Worcester Inks Minor League Veteran Ed Riley
Published on April 28, 2005 under Canadian American League (Can-Am)
Worcester Tornadoes News Release
Worcester, MA (April 28, 2005) â The Worcester Tornadoes announced today that the club added 13 years of minor league experience, eight years of pitching experience in the Boston Red Sox system, and another player with local ties â as well as 15 siblings â with the signing of veteran pitcher Ed Riley.
In Riley, the nascent Tornadoes staff boasts a veteran leader who has enjoyed substantial success throughout his baseball career, with both affiliated and independent teams. In 280 appearances over his 13 minor league seasons, Riley compiled a career record of 81-69 with an impressive 3.40 ERA. Riley also joins manager Rich Gedman and fellow pitcher Dan Generelli as Worcester natives that played in the Red Sox system before joining the Tornadoes for pro baseball's return to Worcester.
Riley was a standout prep pitcher at St. Peter-Marian High School, the same school Gedman attended before embarking on his All-Star career. As a senior at St. Peter-Marian in 1988, Riley was named Massachusetts Baseball Player of the Year and was a finalist for National Player of the Year honors. He attracted nationwide attention when he pushed his winning streak to 33 games, tying a national record for high school lefties.
Riley's prep success attracted the attention of the Red Sox, who selected him in the sixth round of the 1988 draft. By 1992 he was pitching for the Double-A New Britain Red Sox, where he went 10-8 and registered a 2.45 ERA en route to the Eastern League Lefthanded Pitcher of the Year award. By the end of that same season, Riley had reached Triple-A with the Pawtucket Red Sox, just one step below the big leagues.
Riley went on to enjoy three more seasons in the Red Sox system, splitting time between Double-A and Triple-A. In 1996, he signed with the Albany Diamond Dogs, a member of the independent Northeast League. Riley dominated immediately, notching an 11-1 record and 1.78 ERA to earn Northeast League Pitcher of the Year honors.
After a 7-1 campaign in 1997, Riley moved even closer to home, signing with the Nashua Pride of the independent Atlantic League. Again, he made an immediate impact in his new surroundings, winning a league-leading 13 games in 1998. In three seasons with the Pride, Riley tallied 26 total wins, a career franchise record that still stands in Nashua.
Following the 2000 season, Riley returned to the Red Sox, this time as a member of the major league staff. He assisted Red Sox pitching coach Joe Kerrigan and hitting coach Rick Down for the 2001 season, managing batting and pitching practices and assembling video for the two.
Since his playing days, Riley, the youngest of 16 children, has spent the last several years operating Riley Baseball Instruction in West Boylston.
Ballplayers looking to join Riley for the Tornadoes inaugural season may make their case at the team's open player tryouts this weekend, April 30 and May 1. The tryouts are scheduled to take place at the baseball field at Quinsigamond Community College. In the case of foul weather, the tryouts will be moved indoors to the Auburn Sportsplex, located off of Route 20 on Saint Mark Street in Auburn. No prior professional experience is necessary, though players will have to pre-register to participate. Details and the required registration forms are available on the Tornadoes official web site, www.worcestertornadoes.com.
Season tickets for the Tornadoes inaugural season are also on sale, with prices starting at $360 per seat. Mini-packs will be available soon, and tickets for individual games will be available in early May. To order or for more information, fans may call the Tornadoes at (508) 792-2288.
Canadian American League Stories from April 28, 2005
- Bangor not to operate in 2005 - Can-Am
- Worcester Inks Minor League Veteran Ed Riley - Worcester Tornadoes
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