NL Gary SouthShore Railcats

Dominic Woody Ascends to Angels

Published on August 4, 2004 under Northern League (NL)
Gary SouthShore Railcats News Release


GARY – The Gary SouthShore RailCats (Northern League) have sold the contract of pitcher Dominic Woody to the Anaheim Angels organization, the team announced today.

Woody, who only began pitching full-time less than two months ago, is the first RailCats player to have his contract sold to a major league organization this season. Woody will report to the Angels' California League (A) affiliate in Rancho Cucamonga. The RailCats have now sold six player contracts to major league organizations since 2001.

Woody, 25, was 2-3 with a 3.16 ERA in 18 pitching appearances for the RailCats this season. After beginning the season as a reserve catcher and utility player, batting .200 with five extra base hits in 55 at bats, Woody made his first pitching appearance June 7 in Winnipeg, delivering a 1-2-3 ninth inning that included 2 strikeouts. The 6-3 right-hander, who had pitched only one other time in his professional career prior to this season, compiled a 1.78 ERA in 14 relief appearances for the RailCats.

Woody made his first career pitching start July 15 at Lincoln. Woody worked eight-plus innings, yielding just five hits and striking out seven. In earning the win in the RailCats 4-3 victory, Woody retired 12 consecutive batters in the fourth through eighth innings and threw 82 of 122 pitches for strikes.

In his third start, Woody came within one out of pitching a complete-game shutout to lead the RailCats to a 4-2 win over the Joliet JackHammers at U. S. Steel Yard on July 28. Woody blanked Joliet over the first eight innings, scattering three hits and three walks. Woody took the mound in the ninth and retired the first two batters, but yielded a two-out double followed by a two-run homer before being relieved.

After a prolific college career at the University of Washington in which he hit a school-record 19 home runs in 1999, Woody was selected by the Florida Marlins in the fourth round of the 1999 free agent draft. The switch-hitting catcher spent three years in the Marlins' system, advancing as high as Single-A Kane County, and one in the Seattle Mariners' chain after being selected by Seattle in the Rule V draft prior to the 2002 season. Prior to this season, Woody's only previous professional pitching appearance occurred when he played all nine positions for Springfield-Ozark of the Central League in the 2003 season finale.

Woody, primarily a catcher known for his defensive skills and throwing arm in each of his first five professional seasons, began throwing from the mound this past off-season and broached the idea of pitching with the RailCats coaching staff before the RailCats signed him on April 9. After working on his mechanics with RailCats manager Garry Templeton and pitching coach Wally Widelski, Woody began pitching full-time in mid-June, displaying a low-to-mid 90s fastball along with a slider and curveball.

Woody's former RailCats teammates open a four-game homestand tonight at U. S. Steel yard with a 7 p.m. game against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks.

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The Gary SouthShore RailCats are the professional minor league baseball team serving Northwest Indiana and Chicago's south suburbs. The RailCats' Northern League schedule includes 14 August home games at U. S. Steel Yard. For information about tickets, season ticket plans, group outings, and creative sponsorship packages, call the RailCats at (219) 882-BALL, or visit the RailCats web site at www.railcatsbaseball.com.

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Northern League Stories from August 4, 2004


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