|
 |
|
|
Team History
February 2001 Northwest Sports Ventures, LLC is approved by the Board of Directors of the Northern League of Professional Baseball to own and operate an expansion team for play in the 2002 season in Gary, Indiana. June 2001 A Limited Liability Company by the name of Victory Sports Group was officially registered in the state of Missouri, USA. Mike Tatoian is named the Chief Executive Officer of Victory Sports Group, LLC. Ground is broken for the construction of a 6,000-seat baseball stadium at the corner of 5th Avenue and Pennsylvania Street in downtown Gary. July 2001 A 15-year lease is executed between the City of Gary, IN and Victory Sports Group providing for a 6,000 seat state-of-the-art stadium to be completed by May 2002. August 2001 Roger Wexelberg is named Vice-President and General Manager of SouthShore Baseball, LLC (the successor to Northwest Sports Ventures, LLC, and operated by Victory Sports Group). September 2001 The name Gary SouthShore RailCats is chosen for the name of the team in Gary, Ind. October 2001 It is determined by the City of Gary, HNTB Architects and Powers Construction Co. that the stadium will not be completed for play for the 2002 season. The team is required to play all 90-games on the road for the 2002 season. December 2001 The RailCats hire former Allentown Ambassadors manager Joe Calfapietra as their first field manager. Meanwhile, the contract of Justin Craker, a former Valparaiso University pitcher and the RailCats first selection in the Northern League expansion draft, is sold to the San Diego Padres. May 2002 The Gary SouthShore RailCats play their first official Northern League game in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and drop an 8-3 decision to the Sioux Falls Canaries. The game is the first of 90 road contests for the RailCats – it’s estimated the RailCats will travel more than 12,000 miles and spend more than 200 hours on buses during the season. The RailCats picked up their first win on May 28, a 9-4 victory over the Schaumburg Flyers. The victory propels the team on a six-game winning streak. August 2002 A dedication ceremony and open house are held at RailCats Stadium on August 8. The field is christened with a Little League tournament the following weekend, and, in the following months, the stadium hosts the city’s Gospel and Blues Festivals. RailCats Manager Joe Calfapietra is named Northern League Manager of the Year, after leading the club to 35 wins despite playing all 90 games on the road. November 2002 Citing the opportunity to be closer to his family, RailCats field manager Joe Calfapietra resigns to accept a similar position with the New Jersey Jackals of the Northeast League. January 2003 The RailCats hire former major league All-Star infielder Garry Templeton as their new field manager. April 2003 Lowell Red Devils second baseman Ryan Basham hits the first homer in stadium history to propel Lowell to an 8-1 win over Boone Grove in the first game of the RailCats High School Baseball Challenge. The Challenge begins with a series of 13 games involving 23 teams in 2003, and grows to 21 games involving 41 teams in 2004 and 26 games involving 51 teams in 2005. May 2003 The RailCats and United States Steel Corporation complete a 10-year naming rights agreement for the stadium, now named U. S. Steel Yard. The RailCats, in partnership with the U. S. Steel Foundation and the City of Gary, also establish a $1.3 million charitable foundation, known as the Home Field Advantage Foundation, to fund and promote youth baseball and softball programs in Gary. The RailCats play their Inaugural Home Opener at U. S. Steel Yard on May 26, in front of a sellout crowd of 7,089 fans. The game begins after a 40-minute opening ceremony honoring U. S. Steel Yard, the RailCats, baseball, and the Memorial Day holiday. After RailCats starting pitcher Billy Coleman delivers the first pitch in a regular-season, professional game at U. S. Steel Yard at 3:28 p.m., the Schaumburg Flyers go on to score five runs in the 11th inning to defeat the RailCats 8-4. The next day, May 27, RailCats outfielder Billy Brown hits the first home run in a professional baseball game at U. S. Steel Yard, slugging a homer onto the left-field catwalk to spur a come-from-behind 5-4 win over Schaumburg. July 2003 RailCats outfielder Tim Flaherty becomes the first RailCats player to hit for the cycle in an unusual game in St. Paul. Flaherty hits a double and triple in his first two at-bats in the game on July 14, before the game is suspended due to fog. When the game is resumed the next day, Flaherty homers and singles to complete the cycle. Facing 77-year-old Minnie Minoso leading off the game at St. Paul on July 16, RailCats pitcher Tim Byrdak walks Minoso on a borderline 3-2 pitch. The plate appearance marks Minoso’s seventh decade of professional baseball, and Byrdak is quoted in the “Scorecard” section of Sports Illustrated on his impressions on facing the former White Sox star. On July 28, Billy Brown hits the first grand slam in RailCats history, to put the RailCats ahead 5-0 in an eventual 7-3 win over the St. Paul Saints at U. S. Steel Yard. August 2003 The RailCats draw 26,648 fans on a six-game homestand, including 6,169 to the regular season home finale (a 6-5, 12-inning victory over St. Paul), to compile an inaugural home season attendance of 140,310 in 44 dates, an average of 3,189 fans per game. May 2004 The RailCats announce that U. S. Steel Yard will be the site of the 2005 Northern League All-Star Game. June 2004 The RailCats endure a 14-game losing streak, the longest in Northern League history. July 2004 Juan Camacho hits for the cycle in a 12-1 win at Sioux City on July 16. August 2004 On August 8 at Joliet, the RailCats turn the first triple play in club history. Juan Camacho hits game-winning homers on back-to-back days August 14 and 15. The first homer is a seventh-inning grand slam to lift the RailCats to a 5-4 win over Lincoln – the second ends the longest game in U. S. Steel Yard history, a leadoff homer in the 13th inning of another 5-4 victory. September 2004 The RailCats finish their second home season with a paid attendance of 147,801 fans in 46 dates, an average of 3,213 fans per game. The RailCats attract 12 crowds of 4,000 or more fans (including two sellouts) to U. S. Steel Yard in 2004, compared to just six crowds of 4,000+ in 2003. The RailCats finish the season with a record of 31-65. The RailCats announce that field manager Garry Templeton will not be offered a contract to manage the team in 2005. January 2005 The RailCats name Greg Tagert as their new manager. Tagert, the all-time leader in victories in the Frontier League, joins the RailCats after posting nine winning seasons in nine years of managing at the professional level. March 2005 U. S. Steel is named presenting sponsor of the 2005 Northern League All-Star Game to be played in Gary on July 19th. April 2005 The RailCats open their 3rd Annual “RailCats High School Baseball Challenge” at U. S. Steel Yard. The month long series allows high school baseball players from 50 schools in Indiana and Illinois to play at the RailCats home ballpark. May 2005 The RailCats announce their 2005 Opening Day roster and begin their fourth season in the Northern League on May 20th at Joliet. On May 23rd, Scott Samuels belts a home run and RailCats pitchers limit Edmonton to two base hits as the RailCats win their home opener against Edmonton, 5-2. June 2005 Former RailCats pitcher Tim Byrdak is promoted to the major leagues by the Baltimore Orioles. Byrdak becomes the first former RailCat to reach the big leagues. July 2005 On July 8th, the RailCats win a thriller over Kansas City, 9-8 in 10 innings. The club was down to its final strike when Tanner Townsend belted a two-run game-winning double for a victory that exemplified the club’s comeback character all season. The next night, the RailCats again scored in the bottom of the 9th for their second straight walk-off win over the T-Bones. On July 19th, the North Division defeats the South Division 5-1 in the Northern League All-Star Game at U. S. Steel Yard in Gary. A crowd of 6,825 attends the game, the second largest single-game attendance total in the history of the ballpark. On July 24th, the RailCats bounce back from a 7-1 deficit to defeat Lincoln 9-7 at U. S. Steel Yard. The win moved the RailCats into a tie for first place. August 2005 On August 3, the RailCats post what might have been their signature win of the season, an incredible 13-12 comeback win over Kansas City. The RailCats trailed 8-2 in the sixth inning and 12-9 in the ninth before a Jose Yepez game-winning home run in the 10th finished the T-Bones. On August 4, NASCAR Busch Series driver Tim Sauter makes his professional baseball debut for the RailCats in a victory over Kansas City as the RailCats sweep the series. Sauter and the RailCats are featured on ESPN2 and Speed Channel. On August 13, the RailCats extend the contract of manager Greg Tagert through the 2006 season. September 2005 On September 2, the RailCats defeat Joliet 4-2 to clinch their first playoff berth in franchise history. Two days later, the RailCats close out the regular season with a 2-0 win over Joliet to clinch home field advantage throughout the playoffs and a second half divisional championship. On September 11, the RailCats defeat defending Northern League champion St. Paul 9-4 to win the Southern Division Championship Series three-games-to-two. The RailCats begin the Northern League Championship Series two days later in Fargo. On September 12, RailCats General Manager Roger Wexelberg is named Northern League Executive of the Year. On September 18, the RailCats win the Northern League title with a 2-1 win over Fargo-Moorhead in game five of the best-of-five series. Anthony Iapoce is named series Most Valuable Player. February 2006 The RailCats are honored at the Indiana Statehouse. State Representative Dan Stevenson authors a House Resolution honoring the club for its 2005 Northern League championship. The resolution is co-authored by Representatives Charlie Brown (Gary), Vernon G. Smith (Gary) and Earl Harris (East Chicago). Senator Earline Rogers sponsors a similar Senate Resolution. April 2006 The RailCats complete their fourth High School Baseball Challenge as 42 schools from Northwest Indiana and the south suburbs of Chicago play at U. S. Steel Yard. May 2006 The RailCats finalize their Opening Day Roster and begin their fifth season in the Northern League. They begin the campaign in Calgary by defeating the Vipers 12-6 as the RailCats pound out 19 base hits. On May 26th, 6,554 fans turn out for the RailCats fourth home opener. They fall to Schaumburg 5-2. July 2006 In one of the most exciting finishes ever at U. S. Steel Yard, RailCats shortstop Jay Pecci connects on his only home run of the season, a ninth inning two-run game-winner as the RailCats come from behind to defeat Winnipeg 12-10 before an enthusiastic crowd on the 4th of July. On July 9th, Andy Rohleder’s game-winning hit in the bottom of the 10th inning lifts the RailCats to a comeback win over Edmonton in the final game of the first half. The RailCats finished the half at 24-24, completing a long climb to the .500 mark after starting the year at 3-11. August 2006 On August 31st, Steve Haake bombs a two-run home run to the right field bleachers in the bottom of the 10th inning to carry the RailCats to their third straight win, a 3-1 victory over Schaumburg. The win keeps the RailCats slim playoff hopes alive as they enter the final series of the season in third place, one and one-half games out of first. September 2006 On September 1st, the RailCats sweep a doubleheader from the Kansas City T-Bones to jump into second place, one game out of first. The club also sets a new franchise single-season attendance record, increasing attendance all four years at the Steel Yard. After another win on September 2nd, the RailCats complete the scheduled regular season on the 3rd by defeating Kansas City 4-3 to earn their seventh straight win. Alex Taylor hits a big game-tying pinch hit homer in the eighth and the winning run scores, ironically, when Tanner Townsend is hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. The win, coupled with a Joliet loss later that day, forces a special one game playoff to determine the second half Eastern Division Champion. In the special one game tie-breaker against Joliet, the RailCats win their eighth straight game as they defeat the JackHammers 5-2 to advance to the playoffs. Jason Shelley and three relievers combine to allow just five hits and Tanner Townsend and Kevin White each homer for the ‘Cats. The RailCats battle Schaumburg in a best-of-five playoff series. The Flyers win the first two games, but the RailCats return home and even the series with consecutive wins. Then in the fifth and deciding game on September 10th, Josh Habel throws seven scoreless innings and the RailCats shutout the Flyers 7-0 to advance to the Northern League Championship Series for the second straight year. On September 14th, the RailCats are named Northern League co-Organization of the Year in recognition of their on the field and off the field success. On September 16th, Fargo-Moorhead wraps up the Championship with a 1-0 win over the RailCats as they defeat Gary three-games-to-one in the series. There are many notable achievements for the RailCats over their fifth season in the Northern League. On September 20th, the RailCats announce a new two year contract extension for manager Greg Tagert. October 2006 On October 23rd, RailCats Vice President & General Manager Roger Wexelberg announces he will leave the club on December 1st. Wexelberg had led the RailCats since their inception in 2001. On November 9th, Bill Terlecky is introduced as the RailCats new Vice President & General Manager. Terlecky brings 28 years of experience in professional baseball including 23 years as a General Manager to the RailCats. May 2007 On May 17, the RailCats open their sixth season in the Northern League with a 2-1 win over Winnipeg. The club goes 14-3 over its first 17 games, 20-7 over the first 27, and 27-11 over the first 38 games. June 2007 On June 29, the RailCats clinch the first half South Division championship, guaranteeing themselves a post-season berth. July 2007 The RailCats finish the first half with a league-best 30-18 record, a club record for wins in a half, and they win the South Division by eight games. The club held at least a share of first place for every day of the first half. Nine RailCats players are selected to play in the Northern League All-Star Game on July 10th at Fargo-Moorhead. They include pitchers Willie Glen, Josh Habel, Chad Blackwell, and Tony Cogan; infielders Tanner Townsend, Jay Pecci, and Eric McNamee; catcher Jose Yepez; and outfielder Nate Price. August 2007 On August 27th, the RailCats complete their schedule of regular season home games and establish franchise records for single-season attendance and average attendance per game. It is the fourth straight year that the RailCats season attendance total has increased from the previous year. On August 30th, Willie Glen breaks the all-time independent Northern League record for strikeouts in a single season. He goes on to finish the season with 162 strikeouts, nine more than the previous record. September 2007 On September 1, the RailCats win their 12th game in the last 13 to clinch the second half South Division championship. The club had been in fourth place, four and one-half games out of first on August 12th before getting hot over the final three weeks of the season heading into the playoffs. The RailCats finish the season with a league-best 58-38 record, setting a club record for wins in a season. On September 9, the RailCats defeat Winnipeg 5-3 at U. S. Steel Yard in the rubber match of the best-of-five semi-final playoff series. The RailCats had trailed two-games-to-one before winning the final two games at home, just as they did in 2005, to advance to the league championship series. On September 16, the RailCats defeat Calgary 5-1 in the fifth and deciding game of the Northern League Championship Series. The RailCats had trailed in the series two-games-to-one before winning game four behind an outstanding pitching performance by Jason Shelley and taking game five on a three-hitter by Willie Glen. Glen is named “Most Outstanding Player” of the championship series, going 2-0 in the set. He went 4-0 in the post-season and 16-1 for the year including the regular season and playoffs. Following the season, Greg Tagert is named Northern League Manager of the Year. Glen is named the league's Pitcher of the Year. October 2007 Willie Glen is named to Baseball America's All-Independent League First team as one of the top three starting pitchers in all of Independent Baseball. In detailing Glen's stellar 2007 season, the magazine also referred to the RailCats' recent success as a "mini-dynasty." November 2007 Right-handed pitcher Willie Glen, the 2007 Northern League Pitcher of the Year, is signed to a contract by the Florida Marlins. The RailCats' all-time leader in wins and strikeouts, Glen is assigned to the Carolina Mudcats, the Marlins' Double-A affiliate in the Southern League. On November 27, RailCats Vice President & General Manager Bill Terlecky is named the Minor League Baseball Executive of the Year by the Pitch & Hit Club of Chicago. At the end of the month, RailCats Hitting Coach Brian Nelson leaves the club to become the manager of the Windy City Thunderbolts in the Frontier League. Nelson is the second former RailCats coach to take over the Thunderbolts after Andy Haines led Windy City to the Frontier League Championship in 2007, then took a job coaching in the Florida Marlins' system. December 2007 RailCats catcher Jose Yepez - the backstop for the 2005 & 2007 champion 'Cats - has his contract sold to the Seattle Mariners. Yepez is the 17th RailCats player to have his contract sold to an affiliated team. January 2008 RailCats Manager Greg Tagert is signed to a long-term contract extension to remain with the club through the 2010 season. The Frontier League's all-time leader in wins, Tagert led the RailCats to the Northern League Championship Series in each of his first three seasons, winning a pair of championships. April 2008 Pat Salvi, the managing partner of the Illinois-based law firm of Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard, P.C., purchases the Gary SouthShore RailCats from their original owners. The sale is completed on April 9, when Salvi and his wife Lindy are introduced at U. S. Steel Yard. May 2008 At U. S. Steel Yard on May 15, the RailCats open their seventh season in the Northern League against the Joliet JackHammers. The RailCats lost the game 3-0, however, and would struggle in the month of May, kicking off their season with just four wins in their first 14 games. June 2008 Sparked by the first sweep of the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks in franchise history, the RailCats go 18-7 in the month of June and surge into first place in the Northern League by June 15. Left-handed starter Jeremy Plexico carries the RailCats' staff through the month, going 4-0 with a 2.03 ERA and earning Northern League Pitcher of the Month honors. July 2008 Eleven RailCats players and the entire RailCats coaching staff - Manager Greg Tagert, Hitting Coach Kenny Graham and Pitching Coach Jamie Bennett - are named to the Chicagoland All-Star Team. Second baseman Eric McNamee, third baseman Tanner Townsend and centerfielder Rob Marconi are selected as starters, joining Steve Haake, Jay Pecci, Brett Wallace, Mike Rohde, Nate Hoelscher, Jeremy Plexico, Kai Tuomi and Tony Cogan on the team. On July 9 in Winnipeg, RailCats dominate the Northern League All-Star Game, leading the Chicagoland club to a 6-5 win. Jay Pecci homered and is named the game's Most Valuable Player, starting pitcher Jeremy Plexico earned start and the win and Nate Hoelscher picks up the save. The trio are the first three to accomplish any of those feats in an All-Star game. Slumping though much of July, the RailCats are in need of a win July 29 when they start a six-game road trip in Winnipeg. After falling behind 9-1 entering the sixth inning, the RailCats launched three home runs - including Mike Reese's heart-stopping go-ahead blast in the eighth - to give the RailCats a magical 14-10 win, capping the largest comeback in franchise history. The 'Cats go on to win all six games on their road trip to solidify a playoff spot. August 2008 Spurned by the comeback win in Winnipeg, the RailCats complete a 6-0 road trip through Canada and Kansas City, then rattle off three more wins to set a team-record for consecutive victories at nine. The RailCats win a team-record 22 times in August (going 22-7), including eight straight to end the year, and make the playoffs for the fourth year in a row. The RailCats finish the season with 56 wins, the second-highest total in team history, and enter the playoffs as the second seed, securing home field advantage in the first round. The RailCats also break several offensive team records in August - 24 in total - and lead the Northern League in hitting for the first time ever. The 'Cats set a league record with 1,057 hits, batting .307 as a team to better the previous club record by more than 30 points. The litany of individual single-season team records set includes hits (Jay Pecci, 115), home runs (Cristian Guerrero, 16) and runs batted in (Tanner Townsend, 84). September 2008 The RailCats begin the Northern League Playoffs September 2 at U. S. Steel Yard, taking the opening game of a best-of-five series, 7-4 over Winnipeg, but the Goldeyes come back to even the series at a game apiece with a 7-6 win the next night. Now in Winnipeg, the RailCats get a brilliant complete game pitching performance from Tony Cogan in game three of the series on September 5, moving to the precipice of another championship series berth. The next day, the RailCats trail 2-1 into the ninth inning when Jay Pecci blasts a dramatic two-run home run to give the RailCats the lead and eventually a 3-2 win over Winnipeg, catapulting the 'Cats to the Championship Series for the fourth year in a row under Manager Greg Tagert. The RailCats and upstart Kansas City T-Bones start the Northern League Championship Series on September 9 in Kansas City, and Cristian Guerrero hits a pair of home runs to power the 'Cats to a 7-6 win. The T-Bones will win the next three games, however, celebrating their first league championship September 16 after the series was delayed three days by heavy rains and flooding in Northwest Indiana. Several RailCats pick up postseason awards, including Tanner Townsend and Jeremy Plexico, who are named the league's Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year, respectively. Townsend is the first RailCats player to be so honored, while Plexico made it back-to-back pitcher of the year awards for the RailCats, following Willie Glen in 2007. Townsend and Plexico are joined by Jay Pecci on the Northern League's Full-Season All-Star Team, and Mike Rohde is named the Northern League Rookie of the Year. On September 17, Vice President & General Manager Bill Terlecky announces his resignation to assume a similar role with an expansion franchise in the Frontier League. Terlecky is replaced by Roger Wexelberg, who had served as the RailCats General Manager from their inception until 2006. Wexelberg takes over as the team's President and General Manager. October 2008 Tanner Townsend and Jeremy Plexico are named to Baseball America’s All-Independent Teams, becoming just the third and fourth RailCats (Wes Chamberlain, 2003 & Willie Glen, 2007) to be so honored. Townsend is named the First Team third baseman, while Plexico lands on the Second Team. December 2008 Tanner Townsend, the RailCats all-time leader in home runs, RBIs and runs scored, and the 2008 Northern League Player of the Year, has his contract sold to the Florida Marlins. Townsend, who played for the RailCats from 2005-08, is the 18th player contract the RailCats have sold to a Major League organization since 2002. February 2009 On February 20, the RailCats hold their first-ever Fan Fest, a one-of-a-kind minor league baseball event that draws more than 1,000 ravenous ‘Cats fans to the Radisson Hotel in Merrillville despite a winter snowstorm. The Fan Fest featured several current and former RailCats starts along with major league legend Tommy John. May 2009 On May 12, during the exhibition season, the RailCats play a college team – Valparaiso University – for the first time in franchise history. The game is played for charity, with proceeds benefiting Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest Indiana, and the ‘Cats pick up a win, 2-1 on a walk-off single. July 2009
On July 3 Kelly Scurlock made RailCats history as the one millionth fan
to watch a ‘Cats game at U. S. Steel Yard.
Scurlock is presented with an honorary number “one million” jersey and
wins free season tickets for the 2010 season during a pregame ceremony. July – August 2009 The RailCats win a franchise-record 12 consecutive home games at U. S. Steel Yard, a streak that lasts from July 13 – August 14, and helps vault the ‘Cats into first place in the league. The RailCats finish the year an astounding 34-14 at home, by far the best record of any NL team and the top home mark in team history. August 2009 The RailCats finish the regular season with the league’s best record (57-39) and advance to the Northern League playoffs as the league’s top seed for the second time in the last three years. The ‘Cats run to the top is especially remarkable considering the club was only 17-21 on June 25, closing the year by winning 40 of their final 58 games. September 2009
Tony Cogan is brilliant in two starts, including the decisive fifth
game, as the RailCats advance to the Northern League Championship Series for
the fifth year in a row by ousting the Kansas City T-Bones three games to two. The ‘Cats win the decisive game on September
6 by a 5-2 score. November 2009 The RailCats hold their first-ever turkey giveaway, passing out 450 birds to needy families in Gary just before Thanksgiving. February 2010 Fan Fest returns for a second winter on February 21, and it’s even bigger than in 2009. The rooms are bigger, the crowd is larger, former Major Leaguers Tommy John and Wallace Johnson both attend, and the RailCats shock the crowd by announcing the re-signing of pitcher Willie Glen during the closing ceremonies. September 2010 RailCats secured Tagert's 15th consecutive winning season as an independent league manager and qualify for unprecedented sixth straight playoffs before falling to eventual champion Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks in the first round of the playoffs. October 2010 The RailCats and three other NL teams are welcomed into the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball. The 14 team league will be comprised of three divisions with the division winners and one wild card advancing to the playoffs. |
 |
U.S. Steel Yard | One Stadium Plaza | Gary, IN 46402 © 2012 SouthShore Baseball, LLC | All Rights Reserved |
 |