League Championships.

In 2015, Thurman finished his Atlantic League career in second place on the all-time career pitching leader boards with 66 wins, 667 strikeouts and 980.1 innings pitched finishing only behind Tim Cain (Newark/Bridgeport) in each category who pitched 170 innings more than Thurman in his career.

Thurman’s presence in the York community equalled his presence on the mound as he established himself as a beloved face of the franchise, serving as player representative for the Rev’s Healthy Kids Club while working with youth baseball.  He remains a very popular resident of the York community.

The Revolution announced prior to the 2016 season that Thurman's number 35 will be retired by the franchise. He will be the first player in York history to be so honored.

John Brownell - 2015 Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year

Autographed 2013 Long Island Ducks Choice Team Set #6
Autographed 2014 Long Island Ducks Choice Team Set #7
Autographed 2015 Long Island Ducks Choice Team Set #4 (Pitch/YR Card)

Drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2006 Amateur draft out of the University of Oklahoma, John Brownell has been one of the best pitchers in Independent Baseball over the last decade averaging double-digits wins; 153 innings pitched; and 116 strikeouts since the 2008 season.

Brownell broke on to the Atlantic League scene at the end of the 2012 season and right away became a fan favorite on Long Island by featuring a smooth windup on the front end of his delivery followed by a back-end mastery of changing speeds that perplexed hitters. These physical abilities framed Brownell’s calm demeanor and competitive heart that was custom made for big-game opportunities.

Brownell left his mark on the 2013 Championship Series as he was awarded the series’ MVP by earning win decisions in game one and five of the series while striking out nine against the Somerset Patriots bringing the Championship home to Central Islip.

The 2015 season saw "Brownie" log his 1,000th professional strikeout pitching with the Long Island Ducks and in recognition for his workhorse reliability and performance during the year he was named the 2015 Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year.

The award was well earned. He led the Atlantic League in Innings Pitched (175.2) Wins (12-tied), Strikeouts (146) Complete Games (4) and shutouts (2-tied). His six losses could have been easily converted to a few more wins if he had more robust offensive support on those dates. The Ducks’ offensive only averaged 1.5 runs per game when looking at games where he was saddled with losses in 2015.

To underscore Brownell’s success since coming into the Atlantic League, with only three full seasons under his belt-- at the end of the 2015 season -- he is only five victories away from breaking into the league’s top 10 all-time career wins list.

Welington Dotel - 2015 Atlantic League Player of the Year

Autographed 2015 Bridgeport Bluefish Dot Generation Team Set (MVP Card) 

Sometimes sabbaticals are much needed and provide enhanced performance upon the return. After taking the whole 2014 season off from professional baseball, Welington Dotel came back well rested and with a fury in his first year in the Atlantic League.

The former Seattle Mariner farm prospect took the outfield for the Bridgeport Bluefish in the 2015 season and led the league in hits (180), triples (13), extra base hits (52) and total bases (261). He also became the first player in the history of the Atlantic League to lead the league in both stolen bases (45) and slugging percentage (.492) the same year. He was the unanimous choice for 2015 Atlantic League Player of the Year.

In addition, the Dominican Republic-native was electric on the bases with a better than 80% stolen-base-attempt success rate.

As Dotel’s offensive reputation grew throughout the league during the year his defensive reputation kept pace while patrolling right field at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard. Dotel’s explosive speed would allow him to spear hard line drives hit into the right-center field gap as well as to make shoestring, sliding catches on balls hit weakly in front of him denying opposing teams scoring opportunities. Dotel was selected by Atlantic League managers and executives to the inaugural 2015 Red, White and Blue All-Defensive team at season's end recognizing the best defensive player at each position.

Dotel would have also had the batting championship on his resume for the 2015 season, but his .3396 batting average missed league lead by .0007 to Long Island Ducks’ designated hitter, and former Bluefish teammate,  Sean Burroughs.

Jimmy Hurst - 2002 Atlantic League Player of the Year

(L) Autographed 2001 Nashua Price WMUR9 Team Set
(R) 2002 Newark Bears Choice Team Set (MVP Card)

Out of Butch Hobson’s hometown of Tuscaloosa, AL, Jimmy Hurst was drafted in the 12^th round of the 1990 Amateur Draft by the Chicago White Sox.

With a professional baseball career that spanned seventeen seasons reaching the Triple-A level with four different organizations and the major leagues in 1997 with the Detroit Tigers, the 6’6” power-hitting outfielder landed in the Atlantic League with Hobson’s Nashua Pride in 2001, but it would be his second year in the league with Newark that would be his season for the record books.

2002 could not have been a more perfect season for Hurst or more of a monster year. Hurst led the league in hits (150), home runs (35), RBI’s (100), total bases (288), batting average (.341) and slugging percentage (.655) while playing in only 113 games on his way to becoming the Atlantic League’s first ever Triple Crown winner.  Hurst’s slugging average mark that year still stands as the Atlantic League single-season record. It was only a formality that Hurst was to be named the 2002 Atlantic League Player of the Year.

In the post season that year, Hurst continued his perfect season, leading his Newark Bears to their first league Championship ever sweeping the Bridgeport Bluefish and being named the championship series MVP as well.