GARY SOUTH SHORE RAILCATS MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 3, 2017
Contact: Dan Vaughan
Phone: (817) 739-3693
[email protected]
 

GARY, IN –The Gary South Shore RailCats and the American Association of Professional Baseball jointly announced today that the Minnesota Twins have purchased the contract of Catcher Jose Gonzalez. Gonzalez becomes the 25^th RailCat to have his contract picked up by an affiliated organization since 2002.

Jose Gonzalez finished his 11^th season in pro ball this past season with the Gary, where he played in 64 games on the South Shore. A strong defensive catcher Gonzalez threw out 34% of base runners in 2016 gunning down 24 in 47 attempts. At the plate the native of Caracas, Venezuela, hit .232 with four home runs and 21 RBI’s for the RailCats. Following his American Association season Gonzalez played winter ball in his native Venezuela hitting .174 in 23 games for the Los Tiburones de La Guaira helping the club to a first round playoff series win over Caribes de Anzoategui.

The RailCats originally signed Gonzalez on March 17^th of 2016 following his 2015 season where he was with the St. Lois Cardinals organization at both A and AA for the birds. Gonzalez gunned down an impressive 19 runners in 32 stolen base attempts at both stops in 2015 for 59% caught stealing percentage. For his career Gonzalez has retired 284 runners in 642 attempts in 594 games for a .44% caught stealing percentage.

Gonzalez was a free agent signing by the Colorado Rockies in 2006 and spent eight years in the organization making a steady climb up the ranks reaching AAA in 2013. In 2014 after being released by the Rockies, Gonzalez landed with the Southern Illinois Miners of the Frontier League. His stay was short with the Miners as he was once again signed by the Rockies on 6/10/14 after playing in just 15 games and hitting .225. Gonzalez was assigned to AA Tulsa where he played 25 games hitting .238 with a homer and three RBI but once again saw action at AAA Colorado Springs playing in two games going 2 for 4.

2017 will mark the 16^th season of RailCats Baseball in Northwest Indiana and the club will also celebrate 15 years playing at their current home “The Steel Yard”. Season tickets are now on sale as well as sponsorship opportunities for the 2017 RailCats season. Visit RAILCATSBASEBALL.COM or call (219) 882-2255 for more information.