LEAGUE NEWS: RailCats Catcher Signs With Royals Curry spent the 2006 season with the RailCats and was selected as a starting catcher in the Northern League All-Star Game. He played in 77 of the RailCats 97 games, batting .285 with six home runs and 32 runs batted in. Curry also started seven of the RailCats nine playoff games at catcher. “This is a big part of what RailCats baseball is all about,” said Bill Terlecky, RailCats Vice President & General Manager. “Chris Curry had an excellent year with the RailCats in 2006, and now he is a member of the Kansas City Royals organization. Our ability to provide our players with the opportunity to earn a job with a major league organization is something we are very proud of, and it is a continual process. It is part of the role of the Northern League.” Curry will try to become the second former RailCats player to jump all the way to the major leagues. Tim Byrdak, who played with the RailCats in 2003, has played for the Baltimore Orioles over each of the last two seasons. The RailCats retain the Northern League rights to Curry and he could return to the RailCats roster should he fail to earn a roster spot with one of the Royals’ minor league affiliates. Previously, the following players were sold by the RailCats to major league organizations: Pitchers Justin Craker, Tim Byrdak, Sazi Guthrie, Jake Upwood (all purchased by the San Diego Padres), Dominic Woody (purchased by Seattle Mariners), P. J. Connelly (purchased by Los Angeles Angels), and pitcher Ivan Hernandez (purchased by New York Yankees); catchers Carlos Pagan (purchased by the Seattle Mariners), Rich Rodrigues (purchased by Los Angeles Angels), C.J. Medlin (purchased by the Milwaukee Brewers), and Jose Yepez (purchased by Seattle Mariners); infielder Ben Risinger (purchased by San Diego Padres); and outfielders Nathan Haynes (purchased by Los Angeles Angels) and Todd Martin (purchased by Cleveland Indians). |