Pujols To Fill Big Cleats Behind The Plate
Published on February 3, 2004 under Northern League (NL)
Schaumburg Flyers News Release
SCHAUMBURG, IL- The Schaumburg Flyers have addressed the void left by the departure of All-Star catcher Kirk Pierce by acquiring another proven veteran. Rafael Pujols, the starting catcher at independent Quebec in each of the past two seasons, has been acquired by the Flyers in a contract transaction with the Quebec Les Capitales. Pierce, a three-time Northern League All-Star since 2000, is now a member of the Kansas City Royals organization.
Pujols, 26, is the projected everyday catcher in the Flyers lineup for 2004. Like his predecessor Pierce, he is an iron man behind the plate; catching 87 of Quebec's 89 games last season and 85 of 90 contests in 2002. The former Oakland prospect batted .285 in the Northeast League last year. In 2002, Pujols played for Flyers Manager Andy McCauley and ranked fifth in hits (104) and seventh in batting average (.319) in the former Northern League-East. "It's impossible to completely replace Kirk Pierce but we feel we've come close by signing Rafael," said McCauley. "He calls a great game behind the plate and works very well with his pitchers. He's going to play day in, day out as the numbers indicate. Offensively, he's a switch hitter with some pop and works deep counts. Raffy played for me in 2002 and I'm very comfortable with him. The fans will see a great competitor who comes to work every night."
Pujols played in the Oakland organization from 1995-2001 before entering independent baseball. He reached the âTriple A' level in 2001, playing briefly at Class AAA Sacramento. A native of the baseball-rich Dominican Republic, Pujols is the nephew of Luis Pujols, a former major league catcher and veteran big league coach. Luis Pujols managed the Detroit Tigers for most of the 2002 season and is now the first base coach for the San Francisco Giants.
Tickets are on sale now for the 4th Annual Flyers WinterFest, set for Sunday, February 15 at the Doral Eaglewood Resort, 1401 Nordic Road, Itasca. Manager Andy McCauley and former Chicago Cub Jose Cardenal are among those scheduled to appear. Tickets for the 1:00-3:30 PM event are just $5 and can be purchased at the team's Alexian Field Offices, 1999 Springinsguth Road, Schaumburg.
Northern League Stories from February 3, 2004
- Pujols To Fill Big Cleats Behind The Plate - Schaumburg Flyers
- Saltdogs Bite of the Week - Lincoln Saltdogs
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
