Josh Pressley, one of the top players in Somerset Patriots team history, will sign a one-day contract on Aug. 9 in order to retire from baseball as part of the Patriots.
"My baseball career has taken me many places over the years, but my best memories come from my time spent with the Patriots," said Pressley. "Somerset became a home away from home, thanks to the front office staff and amazing fans. I will forever be grateful to (owner Steve) Mr. Kalafer, (president and general manager) Patrick McVerry, (former manager) Sparky Lyle and Brett Jodie for giving me the opportunity to be a part of the Patriot family."
Pressley played for the Patriots from 2007-2011 and helped the team win Atlantic League championships in 2008 and 2009. As one of the leaders in the clubhouse and on the field, Pressley saw the team make the post-season in all of his seasons except his final year with the team in 2011.
Pressley was the 2008 Atlantic League Player of the Year, finishing as the league’s batting champion with a .354 batting average. He also led the league in home runs with a Somerset Patriots record of 30.
Pressley also led the Atlantic League in hits with 173, on-base percentage with .440 and slugging percentage with .605. He was among the league leaders in RBI with 101 and extra base hits with 63.
Pressley finished his time in Somerset with a .308 batting average, 594 hits, 121 doubles, 96 home runs and 378 RBI in 545 games played. He moved on to play for the Sugar Land Skeeters in 2012 and 2013 to be closer to family.
"We wanted to bring Josh back home to the Patriots where we felt he belongs and want the last uniform he ever wears professionally to be ours," said Mr. McVerry. "Josh has meant so much to our organization and our fans that we wanted to do this to show how much he still means to our organization,"
Pressley will be officially activated and in uniform with Somerset one more time at the Saturday, Aug. 9, game at TD Bank Ballpark between the Patriots and the Skeeters.
The Patriots will honor Pressley for his service to the franchise in a pre-game ceremony beginning around 6:40 p.m. Bobbleheads of Josh Pressley as a Somerset Patriot will be available for $5.
The game features a post-game fireworks show presented by Bill Leary AC & Heating.
For tickets, stop by the ballpark, call 908-252-0700, or visit www.somersetpatriots.com.
