Friday, September 18, 2009

A BIG DAY FOR ERIC GAGNE AND MILES WOLFF

The ups and downs in baseball are something we are never going to figure out.

The last time these fingers discussed former Cy Young Award winner Eric Gagne's comeback effort in the Can-Am League it definitely looked like a downhill story. Then Thursday night, right after we had finished our weekly Independent Baseball Insider column, all Gagne did was lift the Quebec Capitales to within one victory of the league championship.

Gagne obviously was at the top of his game, thrilling 5,011 of his French-speaking fans with a complete-game six-hitter in which he walked only one and struck out eight as Quebec dispatched Worcester, MA, 5-1. The Capitales were to take a 2-1 series advantage into Game 4 before their home fans Friday night.

PROUD DAY FOR THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION

Since Miles Wolff is commissioner of both the Can-Am League and the American Association, it is difficult to imagine he could have had a better day all-around than Thursday. That postseason crowd of 5,011 in Quebec had to put a little extra gingle in his walk, doubly so since he is the owner of the team.

Then two pitchers who started their pro career in the American Association early this summer signed with major league organizations for what is believed to be well over a combined $4 million.

Aaron Crow, who had pitched at Fort Worth, TX, got what MLB.com scribe Dick Kaegel estimated was a guaranteed $3 million plus incentives for a three-year major league deal with Kansas City. Tanner Scheppers, who worked for St. Paul, MN, got a reported $1.25 million for his deal with Texas, and may be invited to major league spring training.

Not bad.


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