Falcon Park II
Auburn New York

Home of the
Auburn Doubledays

NY-Penn League
(Short Season Single-A)
Just like 1995, the Doubledays featured one good starter and one good closer surrounded by a group of young pitchers who all struggled to keep their ERA’s under 5.00. Derek Dace would go 9-4 with a 3.25 ERA while closer Chris McFerrin went 4-2-20 Saves with a 1.71 ERA. Luis Yanez also pitched very well despite his even 5-5 record posting a 2.45 ERA and Jose Rijo’s son Jose Rijo Jr. was 1-3 with a 3.54 ERA out of the pen. Future Houston Astros’ Wade Miller made a brief appearance (2 games 1-1, 5.00 ERA) before going on to pitch brilliantly for 2 seasons for the Houston Astros (2001 - 16-8, 3.40; 2002 - 15-4, 3.28) before being haunted by a faulty rotator cuff which ultimately caused him to end his promising career prematurely. Up until this time, the Doubledays weren’t a playoff contender but they still featured several future up and coming Houston Astros. All that would change in 1997 and 1998 when two young prospects made their debuts and would spend 2 years pitching off this mound en route to stardom… and while it may be too early to tell as both are still thriving today, it is possible that each of this young stars has the potential to become the first Hall of Famers ever to play in Auburn in its history dating back to 1900.