Sand Gnats Ratliff Named SAL Player of Week

All-Star centerfielder Sean Ratliff has once again been named the South Atlantic League Player of the Week, the league office announced earlier today. The 22-year-old outfielder hit .364 (8-for-22) with three doubles, five home runs and 11 RBI from July 27-August 2. Ratliff is coming off a 17-game hitting streak in which he hit .383 (17-for-60) with five home runs, 17 RBI, six doubles, one triple and 13 runs scored. The Longmont, Colo. native had the streak snapped in Sunday afternoon’s rain-shortened win over the Hot Rods as he went 0-for-3 in the five-inning contest. His first Player of the Week honor came from April 27-May 3, when he hit .552 (16-for-29) with eight doubles, two home runs and six RBI. Ratliff is the first offensive player to receive the award twice in 2009 and joins West Virginia’s Rudy Owens as the only other player to receive the weekly award twice this season. On the year, Ratliff is hitting .282 with 14 home runs and 63 RBI. His home run and RBI totals both lead the squad while his 112 hits place him third on the circuit and his extra-base hits have him fourth (45). In other Gnats news, outfielder Evan LeBlanc was recalled from short-season Brooklyn LeBlanc will take the place of Rafael Fernandez, who was placed on the Savannah disabled list.