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Long Island Adds Power to 2010 Squad
(Central Islip, N.Y., March 5, 2010) –The Long Island Ducks today announced the signings of outfielder Matt Esquivel and infielder Matt Padgett for the 2010 season. Both players enter their third season in the Atlantic League and first with the Ducks.
“Both Matt’s bring valuable experience to our team,” says Ducks manager Dave LaPoint. “Our lineup is beginning to take shape and I couldn’t be more excited.”
Last season, the 27-year-old Esquivel was a member of the York Revolution where he hit at a .259 clip while posting career-highs in home runs (21), runs scored (72) and stolen bases (21). The previous year, also with York, he finished the season with career-best marks in batting average (.294), hits (140), doubles (35), and triples (5).
The San Antonio, Texas native played six seasons in the Atlanta Braves organization prior to joining the Atlantic League, reaching as high as Double-A Mississippi. In 2003, he was among the league leaders with Danville of the Rookie-Level Appalachian League. He finished the season second in home runs (11), 4th in RBI (42), 4th in total bases (113), and 5th in slugging (.514), earning himself a trip to the league’s All-Star Game. Esquivel was originally drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 5th round of the 2001 amateur entry draft.
Padgett, a former Florida Marlins farmhand, hit .274 with seven home runs and 70 RBI in a career-high 132 games. He is entering his 12th season in professional baseball.
The 32-year-old’s best seasons came in 2004 and 2005 while in the Marlins organization. As a member of Triple-A Albuquerque, he posted career-highs in home runs (24) and RBI (93) in ’04 and followed that up with career-marks in hits (136), runs scored (71) to go along with a .296 average. Padgett spent time in the Phillies and Cubs organizations as well, reaching as high as Triple-A. The South Carolina native played his collegiate baseball at Clemson University, where he hit .376 and collected 14 home runs along with 58 RBI his final season. Padgett was originally drafted by the Marlins in the 5th round of the 1998 amateur entry draft.
The Long Island Ducks play their home games at Citibank Park in Central Islip, NY and are entering their 11th season of play in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. Through 10 seasons, the team has averaged 6,077 fans per game in their 6,002-seat park. For further information, visit www.liducks.com or call 631-940-DUCK.
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