RailCats Acquire Pair Of All-Stars In Blockbuster Trade
Published on December 10, 2009 under Northern League (NL)
Gary SouthShore Railcats News Release
GARY, Ind. - The Gary SouthShore RailCats made their first major move of the offseason today, picking former American Association ERA Champion Nick Singleton and 2008 Northern League All-Star Tyler Meigs from the Sioux City Explorers in exchange for pitchers Chris Jones, Garret Holleran and Eddie De la Cruz.
Singleton, 26, is the centerpiece of the five-player deal and is coming off two excellent seasons at the top of the Explorers rotation. A five-year veteran of the independent circuit, Singleton boasts a tidy 3.31 ERA over 74 career starts and nearly 500 innings, allowing fewer hits than innings pitched and racking up 371 career strikeouts. After beginning his career with Pensacola in the Central League in 2005, Singleton spent two seasons with the Golden League's Chico Outlaws where he twice finished in the top 10 in the league in ERA (including second in 2006) and won Game Four of the 2007 Golden League Championship Series to boost the Outlaws to their first title.
The Montgomery, Alabama native's best professional season came in 2008, when he dominated the American Association over 16 starts, going 8-4 with a microscopic 2.24 ERA and 1.19 WHIP, all while piling up 82 strikeouts and allowing just three home runs in 112.2 innings. The impressive 2008 campaign earned Singleton numerous accolades, including a spot on the Baseball America All-Independent First Team as one of only four pitchers from throughout the country so honored. Singleton was also named the American Association's Full Season All-Star Right-Handed Pitcher and led the league in ERA.
Singleton followed the 2008 season up with another impressive campaign in 2009 when he led the American Association by making 21 starts and finished second in the league with 129.1 innings pitched. The right-hander went 6-7 with a 4.04 ERA last year but did pick up a career-high 97 strikeouts (third in the league) and held hitters to a.253 average.
Singleton played his college baseball at NAIA Auburn-Montgomery, enjoying his greatest success in 2005 when the right-hander led the Senators with a 2.74 ERA and earned All-Conference honors.
Meigs, 26, returns to the Northern League after a stopover in Sioux City last season. Another career independent league hurler, Meigs has experience as a closer with 18 lifetime saves and has proven to be a durable bullpen arm. The 6'7" right-hander led the Northern League with 53 appearances out of the Joliet JackHammers bullpen in 2008 and pitched 79.0 innings a year ago over 36 games.
Meigs starred in the Frontier League for two seasons to begin his career, including a lights-out 2007 as the closer for the Traverse City Beach Bums. Meigs allowed only 14 hits in 23.2 innings in 2007, posting 11 saves and holding Frontier League batters to a.165 average. In 2008, Meigs earned a spot in the Northern League's Mid-Season All-Star Game and finished the season ranked fifth in the league with seven saves. Last year, the Georgia native struck out 60 in 79.0 innings for the Explorers and made the first four starts of his career since 2006.
Meigs made three stops in his college career, pitching at Young Harris College (2001-03), the University of Alabama (2004) and the University of West Georgia (2005-06). Meigs earned All-Conference and All-Region honors while pitching for Division II West Georgia in his hometown of Carrollton.
The three outgoing RailCats all had solid 2009 seasons, highlighted by Jones, who went 6-3 with a 3.75 ERA while battling injury to make 15 starts. Holleran, who had pitched for the RailCats each of the last two seasons, overcame an offseason injury to post his best year as a professional, going 5-2 with a 3.46 ERA in 11 starts. De la Cruz, a Mid-Season All-Star in 2009, made a team-leading 41 appearances out of the RailCats bullpen and boasted a 3.06 ERA.
Singleton, Meigs and the rest of the 2010 RailCats will open Spring Training on May 6, 2010 before beginning the season 14 days later at U. S. Steel Yard against the Kansas City T-Bones. The RailCats will have at least 28 players in camp when Spring Training begins.
The RailCats will hold the first-ever U. S. Steel "Yard Sale" this Saturday, December 12 from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., with team merchandise available at major discounts and unique ballpark treasures like used bases, game-worn jerseys and more also on sale. For more information on the RailCats or the Steel "Yard Sale", visit www.railcatsbaseball.com or call the RailCats at 219.882.2255.
Northern League Stories from December 10, 2009
- Northern League Transactions - NL
- Donate And Win Tickets To Funfest, June 4 Game - Rockford RiverHawks
- RailCats Acquire Pair Of All-Stars In Blockbuster Trade - Gary SouthShore Railcats
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