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:

Roger Clemens - Bridgeport Bluefish Guest Manager

Autographed 2016 Bridgeport Bluefish Dot Generation Team Set

On August 5^th, 2016, seven-time Cy Young Award winner and 350-game-plus game winner Roger Clemens returned to the Atlantic League and served as guest manager for the Bridgeport Bluefish in a Friday night game against the Long Island Ducks.

The event gained national media attention from MLB.com, Yahoo Sports, CBS sports and other newspapers and newsroom across the nation as Clemens joined the list of previous high-profile sports names to serve as guest managers for the ‘Fish including Pete Rose, Paul O’Neill  and Jennie Finch.

It was Clemens second year being listed on an Atlantic League roster as he pitched two games for the 2012 Sugar Land Skeeters; being able to form a battery with his son Cody who was on the Skeeter roster as a catcher the that year.

On the evening of Clemens’ guest managerial appearance, the Long Island Ducks defeated the Bluefish 6-2.

Jeremy Barfield 2016 Atlantic League Player of the Year

Autographed 2016 Sugar Land Skeeters Memorial Hermann Team Set

Attaining the AAA level with both the Oakland and Colorado organizations, Jeremy Barfield joined the Sugar Land Skeeters in 2016 and was instrumental in leading the franchise to their first Atlantic League Championship.

Son of former major leaguer Jesse Barfield, and brother of former major leaguer and Atlantic League veteran Josh Barfield, the younger Barfield hit .306 with a league-leading 27 home runs and 85 RBi’s in his 2016 Skeeter campaign.

In the Atlantic League Divisional and Championship Series, Barfield hit .308 contributing 1 HR and 6 runs scored helping the Skeeters sweep both postseason series (vs. York and Long Island) to earn the league championship.

For his season, Barfield was named the 2016 Atlantic League Player of the Year; the first Sugar Land player in history to be so honored.

Jonathan Albaladejo - 2016 Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year

Autographed 2016 Bridgeport Bluefish Dot Generation Team Set 

Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2001 amateur draft, Jonathan Albaladejo spent parts of five seasons in the major leagues with the Washington Nationals, New York Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks. His best season came In 2009 with New York where the Puerto Rico native went 5-1 pitching in relief for a team that would eventually become World Champions.

After stints with Japanese and Mexican baseball leagues, Albaladejo was signed by the Bridgeport Bluefish in 2016, and the former relief pitcher quickly became one of the most dominant starting pitchers in the league. His 15-6 led the league in wins that season, as did his 172.2 IP, and his 164 strikeouts within a season set a new Atlantic League record breaking Nashua Pride’s Len Picota’s record of 161 set 15 years earlier.

Albaladejo was honored for his stellar season by being named the 2016 Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year

2016 Atlantic League Champions Sugar Land Skeeters

2016 Sugar Land Skeeter Memorial Hermann Team Set

After making a late-August playoff run to secure the Freedom Division’s second-half title, the Sugar Land Skeeters swept through the York Revolution in three games punching their ticket to the 2016 Atlantic League Championship Series. A 10th-inning rally in game three against York’s premier closer Mike DeMark, who posted an ERA of 0.76 during the regular season, earned the Skeeters the Freedom Division title.

The Skeeter’s continued their perfect post season campaign by likewise sweeping the Long Island Ducks in three games by holding the Flock to only three earned runs in the series to claim their first-ever Atlantic League Championship in their five-year history.

9th-slot hitter, third baseman and September-roster addition, Juan Martinez, was chosen the MVP for the postseason compiling a .333 BA, 2 HR’s and 5 RBI’s. Sugar Land’s closer Derrick Loop earned 4 saves in the postseason and six different Sugar Land pitchers earned postseason wins showing the breadth of team contributions.