Indians & Carolina Mudcats Extend Working Agreement
CLEVELAND, OH – The Cleveland Indians today announced they have extended the Player Development Contract (PDC) with the Class-A Carolina Mudcats of the Carolina League for two additional years through the 2014 season.
The Indians Class-A Carolina League franchise is moving to Zebulon, North Carolina in 2012 after Mudcats ownership purchased the Kinston Indians and moved it Zebulon, which rests 20 miles east of Raleigh. The 2012 season not only marks the first season of the relationship between the Mudcats and Cleveland Indians, but it also begins the Carolina League era for Carolina, who spent the previous 21 seasons from 1991-2011 in the Double-A Southern League, most recently as the Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds (2009-2011).
Also the Cleveland Indians will travel from Goodyear, AZ to Zebulon, NC to play an exhibition game vs. the Carolina Mudcats on Tuesday, April 3 at 2:00 PM EDT in Five County Stadium. The contest will conclude the 2012 spring schedule prior to the official opening of the 2012 Championship Season on Thursday, April 5 when the Indians host the Toronto Blue Jays.
| SCOOTER TUCKER NAMED HITTING COACH AT CAROLINA SCOOTER TUCKER completes the Class-A Carolina Mudcats coaching staff as Hitting Coach for Manager EDWIN RODRIGUEZ. Former American League All-Star SCOTT ERICKSON (Pitching Coach) rounds out the staff. Tucker, 45, begins his first season in the Indians organization and has mainly worked in the private business sector since retiring as a player in 1996. He has been an associate scout of the New York Mets the last two years and was also the Bench Coach of the Pensacola Pelicans in 2007-08 of the independent American Association. Scooter played professionally for nine seasons from 1988-1996 and spent five seasons at the Triple-A level from 1992-96 in the San Francisco, Houston, Atlanta, Cleveland and KC Royals organizations. He was the 5th round pick of the SF Giants in 1988 out of Delta State University (MS) and was later selected off waivers in 1991 by Houston. He appeared in 51 games over three Major League seasons with Houston (1992-93, 1995) and Cleveland (1995) before concluding his playing career at Triple-A Omaha in 1996. He was acquired by Cleveland from Houston for LHP Matt Williams on May 15, 1995 and appeared in 17 games for the eventual AL Champions. |