SOME PLAYERS CREATED THEIR OWN FIREWORKS BEFORE THE HOLIDAY

Here is hoping everyone gets to enjoy a fireworks show at a ballpark near home on this Fourth of July Weekend. Baseball does these events really well.

The Lincoln (NE) Saltdogs might have been expecting fireworks when Jarrett Gardner took the mound Tuesday at St. Paul, MN since he had hurled the franchise's first no-hit game his last time out, allowing only a single walk to El Paso and winning, 4-0. Gardner (5-3, 4.10) gave up seven hits and four runs against the Saints, leaving with one out in the seventh and a 6-4 lead. The Saltdogs' bullpen coughed up the lead, eventually losing 8-7 in the American Association battle.

GAGNE CONTINUES TO STRUGGLE

Longtime major league closer Eric Gagne probably would have traded places with Jarrett Gardner since he is continuing to struggle. Now 33 and trying to return to form as a starting pitcher, Gagne's earned run average for Quebec in the Can-Am League jumped to 10.80 when New Hampshire bombed him for 14 hits and nine runs (eight earned) in only five innings on Monday.

The most telling statistic may be that the once overpowering right-hander has only been able to strike out eight Can-Am League hitters in 20 innings covering four starts.

1,000-HIT MILESTONES

It is an understatement to say it takes a while to collect 1,000 professional hits, but the feat was accomplished twice in a short span in Independent Baseball.

Brockton, MA first baseman Clyde Williams achieved the feat in style when he slugged two home runs, scored four times and drove in five runs as the Rox routed the American Defenders of New Hampshire, 10-3. Saving the best for last, Williams blasted a towering three-run homer to cap off a 3-for-3 performance in a Can-Am League game.

Meanwhile, Gary, IN shortstop Jay Pecci's 1,000th hit (in only 1,024 games) landed behind the pitcher's mound against Northern League rival Kansas City, KS. Like Williams, Pecci got to enjoy his accomplishment in front of home fans.

AN EXCEPTIONAL MONTH

It is no wonder Wichita, KS outfielder Greg Porter was named American Association Player of the Month for June. He had 50 hits in a mere 27 games, good for a .481 average. Porter also drove in 21 runs, scored 23 times and had a blistering .571 on-base percentage.

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OUTSTANDING FEATS KEEP ON COMING

The great performances never end, and since we cannot get them all into our weekly Independent Baseball Insider this is the next best opportunity.

What a week Brockton, MA designated hitter Palmer Karr just finished in the Can-Am League. He homered in five consecutive games to lead the league with nine, and polished off all Batter of the Week competition by hitting .385 with nine RBI, lifting his season average to .318 and his second ranked slugging percentage to .626. Karr has traveled the Independent world, playing in Pensacola, FL and Fort Worth, TX (American Association) as well as Laredo, TX and Alexandria, LA in the United League. Alexandria is in the Continental League this season.

The Rox have not had a great season to date, but another outstanding individual contribution has been that of southpaw Craig Anderson, a frequent member of the Australian all-star teams. Anderson's 1.99 ERA leads the league, and he has won four of five decisions. He was in Baltimore's farm system the last three seasons.

WALK OFF SLAM

I believe many fans would agree that a walk-off grand slam is about as good as it gets although managers would rather win games in some easier fashion. Alberto Cruz went the slam route a couple of nights ago to lift Rio Grande Valley (Harlingen, TX) to a 6-5 United League triumph over Edinburg, TX.

TAIWAN CALLING

Atlantic League signings continue at a terrific pace--Independent signings, for that matter--, but not every one is to a major league organization. Mexico, Korea, Japan and Taiwan all continue to look for talent.

Lancaster, PA just lost closer Ryan Cullen to Taiwan. The lefty had worked in the Texas, Oakland and New York Mets farm systems, and he toted a 4-3 record, seven saves and a 2.08 earned run average off to his new opportunity.

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DAVID VS. GOLIATH ENDING TO ATLANTIC LEAGUE ALL-STAR GAME; GUESS WHO WON?

It was a storybook ending.

I am talking about Tuesday night's Atlantic League All-Star Game at Newark, NJ, and not at all about the celebrity softball game which preceeded the classic and featured show business star Queen Latifah and Hall of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith. That event was fun, too, as the crowd announced at 6,491 will attest.

I was so happy to have made the 90-minute trip, which primarily was for this week's Independent Baseball Insider column. It also provided a good opportunity to keep up with friends.

The storybook part did come at the expense of longtime major league closer Armando Benitez, who is trying to make his way back by playing for the host Newark Bears. Too bad, but I suppose there always must be a victim along with a hero. It was Benitez's turn to be the victim.

The host Freedom Division took a 5-3 lead into the top of the ninth inning.

A swinging bunt single and another misdeed on a grounder to third got the 36-year-old Benitez into trouble, as a number of major league scouts looked on and captured his fastball as high as 94 miles per hour.

With the tying runs eventually on third and second, the stage was set.

Up to the plate came Liberty Division second baseman Mike Just of division-leading Southern Maryland, who happens to be the only one of the 44 All-Star players who has not had professional experience above the Independent level.

Twenty-five-year-old Mike Just, a New Jersey resident no less (Woodcliff Lake), who has made his way through the Frontier League (River City, O'Fallon, MO in 2006), the Northern League (Fargo, ND, 2007) and last year played for the All-Star host Bears. But he has never been tabbed by a major league organization. He is listed at 5-foot-11, perhaps on tiptoes; Benitez looks every bit his 6-foot-5.

David vs. Goliath.

The count goes to 3-0, then a nifty slider makes Just look a bit overmatched. The right-handed hitter gets a little piece of the next offering. Full count.

Then Just made solid contact, shooting a hard smash just out of the reach of a diving shortstop Ramon Nivar, also of Newark.

Two runs score, tie game, 5-5. Bridgeport, CT third baseman Luis Lopez slaps another single to left, and Just scurries home. Jon Knott of Camden, NJ made Benetiz's night longer with a run-scoring double, setting what would be the final score at 7-5 for Butch Hobson's winning Liberty Division.

The MVP announcement came a moment later from Atlantic League Executive Director Joe Klein. It was Mike Just, the only player on the field who has not gotten beyond Independent Baseball to this point.

It was fitting and deserved.

We will have more on the All-Star Game, including Just's thoughts, in Thursday's Independent Baseball Insider column.

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BACK IN AFFILIATED LEAGUE, SHELDON HAS HIGH PRAISE FOR HIS INDEPENDENT EXPERIENCE

It is my solemn duty as a regular typist on the subject of Independent Baseball (i.e. Every Thursday's Independent Baseball Insider column as well as this blog) to suggest the story I am about to relate should be posted on every clubhouse bulletin board.

Ole Sheldon is a 26-year-old first baseman recently signed by his second major league organization. He was drafted in 2004 by the Houston Astros, and just had his contract purchased from the American Association's St. Paul (MN) Saints by the Cleveland Indians. As he was leaving the Saints he offered these thoughts:

"Playing with the Saints is the most fun I've had in baseball since my time at the University of Oklahoma and that includes my five years in the Astros organization. I can't say enough good things about the atmosphere with the Saints and playing for George (Tsamis). He makes you compete and I enjoyed the experience. On top of that, George helped me a lot in getting back to affiliated ball."

What a walking billboard for the Indy game. So many players have said the same thing in recent years. They genuinely enjoy the spirit of winning that goes on in the Independent world, and one can only hope everyone is treated as royally as Sheldon feels about his St. Paul experience.

By the way, this product of Roseburg, OR went 4-for-5 in only his third game in the Carolina League Sunday (Kinston, NC) with a double and two runs batted in. He is hitting .385 (5-for-13), after pounding away at a .340 clip with six homers and 19 RBI in 30 games for St. Paul.

THE YANKEE WHO GOT AWAY

Jonathan Poterson could not have been terribly happy when he left the New York Yankees organization three years after they tabbed him in the first round of the free agent draft (37th selection nationally). The switch-hitting first baseman-outfielder could not say he did not get an opportunity since he was in 215 games in five stops during his three years in which he only hit above .200 twice (.202 and .247). But, hey, he was barely 20 years old in that last season.

Poterson spent the next two summers in the independent Frontier League, hitting .231 and .215, respectively, for Chillicothe, OH, with 33 doubles and 12 home runs.

Now 23, could the pride of Gilbert, AZ be starting to put it together, much as champion Lucas Glover, Ricky Barnes and the comebacking David Duval did in the U.S. Open? Poterson has hit seven round-trippers in his last nine games for Rio Grande Valley (Harlingen, TX) of the United League, and in back-to-back games last weekend he homered on four consecutive at-bats. Playing third base for the first time in his professional career, Poterson is hitting .308 through the first 11 games with nine of his 12 hits for extra bases. He has driven in a dozen runs and, not surprisingly, sit atop the league with his seven home runs.

He still has time to continue maturing and heading up the baseball ladder.

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GAGNE, IRABU AND A WHOLE LOT MORE

Meanderings around the baseball universe while thinking about the future for Independent comebackers Eric Gagne and Hideki Irabu and what else will go into Thursday's Independent Baseball Insider column.

It will be interesting to see how many additional fannies they put into the seats in their next outings. Gagne's will come Friday night in Worcester, MA.

ANDY MC CAULEY'S THREE MAJOR LEAGUE HURLERS

I shortchanged Kansas City (KS) T-Bones Manager Andy McCauley recently. I was giving him credit for helping relievers Brad Ziegler (Schaumburg, IL to Oakland) and Travis Schlichting (T-Bones to Los Angeles Dodgers) reach the majors. It turns out R. J. Swindle, who pitched briefly for Philadelphia last season and has had a couple of stretches with Milwaukee in '09, also pitched for McCauley at Schaumburg. He and Ziegler were separated by a season on the Northern League team.

A NICE MILESTONE WHETHER 99 OR 100

Justin Knoff, a very capable pitcher and equally good guy on the starting staff of the Sussex (NJ) Skyhawks' defending Can-Am League champions, mentioned in a recent email that his teammate, DH/outfielder Jorge Moreno, was nearing his 100th career home run (not counting winter baseball). Knoff said Moreno had hit No. 99 the night before he went to the keyboard.

The only thing is, depending on the reliable work at Howesportsdata, that actually was No. 100 in a career that has been exclusively in Independent ranks since 2003. He has been at London (Canadian League), Lincoln, NE (Northern League at the time), Winnipeg (Northern) and Sioux City, IA (American Association). The most important thing, in Knoff's words, are "Jorge is a heck of a ballplayer and even better guy."

LOVING INGENUITY

As someone who has worked in the public relations world, I admire creativity. Therefore, I throw a bouquet in the direction of the York (PA) Revolution for devoting an entire media release to an opponent: The weatherman. It had rained on 13 of the first 18 home dates. The release went so far as to say "the likes of Reignman will not be granted entry to Sovereign Bank Stadium."

I do not believe the Atlantic League team has lost a home date to weather since.

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