Dodgers Grab Gulledge From Independent Ball

For the past few years Kelley Gulledge has been one of the top catchers in independent ball. Now, the Dodgers are giving him a chance, having picked him up from the Fort Worth Cats of the American Association.

Guelledge had a most productive year with the Cats in 2007, batting .302 with a team-leading 12 home runs. He drove in 51 despite playing in only 76 games, having missed three weeks of the season with an injury. This performance gained him a second-team berth on the All-Independent team selected by Baseball America.

In the playoffs, Gulledge had three home runs including a solo homer in Game 4 of the championship series against St. Paul, part of a 2-0 victory leading to the decisive, come-from-behind win in Game 5 the next day.

Before joining the Cats, Gulledge spent three years with Fargo-Moorhead of the Northern League, batting over .300 in each of those seasons.

He originally was a 10th-round draft choice of the Twins coming out of the University of Alabama in 2000. He rose to AA in their system before being released in 2003. He spent the rest of that year with the Rangers' Stockton team in the California League.

A righthanded hitter, Gulledge is 28 years old, 6-1, 200.