Somerset Patriots Re-sign Jeff Nettles

Bridgewater–The five-time Atlantic League Champion Somerset Patriots have announced the re-signing of all-star third baseman Jeff Nettles.

Since joining Somerset in 2003, Nettles has been one of the top players in Patriots and Atlantic League history. Nettles is the Atlantic League all-time career leader in RBIs (594) and doubles (197), is second all-time in hits (928), home runs (145), at bats (3,218), and is third all-time in games (868) and runs (535). He is in line to become the career leader in each of those categories this season.

Nettles finished the 2011 season with a .266 average, 115 hits, 24 doubles, 15 home runs, and 72 RBIs in 120 games played.

He has helped the Patriots win three championships and is a two-time MVP of the championship series.

Nettles finished the 2010 season with a .299 batting average with 97 hits, 17 doubles, 12 home runs, and 52 RBIs in 82 games played. He missed just about the entire first half due to a broken hand he suffered when he was hit by a pitch on May 7.

Nettles finished the 2009 season with a .295 batting average with 148 hits, 29 doubles, 15 home runs, and 93 RBIs in 133 games played. More impressive was his MVP performance in the postseason, where he hit .281 with nine runs scored, three home runs, and seven RBIs.  

In 2007, Nettles led the Atlantic League in home runs with 19, RBIs with 60, slugging percentage with .679, and extra base hits with 37 when he was signed by the Kansas City Royals organization. Nettles played in 58 games for Wichita, the Royals Double-A affiliate in 2007 and finished with a .267 batting average, 24 runs scored, 59 hits, 14 doubles, eight home runs, and 41 RBIs.

He spent 2008 in Double-A in Bowie for the Baltimore Orioles organization, where he had a .253 batting average with 129 hits, 25 doubles, 24 home runs, and 78 RBIs in 134 games in an all-star season.

Nettles was among the Atlantic League leaders in 2006, finishing with a .277 batting average, 106 hits, 21 home runs, 26 doubles, and 69 RBIs in 101 games played. He finished the 2005 season with a .265 batting average, 133 hits, 36 doubles, 28 home runs, and 99 RBIs in 136 games played. Nettles finished the 2004 season with a .319 batting average, 145 hits, 23 doubles, 22 home runs, and 93 RBIs in 123 games for Somerset. He finished the 2003 season with a .286 batting average, 118 hits, 25 doubles, two triples, 13 home runs, and 56 RBIs in 117 games played for the Patriots.

Nettles has two seasons of Triple-A experience in the New York Yankees organization, where his father Graig Nettles spent 11 seasons of his 22-year Major League career.

The 2012 season will begin at home on Thursday, April 26 at 7:05 pm. For more information on the upcoming season, call 908-252-0700 or visit www.somersetpatriots.com.