The Gary SouthShore RailCats are a professional baseball team based in

Gary, Indiana Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city has been historically dominated by major industrial activity and is home to U.S. Steel's Gary Works, the largest steel mill complex in North America. Gary is located along the sou ...

, in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. The RailCats are members of the

American Association of Professional Baseball The American Association of Professional Baseball is an independent professional baseball league founded in 2005. It operates in the central United States and Canada, mostly in cities not served by Major League Baseball teams or their minor lea ...

, an official Partner League of

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

. The RailCats started as a member of the Northern League in 2002, operating as a travel team for a season before moving in to U.S. Steel Yard in 2003, where they have played since. In 2011, the team became a member of the modern American Association. During their time in the Northern League, the RailCats were the only team to ever reach the championship series five years in a row (2005–2009). The RailCats won Northern League championships in 2005 and 2007, and the American Association championship in 2013.

History

Inception (2001)

On January 23, 2001, the Northern League announced that it had awarded a franchise to Northwest Sports Ventures, LLC. In June, a

limited liability company A limited liability company (LLC for short) is the US-specific form of a private limited company. It is a business structure that can combine the pass-through taxation of a partnership or sole proprietorship with the limited liability of ...

by the name of Victory Sports Group was officially registered in

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

, led by Michael A. Tatoian. The city signed a fifteen-year lease with the team ownership for the future baseball stadium. In September 2001, the team was officially named the Gary SouthShore RailCats, drawing its name from both the city's deep history of freight lines and the

South Shore Line The South Shore Line is an electrically powered interurban commuter rail line operated by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) between Millennium Station in downtown Chicago and the South Bend International Airport ...

commuter train (visible over the left field wall at the stadium).

Northern League (2002–2010)

With stadium construction behind schedule, the RailCats were forced to play their first season entirely on the road. The city of Gary paid a financial penalty for failure to complete the stadium on time, which helped finance their season. The RailCats traveled approximately to play 90 games. Despite this, the club won 35 games, the most ever by a team that played exclusively on the road, and RailCats manager Joe Calfapietra was named the Northern League Manager of the Year. In 2002, the RailCats signed a ten-year naming rights agreement with

United States Steel Corporation United States Steel Corporation, more commonly known as U.S. Steel, is an American integrated steel producer headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with production operations primarily in the United States of America and in several countries ...

for the stadium. Joe Calfapietra resigned as manager citing that he wanted to be closer to home. The RailCats hired former major league All-Star

Garry Templeton Garry Lewis Templeton (born March 24, 1956) is an American former professional baseball player and minor league manager. He played as a shortstop in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres, and New York Mets from 1976 t ...

to manage the team. The RailCats were little more than a pushover, firmly stuck in last place. Garry Templeton returned as coach for another season leading the Cats in their worst season in 2003. In June, they had a 14-game losing streak which was the longest in Northern League history. They completed the season in last place again securing the record for the most losses for a season in Northern League history. Templeton was not retained for the next season. Before the 2005 season, the RailCats hired

Greg Tagert Greg Tagert (born January 5, 1963) is a professional baseball manager and coach. He's most notable as manager for the Gary SouthShore RailCats of the American Association of Professional Baseball, a position he held from 2005 until leaving on Febr ...

as manager. Tagert made a number of roster changes, and turned the RailCats from losers to winners almost immediately, ending the first half with a .563 average, the first winning average in team history. The Northern League All-Star Game was held at U.S. Steel Yard. The second half went the same as the first but ended with an upset victory making the worst team in 2004, the 2005 champions. The RailCats beat the

Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks are a professional minor-league baseball team based in Fargo, North Dakota, in the United States. The RedHawks are members of the American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major Leagu ...

to win the title. Tagert returned as manager in 2006. The Cats were first in their division, second overall for the season. They returned to the championship series to face the RedHawks again. This time losing the title. Tagert returned for the 2007 season. He proved that he could make the RailCats a legacy team. The RailCats appeared unstoppable all season. Winning first place both halves. The RailCats made it to the championship series against the

Calgary Vipers The Calgary Vipers were a professional baseball team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They were part of the Western Division of the independent North American League. The Vipers played all of their home games at Foothills Stadium. Previously, ...

and won their second league title. Prior to the 2008 season, the Cats signed Tagert to an extended contract to keep him at least until the completion of the 2010 season. Lawyer Patrick A. Salvi and his wife, Lindy, purchased the RailCats. The league contracted to six teams. Due to the size, the league opted to have a single-division full season. Tagert again led the Cats in a winning season, ending in second place. They lost the championship series to the fourth-place

Kansas City T-Bones The Kansas City Monarchs are a professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Kansas. Formerly known as the Kansas City T-Bones, they are members of the American Association of Professional Baseball; which, in 2020, became designated as a Majo ...

, who beat the first place RedHawks in the playoffs to make it to the series. The Cats ended the 2009 season in first place, yet again, and made it to the championship season for the fifth-straight season, but lost to the RedHawks. The 2010 Cats finished in fourth place in the Northern League, their worst place finish in five years. For the first time since 2004, the RailCats did not reach the championship series, being swept by the RedHawks in the league semifinals.

American Association (2011–present)

On October 13, 2010, the RailCats left the Northern League, along with the RedHawks, T-Bones, and the

Winnipeg Goldeyes The Winnipeg Goldeyes are a minor-league baseball team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Goldeyes play in the American Association of Professional Baseball, which they joined in 2011. Previously, the Goldeyes were members of the Norther ...

to join the

American Association American Association may refer to: Baseball * American Association (1882–1891), a major league active from 1882 to 1891 * American Association (1902–1997), a minor league active from 1902 to 1962 and 1969 to 1997 * American Association of Profe ...

for the 2011 season. In 2020, the RailCats were not selected as one of six teams to participate in a condensed American Association season as a result of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

. They went on hiatus for the 2020 season, and returned to play in 2021. After finishing in last place in the North Division with a 39-61 record in 2021, Greg Tagert left the organization after 17 years to join the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...

organization.

Season-by-season records

Playoffs

*2005 season: Defeated

St. Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

3–2 in semifinals; defeated Fargo-Moorhead 3–2 to win championship *2006 season: Defeated Schaumburg 3–2 in semifinals; lost to Fargo-Moorhead 3–1 in championship *2007 season: Defeated

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749, ...

3–2 in semifinals; defeated Calgary 3–2 to win championship *2008 season: Defeated

3–1 in semifinals; lost to Kansas City 3–1 in championship *2009 season: Defeated Kansas City 3–2 in semifinals; lost to Fargo-Moorhead 3–1 in championship *2010 season: Lost to Fargo-Moorhead 3–0 in semifinals *2013 season: Defeated Fargo-Moorhead 3–1 in semifinals; defeated Wichita 3–1 to win championship *2017 season: Lost to Wichita 3–0 in semifinals *2018 season: Lost to

3–1 in semifinals

Roster

Notable alumni

:''Source:''All-Time Roster
/ref> *

Adron Chambers Adron Lamar Chambers (born October 8, 1986) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals from 2011 to 2013. Early life Prior to playing professionally, Chambers atten ...

(2016) *

Ben Risinger Benjamin Risinger, (born 25 November 1977 in Perth, Western Australia) is an Australian professional baseball player. Early Career Risinger played for the Australian entry that won Bronze at the 1995 World Junior Baseball Championship. He made h ...

(2005) * Brad Halsey (2010) *

Brad Voyles Bradley Roy Voyles (born December 30, 1976) is a former professional baseball pitcher who played for three seasons. He pitched in 40 games for the Kansas City Royals from 2001 to 2003. Voyles attended Luxemburg-Casco High School in Luxemburg, W ...

(2008) *

Bubba Carpenter Charles Sydney "Bubba" Carpenter (born July 23, 1968) is a former Major League Baseball player. He was an outfielder and designated hitter for the Colorado Rockies in the 2000 season. He attended college at the University of Arkansas and is 6 fo ...

(2002-2003) *

Clay Zavada Clay Pflibson Zavada (born June 28, 1984) is a former professional baseball pitcher who pitched in Major League Baseball for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2009. He is noted for his Rollie Fingers moustache. Early career Zavada attended Illinois V ...

(2013) *

Evan Marzilli Evan Daniel Marzilli (born March 13, 1991) is an American former professional baseball center fielder. He was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 8th round of the 2012 Major League Baseball draft. Amateur career Marzilli attended Bishop H ...

(2019) *

Howard Battle Howard Dion Battle (born March 25, 1972) is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball. Battle spent parts of three seasons in the majors with the Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an Am ...

(2003) *

James Parr James Parr may refer to: * James Parr (baseball) (born 1986), American baseball player * James Parr (politician) (1869–1941), New Zealand lawyer and politician * Jim Parr James Gordon Parr (May 26, 1927 – April 5, 2000) was an English-Ca ...

(2014) * Jarrod Patterson (2007) * Jermaine Allensworth (2006-2007) *

Jim Crowell James Everette Crowell (born May 14, 1974) is an American former professional baseball pitcher, who has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds (), Philadelphia Phillies (), and Florida Marlins (). Crowell attended Valparai ...

(2007) * Jorge de León (2016-2018) *

Masato Fukae Masato Fukae (深江真登, born September 5, 1987, in Sagamihara) is a Japanese people, Japanese former professional baseball outfielder. He previously played in Nippon Professional Baseball for the Orix Buffaloes from 2011 to 2013. External l ...

(2016) *

Mitch Glasser Mitchell Emri Glasser (born October 15, 1989) is an American-Israeli baseball player who is a free agent. He also plays for the Israel National Baseball Team. In high school, Glasser was Illinois Independent School League MVP as a senior. A ...

(2018) * Nathan Haynes (2006) *

Onan Masaoka Onan Kainoa Satoshi Masaoka (born October 27, 1977) is an American baseball pitcher who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1999 and 2000. Drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 3rd round of the 1995 MLB amateur draft, Masaoka made his Maj ...

(2009) *

Randall Simon Randall Carlito Simon (born May 25, 1975) is a Curaçaoan former professional baseball first baseman. He has played all or parts of eight seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), LVBP and one in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) between 1997 a ...

(2010) * Rico Washington (2011-2012) *

Tim Byrdak Timothy Christopher Byrdak (born October 31, 1973) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He has pitched for the Kansas City Royals, Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros and New York Mets of Major League Baseball (ML ...

(2003) *

Tim Sauter Tim Sauter (born October 13, 1964) is an American race car driver. He has competed in the American Speed Association, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, the Busch Series, and the Winston Cup Series. He is the son of Jim Sauter (racing driver), J ...

(2005) *

Tony Cogan Anthony Michael Cogan (born December 21, 1976) is a retired American professional baseball pitcher. He played part of one season in Major League Baseball in 2001 for the Kansas City Royals. Cogan, who has been listed as 6' 2", bats and throws le ...

(2007-2009) *

Trey Beamon Clifford "Trey" Beamon (born February 11, 1974) is an American former professional baseball player. He spent three seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a left fielder and right fielder. Beamon bats from the left side, throws with his right ...

(2004) * Wes Chamberlain (2003) *

Yasutomo Kubo Yasutomo Kubo (久保康友, born August 6, 1980 in Kashihara, Nara) is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher. He previously played for the Chiba Lotte Marines from 2005 to 2008, the Hanshin Tigers from 2009 to 2013, and the Yokohama ...

(2018) * Zach McClellan (2010)

Retired numbers

References

;Specific ;General
nlfan.com
– yearly league standings and awards

External links

*
RailCats page on ''OurSports Central''nlfan.com RailCats Guide
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gary Southshore Railcats Sports in Gary, Indiana American Association of Professional Baseball teams Professional baseball teams in Indiana Northern League (baseball, 1993–2010) teams Baseball teams established in 2001 Baseball teams in Chicago 2001 establishments in Indiana