Waldorf, Md. – The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs have announced their signing of a pair of newcomers, Tony Thomas and Rubi Silva, both of whom played pivotal roles in getting their respective teams to the ALPB Championship Series in 2018.
The 32-year-old Thomas is only getting better with age, entering his 13th professional season the outfielder is fresh off the two most powerful years of his career. He’s always had some serious pop in his bat considering he’s smacked 10+ home runs in eight different seasons, which is no small feat. However, in each of his past two seasons he’s bested his previous career high for home runs with 17 in 2017, and 25 in 2018.
This power was put to the ultimate test in 2018, a test he passed with flying colors when he did what most professional baseball players could only dream of doing. In the final game of the 2018 Liberty Division Championship Series, the semifinals of the ALPB playoffs, Thomas hit an extra-inning walk-off grand slam to send the Sugar Land Skeeters to the ALPB Championship Series, a series they would win. Thomas played college ball at Florida State, and in his Junior year he led the NCAA in runs, doubles, and total bases, and posted an incredible ACC best .430 batting average. That season he was an NCAA Consensus All-American and was named National Player of the Year by Collegiate Baseball and Rivals.com. If this isn’t enough excitement, he’s also followed on Twitter by Barack Obama.
Rubi Silva wore many hats in 2018, literally. He played on four different teams while working his way up the Independent ball ranks. After beginning the season with the York Revolution of the ALPB, he moved to the Canadian-American Association to play for the Sussex County Miners. Despite playing just 28 games for the Miners, Silva made the most of it and earned Can-Am Player of the Week honors in late June. He then made the move to the American Association to play for the Chicago Dogs, a squad coached by current Blue Crabs manager Stan Cliburn. He then came full circle and returned to the highest level of Independent ball, the ALPB, to finish the season with the Long Island Ducks. In the final game of the Freedom Division Championship Series, Silva struck first with an RBI single in the second inning that would prove to be the difference maker. That punched the Ducks’ ticket to the Atlantic League Championship Series where they faced off against Tony Thomas and the Sugar Land Skeeters.
The speedy outfielder’s career began in the Cuban National Series, a league he led in triples in the 2008-2009 season. Silva, a former teammate of Kris Bryant’s, was then picked up by the Chicago Cubs organization in 2011 and would stay in the system through 2015. Rubi has accumulated an impressive .279 career average in his ten professional seasons.
“I’m looking forward to this season, it’s a great group of guys,” said Thomas. “I want to say thank you to the Blue Crabs for the opportunity in 2019,” said Silva.
The team opens the 2019 season on May 3rd at home against the Lancaster Barnstormers. To save your seat at the ballpark for the upcoming season and other team news, visit www.somdbluecrabs.com or call 301-638-9788.