The 2005 Northern League champion Gary SouthShore RailCats Friday acquired right-handed pitcher Jason Shelley from the Joliet JackHammers in exchange for future considerations.
Shelley was Baseball America’s 2003 Independent League Player of the Year after a record-breaking season in the Frontier League that led to a contract with the Milwaukee Brewers. Shelley went 7-1 with a 0.85 earned run average with Rockford, allowing only seven earned runs in 10 starts to break the all-time Frontier League ERA mark.
His contract was purchased by the Brewers in July of 2003. With the Brewers’ Double-A affiliate, the Huntsville Stars, Shelley appeared in 24 games (11 starts) over the 2003-04 seasons, going 5-6 with a 3.18 ERA. He spent the 2005 season with Joliet, going 5-12, 5.46 in 20 starts.
Shelley also played in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization in 1999-2000, going 2-1 in 12 games at the Single-A level. He spent the 2001 and ’02 seasons in the Frontier League.
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Shelley is a native of Plainfield, Illinois and played college baseball at Northeast Louisiana University.
RAILCATS SIGN LOCAL PRODUCT NEAL FRENDLING
The 2005 Northern League champion Gary SouthShore RailCats announced the signing of free agent pitcher Neal Frendling. RailCats manager Greg Tagert made the announcement.
Frendling is a 1998 graduate of Lake Central High School in St. John, Indiana, where he was chosen USA Today Honorable Mention All-American and Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association First Team All-State. He was drafted in the 16th round of the 1998 free agent draft by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He signed with the Devil Rays after playing one season at Rend Lake College in Ida, Illinois. He currently resides in Crown Point.
Frendling spent seven seasons in the Devil Rays organization, posting a combined record of NCAL League 24-27 with a 3.97 earned run average in 472 innings. He peaked at the Triple-A level in 2004 with the Durham Bulls.
Frendling’s best season was 2000 with Charleston (S.C.), where he was selected to play in the South Atlantic League All-Star Game. He went 8-8 with a 3.38 ERA and finished fifth in the league in strikeouts. He has battled injuries since 2002 and has pitched in just seven games over the last three seasons.
The RailCats also announced the retirements from professional baseball of pitchers Jamie Bennett, Greg Bruso, and Mike Schaefer.
JACKHAMMERS RE-SIGN ALL-STAR FOR PITCHING STAFF
Continuing to enhance their 2006 roster, the Joliet JackHammers re-signed right-handed pitcher Amad Stephens. The 2006 season will be his fourth in professional baseball.
Spending most of his time with the JackHammers in 2005, Stephens had a 5-3 win-loss mark with 10 saves and a 3.29 ERA in 28 games. He was named to the 2005 South Division All Star Team on July 13, 2005. His pro career began in the independent Frontier League (Evansville) in 2003 before the New York Yankees signed him. He played in 2003 with the Battle Creek Yankees (Midwest League) and in 2004 with the Staten Island Yankees (New York-Penn League).
Through three professional seasons and 68 appearances, Stephens is 14-5 with a 3.21 ERA and 25 saves. He has only walked 23 batters, allowed 44 runs (30 earned), allowed 92 hits and struck out 106 batters in 106.2 innings pitched. In 2003, he was named the Frontier League’s Jason Simontacchi Rookie of the Year when he was 6-1 with a 2.77 ERA and 11 saves along with just nine walks, 19 runs allowed (17 earned), 44 hits allowed and 65 strikeouts in 55.1 innings pitched.
He played college baseball at both Community College of Southern Nevada and Oral Roberts University (Tulsa, OK) before finishing his collegiate career at Southern Nazarene University (Bethany, OK). Stephens was named Sooner Athletic Conference First Team All-Conference when he went 8-and-5 with 107 strikeouts at SNU in 2003.
He attended Marian Catholic High School in San Diego, California. In his high school career, he posted a 20-2 record and tossed a one-hitter in the state championship game.
“I am really looking forward to watching Amad as our closer this year,” said JackHammers manager Hal Lanier. “I have always had good closers since I have been in this league and I know Amad fits in that category. I can see him having another great season this year and I know he will have a lot of opportunities with the team. No matter how good your starters are you always have to have that solid closer in your bull pen.”
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