Reliever and catcher added to roster
(Central Islip, N.Y., April 3, 2014) – The Long Island Ducks today announced the signings of pitcher Saul Rivera and catcher Brian Peacock. Rivera begins his first season with the Ducks and third in the Atlantic League while Peacock makes his Atlantic League debut.
“Both players have a great deal of experience in professional baseball,” says Ducks president and general manager Michael Pfaff. “Saul has excelled as a pitcher at every level, and Brian has displayed excellent defense behind the plate throughout his career.”
Rivera spent four seasons at the Major League level with the Washington Nationals and one with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He made his big league debut on May 25, 2006 with Washington and earned a hold in an 8-5 win over the Houston Astros. The Puerto Rico native went on to finish that year with a perfect 3-0 record, a 3.43, one save and 41 strikeouts in 54 games. In 249 Major League games, he has a 13-15 record with a 4.29 ERA, four saves and 192 strikeouts.
The 36-year-old spent the 2012 season with the Sugar Land Skeeters in the Atlantic League. He compiled a 2-0 record with a 2.20 ERA and one save in 18 games. The year prior, the righty appeared in 28 games with the Road Warriors. He has spent time with six Major League organizations (Twins, Mets, Brewers, Expos/Nationals, Indians and Diamondbacks) throughout 14 seasons of professional baseball. In 432 minor league games (two starts), he is 38-31 with a 3.03 ERA, 87 saves and 605 strikeouts in 611 and one-third innings. Rivera was originally drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the ninth round of the 1998 amateur draft.
Peacock has played eight seasons of professional baseball, spending seven years with the Washington Nationals organization and one with the Cincinnati Reds. He has a career batting average of .240 with 35 home runs, 187 RBI, 94 doubles and 11 triples in 503 games. Defensively, the Florida native has a .989 career fielding percentage and has thrown out 32 percent of base stealers.
The 29-year-old’s best season overall came in 2006 with Savannah (A, Nationals). That year, he totaled 12 homers, 42 RBI, 15 doubles and two triples en route to being named a South Atlantic League All-Star. In 2012, the backstop batted .257 with two homers, 16 RBI and seven doubles in 57 combined games at the Double-A and Triple-A level with the Reds. Peacock was originally drafted by the Montreal Expos in the 39th round of the 2004 amateur draft.
The Long Island Ducks are members of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball and play their home games at Bethpage Ballpark. For further information, call (631) 940-DUCK or visit www.liducks.com.
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