Catcher Gulledge returns to Cats
Published on February 5, 2009 under American Association (AA)
Fort Worth Cats News Release
The Cats have signed catcher Kelley Gulledge to a contract for the 2009 season, the team announced today. Gulledge, a key member of the 2007 Cats' championship team, returns to Fort Worth after spending 2008 in the Dodgers' organization.
Gulledge, 30, split last season between Double-A Jacksonville and Triple-A Las Vegas. He started and ended the season in Jacksonville, batting .286 with four homers and 15 RBIs in 27 games for the Suns. He also appeared in one game on the mound, working a scoreless inning with two strikeouts in late August. It was his first professional pitching appearance. With Las Vegas, Gulledge played in only seven games between May-July.
In his first stint with the Cats, Gulledge batted .302 with 51 runs batted in and a team-leading 12 home runs in 2007. He played in 76 games after missing the first three weeks of the season because of injury. He was a reserve catcher for the American Association South All-Star squad in July and earned All-Independent Second Team honors from Baseball America following the season.
Gulledge had three home runs and seven RBIs in the Cats' 10-game playoff run that culminated in the 2007 American Association Championship. He was signed by the Dodgers after the season.
He spent the 2004 and 2005 season with Fargo-Moorhead in the Northern League, batting over .320 each season. In 2005, he hit .321 with 10 homers and 40 runs batted in. The year before, he slugged eight homers and drove in 55 runs. He was selected to the Northern League All-Star team both years.
At the University of Alabama, Gulledge batted .344 with 11 home runs in 58 games in 1999. He followed that season with a 13-homer season and hit .299 in 2000. He was named to the SEC All-Tournament teams both years. He was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 10th round of the 2000 June draft. He spent parts of four seasons in the Twins' organization, and played in 33 games at Double-A New Britain in the Eastern League in 2003.
Gulledge also spent part of the 2003 season with Stockton, the Texas Rangers' California League affiliate. He was a standout catcher at Mansfield High School and now resides in Arlington.
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