#14: Pedro Liriano - 2001
Each Wednesday timberrattlers.com will countdown the top 20 seasons by a Timber Rattler until #1 is revealed on August 29th. This week: #14
Pedro Liriano 2001
.326 batting average, 76 runs, 144 hits, 28 doubles, 3 triples, 4 home runs, 47 rbi's, 65 stolen bases
The third straight second baseman to make the list, Liriano was signed as a free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 1999. His professional debut would be an impressive one, as Liriano would hit .400 for the 2000 Arizona Mariners in 170 at bats. He would show his speed by hitting 15 doubles and stealing 18 bases in 43 games. He was rewarded with a late season promotion to Everett, where he would play in four games.
Those would be the only games that Liriano would play for the AquaSox, as he would open the 2001 season as the starting second baseman for the Timber Rattlers. Pedro was one of seven Rattlers to be selected to appear in the Midwest League All Star Game, hosted by Dayton. Liriano played on an Western Division team that featured Quad Cities' Justin Morneau and Kane County's Miguel Cabrera. Even though Pedro's .326 batting average didn't lead the team (John Castellano hit .334), it's still the the third highest in team history. His 65 stolen bases were thirteen more the previous team record, set by Ramon Valera in 1998, and nobody has come within 25 steals of the record since.
The following season, Liriano had prolonged trouble getting back into the US due to Visa troubles stemming from the security crackdown after 9/11. The Mariners eventually would release him and Liriano never got much more of a chance to play in the United States.
Previously on the countdown: