IT DOESN'T GET MUCH MORE DIRECT THAN THIS

It sometimes is a two-edged sword for Independent Baseball teams when major league organizations come calling about a player. They want the best for the player, but they also hate giving up someone who helping their team win.

Bridgeport, CT Manager Dave LaPoint got right to the point when discussing veteran major leaguer Donovan Osborne (1-0, 2.36) after the southpaw had hurled a complete-game four-hitter for the Atlantic League's Bluefish Sunday. He had retired the first 19 hitters he faced five days earlier.

"Sometimes he's a man against boys out there," LaPoint told The Connecticut Post's Rich Elliott. "I've had him for two years now (Long Island, NY part of 2005) and I don't understand why he's not helping the New York Mets right now or somebody like that because the guy can pitch."

For the record, Osborne, who turns 37 next month, has a 49-46 major league record, but last pitched in the bigs in 2004 when he was 2-0 with a 7.13 ERA in nine appearances, including two starts, for the New York Yankees.

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