YORK -- Slugging first baseman Chris Nowak, York's single-season home run champion, and pitchers Chris Cody and Shaun Garceau have re-signed with the Revolution, the team announced on Monday.
Nowak established a new club record for home runs in a season last year, blasting 25 homers in only 84 games. His home run total tied for third most in the Atlantic League; while he ranked second in the league in batting with a .330 average. He also led the league by a wide margin with a team-record .646 slugging percentage.
The 29-year-old Nowak was originally a 19th-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Rays in 2004 and is a career .289 hitter.
“I’m happy that we’re able to bring back these three players who did a lot for us last season,” said Revolution manager Andy Etchebarren in a statement. “Nowak had one of the best offensive seasons in the league last year. Cody throws strikes, keeps hitters off-balance, and was really solid for us. Garceau has tremendous stuff and is a good, versatile guy to have on our staff, being able to start or pitch in relief.”
Cody went 9-5 with a 4.39 ERA in 18 starts in a Revolution uniform, walking just 19 while striking out 78 in 104.2 innings and earned a contract with the Atlanta Braves organization. He continued that success at Double-A Mississippi, going 3-1 with a 3.46 ERA in six starts, and notching a complete game victory on September 1 at Carolina.
The left-handed Cody, 28, was an eighth-round draft pick of the Detroit Tigers in 2006.
Garceau went 4-9 with a 5.45 ERA in 2011; however, he was much better during the second half of the season. He enjoyed the best month of July in team history; posting a 1.71 ERA in eight games (three starts) and combined to go 2-0 with a 1.70 ERA from June 29 through August 10. Garceau came within two outs of a complete game shutout on August 10 in a 4-1 win at Camden. Two starts later, he did go the distance in just the second complete game shutout in Revs history, a four-hit, nine-strikeout effort against the Road Warriors on August 20.
Garceau enters his seventh pro season in 2012. He spent his first five seasons in the St. Louis Cardinals organization, reaching Double-A Springfield in 2010.
Information used in this story was provided by the York Revolution.
