Four pitchers join the flock
April 16, 2004 - Atlantic League (AtL)
Long Island Ducks News Release
(Central Islip, N.Y.) â With one week remaining before the Long Island Ducks assemble in Homestead, Florida for the start of spring training, team officials today announced that starters Clint Weibl and Lance Davis, along with relievers Joe Cotton and Troy Mattes, have signed with the club. Two of the four players signed boast Major League experience.
"With these additions, our pitching staff is looking extremely strong," said Ducks general manager Michael Hirsch. "We now have quality throughout the rotation and in the bullpen."
Lance Davis enters his tenth season of professional baseball in 2004 and first with the Ducks. Davis reached the Major League level in 2001 with Cincinnati, going 8-4 with a 4.74 ERA in 20 starts for the Reds. Last season, he won eight games as a starter for Louisville (AAA, Reds) of the International League.
Clint Weibl begins his second stint with the Ducks in 2004. He began the 2003 season with Long Island before being signed by the St. Louis Cardinals organization after winning four of his five starts. In his first start for the Ducks, Weibl set the franchise's single-game strikeout record, fanning thirteen Road Warriors in the Ducks' 9-1 thrashing of Pennsylvania on May 2. During his eight-year career in professional baseball, he has a record of 59-56 with a 4.24 ERA in 180 games. In 2000, Weibl led the Pacific Coast League in ERA (2.83), was second in batting average against (.222) and posted a career high two shutouts, ranking second in the league.
Troy Mattes joins the Ducks after splitting time last season with the Harrisburg Senators (AA, Expos) of the Eastern League and the Edmonton Trappers (AAA, Expos) of the Pacific Coast League. In nine years of professional baseball, Mattes has compiled 59 wins to go along with 637 strikeouts. In 2001, he started eight games for the Montreal Expos, going 3-3 in eight starts.
Joe Cotton returns to the Ducks after going 0-4 with two saves and an ERA of 4.10 in 54 games out of the bullpen for Long Island in 2003. A veteran of 307 minor league games, he has compiled a 34-32 record with 32 saves in eight seasons.
The Long Island Ducks, who play their home games at Citibank Park, are entering their fifth anniversary season of play in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. They have filled their ballpark to over 100 percent capacity for four consecutive seasons and are one of the most successful minor league franchises in the country. For further information or for information on becoming a season ticket holder, please visit www.liducks.com or call (631) 940-3825.
Atlantic League Stories from April 16, 2004
- Preseason Roster Nearly Set As Spring Training Approaches - American Defenders of New Hampshire
- Jamie Staton, Telegraph's Al McKeon To Provide Firsthand Look at Camp - American Defenders of New Hampshire
- Four pitchers join the flock - Long Island Ducks
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