Monday, December 30, 2013

COLABELLO NIXES KOREAN DEAL TO CONTINUE WITH TWINS BID PLUS OTHER COMINGS AND GOINGS

Both Chris Colabello and the Minnesota Twins seem to have a dilemma even though one potential hurdle has been resolved.

The Twins, according to multiple reports out of the Twin Cities area, have wanted the longtime Can-Am star to accept an offer from Korea that would have paid the first baseman-outfielder-DH nearly $1 million (some of it in a side deal) or twice the amount he will earn from the American League team if he can retain a spot on the 25-man roster when the regular season arrives.

Colabello prefers to stay in the U.S. and battle to establish himself as a major leaguer, we understand.

When this story broke recently, the Twins needed to open up a spot on their 40-man winter roster because of the signings of pitcher Mike Pelfrey and catcher Kurt Suzuki. That pair is on the 40-man now and Colabello still is there as well, at least for now.

Reading between the lines, we have to believe the Twins feel the seven-year Worcester, MA standout has to produce big time in spring training to make the Opening Day roster since he only hit .194 (160 at-bats) in the American League despite having a 31-homer season between the World Baseball Classic (Italy), Triple-A Rochester, NY (he was the International League’s MVP) and Minnesota (seven homers). If all the reports about Korea are accurate, Minnesota also might have gotten as much as $1 million for making Colabello available to the 10-team Korean Baseball Organization.

Colabello did not help his case by hitting only .190 with a mere two RBI (no homers) in his 17-game stint in the Dominican this offseason.

CAN-AM ALSO HAD RIGHT-HANDER KARL GELINAS FOR SEVEN YEARS, FIVE TITLES

The rarity of getting a major league organization deal after seven seasons in any Independent league cannot be overstated, but Chris Colabello does not stand alone in this regard.

Philadelphia is giving Quebec starter Karl Gelinas, who led the Can-Am with 10 victories last season, an opportunity in its farm system. Gelinas helped the Capitales to championships in each of the last five years, and totaled 41 wins in his seven seasons with the team.

ATLANTIC LEAGUE LEFTY GETS SPRING TRAINING INVITATION

Ryan Feierabend, who spent most of 2012 as a starting pitcher for the York (PA) Revolution of the Atlantic League (8-5, 2.91), has not only a second contract in the Texas Rangers organization but also a major league spring training invitation as a non-roster player. The 28-year-old southpaw was a combined 7-7 with about a 3.70 ERA with Texas’s top two farm clubs last season.

Feierabend has 19 major league starts (25 appearances) to his credit with Seattle spread from 2006 to 2008. The Mariners gave him $437,500 to sign in ’03 and they kept the Ohio native through the ’10 campaign.

Another lefty, Ryan Kulik, who struggled to a 2-11, 5.83 campaign this past summer with Camden, NJ (Atlantic) but was coming back from elbow surgery, has signed a Triple-A deal with Colorado. It is said to include a spring training invitation, but we are assuming for now that is a minor league invitation.

CANHAM INKS WITH NATS, GREG SMITH RETURNS TO PHILS

In other transactions of note, catcher Mitch Canham (Long Island, NY, Atlantic) has a new contract with the Washington Nationals farm system. He had been with Kansas City. Southpaw Greg Smith (Grand Prairie, TX, American Association) has returned to the Philadelphia organization (AAA) with a new contract. Outfielder Chris Edmondson, signed by Atlanta after a torrid start at Rockland County, NY (Can-Am) last summer, has been released by the Braves.


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Friday, December 20, 2013

YANKEES HIRE PATRICK OSBORN TO MANAGE A ROOKIE CLUB; URQUIDEZ, BURGAMY, FOX, EPPLEY ALSO IN THE NEWS

What great news to see that Patrick Osborn has been hired by the New York Yankees to manage one of their Gulf Coast League teams.

Osborn is one of most refreshing personalities I have met in Independent Baseball, and the fact he made a smooth transition from all-star third baseman to skilled manager at the age of 31 speaks volumes about his future. The onetime Florida Gators star (he hit .414 his final year with 17 homers and 76 RBI in 65 games) led the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs (Waldorf) to playoff berths in his two seasons of managing in the Atlantic League against very experienced competition.

Prior to replacing Butch Hobson with the Blue Crabs, Osborn starred for Southern Maryland for four seasons. He had gotten as high as Class AA in six seasons after Cleveland tabbed him in the second round of the ’02 free agent draft.

The Atlantic League now has at least two prominent jobs open. York, PA is seeking a pitching coach to replace John Halama, who reportedly is seeking a coaching opportunity with a major league organization.

URQUIDEZ PORTRAYING MARIANO IN MEXICAN LEAGUE; BURGAMY TOPS IN HOMERS

The Mexican League hardly equates to the American League, but Jason Urquidez, who is a free agent to the best of my knowledge, is making like Mariano Rivera with a 0.57 earned run average in that winter league. Urquidez, who was signed by the Los Angeles Angels out of Lancaster, PA in the Atlantic League last season, has 21 saves and a 2-0 record in 26 appearances. He also has 31 strikeouts in the same number of innings.

At 31, Urquidez’s ERA was even better (0.25) at Lancaster, where he posted 24 saves and struck out 48 in 36 innings. Unfortunately, he did not fare as well at Triple-A Salt Lake City where he was 1-2 with one save and a 6.92 ERA in 11 appearances. He did fan more than one an inning.

Longtime Independent hitting standout Brian Burgamy is pacing the Mexican League in homers (13), two more than former major leaguer and 2013 Atlantic League standout Jake Fox (Somerset, NJ). Fox leads Burgamy in the RBI chase, 48-42. Burgamy split this past season between Atlantic League teams in Camden, NJ and York along with St. Paul, MN of the American Association.

EPPLEY GETS MAJOR LEAGUE INVITE FROM PIRATES

Cody Eppley is no doubt best known as a strong member of the New York Yankees bullpen in 2012 (1-2, 3.33 in 59 appearances plus four scoreless outings against Detroit in the ALDS), but he finished this season with six appearances for Lancaster. Pittsburgh recently signed the right-hander to a minor league deal with an invitation to major league spring training. Eppley also has pitched in the majors for Texas and Minnesota.



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Thursday, December 12, 2013

ATLANTIC AND CAN-AM LEAGUE WORK LEAD TO METS GRABBING JONATHAN VELASQUEZ IN RULE 5 DRAFT

Jonathan Velasquez is fresh from three quality seasons in Independent leagues, and the right-hander, who could be starting to peak at 28, has his second major league-affiliated home of recent weeks after being selected by the New York Mets in the Triple-A phase of the Rule 5 draft Thursday morning during the Winter Meetings in Orlando, FL.

Velasquez was one of three former Independent players whose name was called during the draft, all in the Triple-A portion.

He had only recently signed with Minnesota after an exceptional season with the Camden (NJ) RiverSharks of the Atlantic League. Pitching for onetime major league catcher Ron Karkovice, Velasquez struck out 82 Atlantic League hitters and allowed only 58 hits in 73.2 innings spread over 61 appearances. That netted a 6-2 record and a 1.95 earned run average.

Velasquez, who was in the Philadelphia farm system earlier in his career, was a starter for Rockland County (Pomona, NY) of the Can-Am League in 2011-12, compiling a combined 14-13 record before joining Camden for one start at the end of the '12 campaign.

Arizona, which has been stockpiling Independent players of late, drafted 6-foot-7 righty Michael Lee, who spent most of this season starting for Atlanta's Double-A farm club. The 27-year-old was 9-8 for Mississippi (Pearl, MS) and made one start for Triple-A Gwinnett. Lee was a strikeout machine during an Independent stint at Rockford, IL in '12, whiffing 59 Frontier League hitters and allowing 30 hits in 41 innings. He had a 3-1, 2.20 record.

Boston selected 24-year-old multi-position player Jonathan Roof as a shortstop from Philadelphia's Double-A Reading, PA roster. He was listed as being at Traverse City, MI of the Frontier League one year ago although I cannot find that he actually appeared in any games. Roof played at the Class A level in 2013.

No Independent players were selected in the major league phase of the draft.

TWINS' LATEST INDY HOPEFUL IS PLAYER OF THE YEAR C. J. ZIEGLER

With slugger Chris Colabello and pitchers Andrew Albers and Caleb Thielbar all breaking into their major league roster this past season, the Minnesota Twins are continuing to mine Independent players, including Jonathan Velasquez (see story above).

The latest signee, who could someday compete with Colabello for playing time since both are primarily first basemen, is American Association and Independent League Player of the Year C. J. Ziegler, who homered a league-record 30 times while leading Wichita, KS into the Association playoffs. Ziegler, primarily a first baseman, also led the American Association with his 100 runs batted in, which led Baseball America to name him the top player in the non-affiliated ranks. The 28-year-old hit .316 to cap a two-year run with the Wingnuts in which he hit 48 homers and drove in 161 runs in 165 games.

OWENS, FOX MAINTAIN LEAGUE LEADS IN MEXICO

Atlantic League standouts Jerry Owens (Lancaster, PA) and Jake Fox (Somerset, NJ) rank No. 1 in some of the most important offensive categories as the Mexican League season rolls along. Owens is tops in both batting average (.361) and hits (66) and Fox leads in RBI (42 in 51 games). His nine home runs are third best in the league.

Another recent Atlantic League star, Cory Aldridge (Somerset) has the second best average (.377), is fourth in home runs (12) and fifth in RBI (36) in Venezuela. Shortstop Tucker Nathans, who started in Independent play (Can-Am and Frontier Leagues) and now is in the Baltimore farm system, has the third best batting average (.333) in Australia, one spot ahead of Brandon Tripp (.329), who played for St. Paul, MN of the American Association last season.


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Friday, December 06, 2013

JASON LANE GETS ANOTHER LOOK FROM SAN DIEGO IN HIS QUEST TO CHANGE POSITIONS AND RETURN TO THE MAJORS

Baseball’s top brass heads to Orlando this weekend for the annual Winter Meetings, which my longtime boss Bowie Kuhn used to occasionally point out were not actually held in the winter, and while former Independent players aren’t likely to be in the big-time headlines (unless Stephen Drew signs) a few more players who have been in non-affiliated leagues already have new deals.

San Diego gave outfielder-turned-pitcher Jason Lane a new contract. Lane is an interesting case since the southpaw, who turns 37 December 22, had his contract purchased by the Padres after he had won eight of 12 decisions for Sugar Land, TX last season. He was a decent 2-2 with a 5.24 earned run average in 11 appearances (six starts) for Triple-A Tucson, then was allowed to walk in order that he could play for the Skeeters in their quest for an Atlantic League title. (They lost in the first round of the playoffs.) Now, not unexpectedly, San Diego is going to give the California lefty one more look as he tries to complete the unusual position change for a 30-something and still get back to the major leagues.

More surprising to this corner was San Diego’s signing of infielder-outfielder Gabe Suarez, who turns 29 next week, to a minor league deal. Suarez had a busy ’13 as he played for Spain in the World Baseball Classic, then was in 29 games in the Atlantic League (Long Island, NY) and 72 in the American Association (El Paso, TX). He hit .261 for El Paso and only .221 for the Ducks, and still has only a handful of games above Class A except for some brief stints in the Mexican League.

Suarez has played for eight Independent teams (some of them more than once) since ’05, appearing in more than 500 games. He has been with Lincoln, NE, the Atlantic League’s traveling Road Warriors, Camden and Newark, NJ, Florence, KY and Kansas City, KS in addition to Long Island and El Paso.

SEATTLE BUMPS SHACKLEFORD UP TO TRIPLE-A

One can only believe he signed for five figures less than the reported deal for Robinson Cano, but at least right-hander Stephen Shackleford has a new contract with Seattle. At 24, Shackleford is on the Triple-A Tacoma, WA roster one year after posting a combined 3-4, 2.71 record for 47 appearances between Classes A and AA in the Mariners’ chain. He worked very briefly for Florence, KY in the Frontier League in 2012, and has averaged nearly a strikeout per inning for his professional career.


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Thursday, November 28, 2013

COMPARING LEAGUES AND TRACKING DOWN PLAYERS THIS THANKSGIVING DAY

I am always interested in how players compare one Independent league against another. Josh Lowey, featured in the most recent Independent Baseball Insider column, had some interesting thoughts since he was in the American Association in 2012 and the Atlantic League this past season.

He believes Atlantic League “hitters are slightly more patient”, with the belief that is primarily based on the league, overall, having players with more experience. I asked if pitchers throw harder in the Atlantic, as I have heard some say. “I couldn’t say they throw harder,” the veteran of six Independent seasons (he was in the Frontier League for four years) told me.

Lowey, who has built a 58-21 record but still is looking for his first chance with a major league organization, was confident in one respect: “The level of play has gone up every year.”

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO THIS GROUP

The turkey should taste better to this dozen former Independent players, all of whom have been assigned by their major league organization to Triple-A teams and at least one level higher than their most recent team for the offseason:

By ARIZONA: RHP Eddie McKiernan (Lincoln, NE, American Association), OF David Peralta (Amarillo, TX, and Wichita, KS, American Association, and Rio Grande Valley, United League), RHP Mark Serrano (Laredo, TX, American Association), RHP Blayne Weller (Windy City, Frontier League). Peralta started his pro career in an Independent league.

By ATLANTA: RHP Mitch Atkins (Somerset, NJ, Atlantic League), RHP Brandon Cunniff (Southern Illinois and River City, Frontier).

By CHICAGO WHITE SOX: LHP Ryan Bollinger (Windy City), 3B Chris Curley (Florence, KY, Frontier), RHP Mike Recchia (Windy City), OF Josh Richmond (Florence).

By NEW YORK METS: RHP Cody Satterwhite (Sioux City, IA, American Association).

By OAKLAND: C-DH Ryan Delgado (Fargo, ND, American Association).

NEW CONTRACTS FOR THIS TRIO:

C Jose Yepez (Pensacola, FL, American Association, and Gary, IN, Northern League) was given a new contract to stay in the Atlanta chain although he is now on a Double-A roster. OF Kalian Sams (Camden, NJ, Atlantic League) got a new contract from Texas while RHP Daniel Stange (Bridgeport, CT, Atlantic) joined Washington’s farm system. He was in the majors briefly this past season with the Los Angeles Angels.


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Monday, November 18, 2013

NEW ORGANIZATIONS SIGN LOMAN, STRIZ AND RICHARDSON WITH YANKEES INVITING SPEEDY OUTFIELDER TO MAJOR LEAGUE CAMP

Intriguing offensive tools have landed two former Independent players, first baseman Seth Loman and outfielder Antoan Richardson, with deals in new major league organizations.

Loman always shows considerable power, starting with 2008 when he hit 19 home runs and drove in 60 runs in the same number of games in the now departed Golden League (St. George, UT). A switch hitter who doesn’t turn 28 until next month, Loman has been given a Triple-A contract with Atlanta (Gwinnett) after hitting 14 more round-trippers while splitting time between the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore farm systems last summer. He got his first significant time in Triple-A.

Richardson is a speedster, with 318 steals in his professional career, which includes limited play with the parent Atlanta Braves in ’11. He stole 39 bases last season while splitting time between Minnesota’s top two farm clubs. The New York Yankees, no doubt taking notice of his career .278 average and .398 on-base percentage in extensive minor league duty, signed Richardson as a free agent and have invited him to major league spring training. Richardson spent parts of 2009 and 2010 with Schaumburg, IL, when the current Frontier League city was still in the Northern League.

Right-handed pitcher Nathan Striz also has a contract with a new organization. The 25-year-old, who spent some time in the Frontier League (Washington, PA) in 2012, has moved from the Boston farm system to Colorado, and has been elevated from Class A to AAA. He has averaged more than a strikeout an inning in his career.

Four other former Independent players have signed new deals to stay with their ’13 organization. Infielder Mark Minicozzi, who has inched his way up the San Francisco ladder, now has a Triple-A (Fresno) deal. He played in the Can-Am League (Worcester, MA), Atlantic (Camden, NJ) and in current American Association cities Winnipeg and Kansas City, KS when both still were in the Northern League.

Lefty Will Startup (Sugar Land, TX, Atlantic) has been elevated to Triple-A (Toledo) with his new Detroit agreement while infielder Jonathan Roof (Traverse City, MI, Frontier League) has returned to the Philadelphia farm system and right-hander Race Parmenter has returned to Atlanta’s chain. He started his pro career with Southern Illinois of the Frontier League.


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Friday, November 08, 2013

SAM KATZ A HALL OF FAMER AND WE TRACK FREE AGENTS AND THE WINTER LEAGUES

Congratulations are in order for one of Independent Baseball’s longtime owners, Sam Katz.

The boss man of the Winnipeg Goldeyes, also known as a concert promoter and as mayor of Winnipeg, has been named to the Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame, with induction set for June 7 in Morden, Manitoba.

YES, ALL ARE FREE AGENTS

Baseball’s lengthy list of six-year free agents includes several who logged some time in the major leagues in the last two seasons.

**Catcher Cody Clark (San Diego, Golden League) is no longer under contract to Houston, which gave him his first major league games late in the year.

** RHP Robert Coello (Edmonton and Calgary, Golden) got considerable attention from the Los Angeles Angels until his shoulder acted up.

**LHP Justin Hampson (York, PA and Long Island, NY, Atlantic League) was with the New York Mets.

**RHP Shawn Hill (York) was cut loose by Detroit.

**RHP Logan Kensing (Bridgeport, CT, Atlantic) was let go by Colorado.

**RHP Stu Pomeranz (New Jersey, Can-Am League) once seemed to have a promising opportunity with Baltimore.

**C Eddy Rodriguez (Sioux Falls, SD and El Paso, TX, American Association) got into a few games with San Diego.

**1B-OF Brock Peterson (Bridgeport) will offer power potential to someone. He had a shot with St. Louis this season.

SCHULTZ, NATHANS AMONG WINTER LEAGUE LEADERS

Bo Schultz (Grand Prairie, TX, American Association) has been leading the Arizona Fall League in both innings (28.1) and strikeouts (24) while building a 3-0 record and 2.22 earned run average after six starts. He belongs to Arizona.

Cody Satterwhile (Sioux City, IA, American Association), a New York Mets hopeful, has allowed only two earned runs in nine innings spread over nine outings in winning his only decision and picking up one save.

The newest Indy vet in the AFL is Arizona’s Henry Garcia (Rio Grande Valley, United League), and he stands 0-1, 6.75 after four appearances. The New York Yankees’ Vidal Nuno (Washington, PA, Frontier League) has lowered his earned run average to 3.20 after four starts and one relief appearance in which he has struck out 18 and walked only three in 19.2 innings.

Baltimore shortstop hopeful Tucker Nathans (Newark, NJ, Brockton, MA and the New York Federals, Can-Am League, and Florence, KY, Frontier) is off to a fast start with the bat in Australia, hitting .435 and averaging two hits a game (10-for-23) after his first five appearances.


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Thursday, October 24, 2013

BULLPEN STAR IS ONLY ONE PART OF CRAIG BRESLOW'S LIFE

Craig Breslow is in the news so much these days because of the way he has been getting key outs when he emerges from the Boston Red Sox bullpen. Seven postseason appearances in which the left-hander has allowed only three hits and zero runs tell that story.

The bright lights of the World Series also give the onetime New Jersey Jackals hurler (now in the Can-Am League) an opportunity to bring more attention to his five-year-old Strike 3 Foundation, which has the mission of trying to help eradicate childhood cancer. He shared a story with Hartford Courant columnist Jeff Jacobs on the eve of Game 1 of the World Series.

It was shortly after Breslow was the winner in the ALDS clincher at Tampa Bay, the pitcher said, when he received a video from patients at the Tufts Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center in Medford, MA. He and teammate Andrew Bailey, who is on the board of Strike 3, had visited the kids in June. They obviously had not forgotten.

“Incredibly touching and totally surprising,” Breslow told the columnist, in his home state of Connecticut. “It was a really emotional moment for me. I watched it with my fiancée (Kelly Shaffer, who will be Breslow’s wife after November 9) and we both teared up. This is the reason we work so hard in the community.”

Yes, baseball players do have a life beyond the diamond.

WINTER LEAGUES WELL UNDER WAY

Some quick hits from various winter leagues that have started play:

**Bo Schultz (Grand Prairie, TX, American Association) is continuing to do well in the Arizona Fall League. The Arizona prospect has struck out 15 and posted a 2.03 ERA in 13.1 innings covering his first three starts.

**1B-3B Andy Marte (York, PA, Atlantic League)picked up five hits (.357) with two RBI in his first three games in the Dominican Republic. His contract was picked up by the Los Angeles Angels during the season.

**Jason Urquidez (Lancaster, PA, Atlantic) was 4-for-4 in saves with a 0.00 ERA and had fanned six in 4.1 innings in the Mexican League. His contract also belongs to the Angels.

**OF Antoan Richardson (Schaumburg, IL, now in the Frontier League) was hitting .282 with three RBI after 10 games in the Venezuelan League. He played for Minnesota's top two farm clubs last season.


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Monday, October 21, 2013

TRIO OF FORMER INDEPENDENT STARS IN WORLD SERIES; 'RECORD' 32 NON-AFFILIATED PLAYERS ON MLB ROSTERS

It is pretty neat to have three former Independent players who will be active for the World Series. The Red Sox have them all in regular shortstop Stephen Drew (Camden, NJ, Atlantic League), better-than-ever lefty reliever Craig Breslow (New Jersey Jackals, now in the Can-Am League) and clutch-hitting outfielder Daniel Nava (Chico, CA, Golden League), the latter getting surprisingly little postseason action after his sterling regular season campaign. Jonny Gomes has been getting most of the leftfield starts, presumably because of his overall experience, even against righties.

32 ON 40-MAN ROSTERS MOST LIKELY A RECORD

Until the New York Mets outrighted reliever Greg Burke to Triple-A recently, no less than 32 players with experience in the Independent leagues were on major league 40-man rosters. That is believed to be an all-time high so take a bow, Indy leagues. Some more shuffling can be expected shortly after the World Series although newcomers needing to be protected from the Rule 5 draft in December could keep pace with those sent to minor league teams to open up roster slots.

Eleven of the 32, including Burke, had played their very first professional games in an Independent league. Eight of the 11 are pitchers with the exception of Drew, Nava and Minnesota Twins first baseman-outfielder-designated hitter Chris Colabello (Worcester, MA, Can-Am League).

ATLANTIC LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE YEAR ALREADY IN WINTER BASEBALL

Jake Fox, whose amazing production included three consecutive walk-off hits shortly before he was signed by Arizona, is among the Indy stars already playing winter league baseball. The first baseman-catcher-third baseman, who was selected as Atlantic League Player of the Year even though he missed the last month and a half of the season and the playoffs, is in Mexico now. Fox had 25 homers and 82 RBI for the Somerset (NJ) Patriots to earn the prestigious Atlantic League honor.


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Friday, October 11, 2013

NICE DEBUTS IN ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE AND A POSSIBLE START (AGAIN) FOR NEW JERSEY STADIUM

Recent American Association pitchers Bo Schultz and Cody Satterwhite got off to a real nice start when the prospect-laden Arizona Fall League opened this week.

Schultz, a spring training invitee of the Arizona Diamondbacks in February who split the season between their top two farm clubs in Reno, NV and Mobile, AL, got the opening night start for Salt River and struck out six in three and a third innings while allowing two runs on three hits and the same number of walks. The onetime Northwestern University product had spent time with Grand Prairie, TX in the American Association.

Satterwhite was signed away from Sioux City, IA this season, and he picked up a save with a scoreless inning for Scottsdale. Satterwhite, also a right-hander, belongs to the New York Mets.

We anticipate having much more to say about the former Independent players in the AFL in next Thursday’s subscription-only Independent Baseball Insider column.

THIS BOO-BOO IS ON ME

When I wrote about Minnesota Twins rookie first baseman Chris Colabello, known for his persistence through seven seasons in the Can-Am League, explaining in this week’s Insider how a chat with a friend helped him through his struggles in shuttling between Triple-A and the majors this season, I said it was onetime major league pitcher Bob Tewksbury who gave the encouragement. In fact, it was Bob Tewksbary, a teammate at one point with the Worcester (MA) Tornadoes in the Can-Am. I knew the spelling of the friend’s last name was different but still believed it was the longtime major leaguer. I should have dug deeper.

SKYLANDS PARK SEEMS TO BE IN PLAY ONCE MORE

The on-again, off-again potential of an Independent team returning to Skylands Park in Augusta, NJ, where the Can-Am League had a team through 2010, seems to be a possibility one more time although not before 2015.

The 4,200-seat stadium and the 28 acres surrounding it were sold for the second time this year. Al Dorso, Sr., an established businessman, heads up the group that paid a reported $850,000. He told The Newark Star-Ledger “I’d love to bring baseball back to the stadium, but it’s harder said than done. It’s not in the picture for 2014, but I’m sure by 2015 we’ll be ready.” Frank Boulton’s proposed Diamond League likely would have an interest, and I would expect the Can-Am League would, as well.


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Friday, September 27, 2013

RYAN LANGERHANS HAS RETURNED TO BLUE JAYS A SECOND TIME THIS SEASON, THIS TIME WITH THE MAJOR LEAGUE TEAM

The relationship between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Sugar Land Skeeters (Atlantic League) seems to be something every Independent team would like to have with major league organizations.

Please follow this carefully: Toronto purchased Ryan Langerhans contract from the Atlantic League late this season when it promoted much of Triple-A Buffalo’s outfield to the American League team. Flash forward. When Sugar Land was in the final days of its record-shattering Atlantic League season who shows up in the Skeeters’ lineup but the former major league first baseman. “He was having fun here playing baseball,” Skeeters Manager Gary Gaetti said of the return. So far, the moves can be easily understood, with Langerhans supposedly granted his release from the Blue Jays. Then Sugar Land is ousted from the playoffs, and if you check today’s major league box scores there is the same Langerhans batting seventh, playing first base and going 0-for-4 in Toronto’s 3-2 loss at Baltimore.

“Ryan was the most game-ready of all of them (players considered by Toronto)”, General Manager Alex Anthopoulos told the media. “Lang has been around for a while,” added Manager John Gibbons. “It’s only four days, but he gets to finish the year in the big leagues and has some good service time in. He’s a good solid baseball player.”

Langerhans had years like 2005-06 with Atlanta when he played in a combined 259 games with 15 homers and 70 RBI, but it has been slim pickings in the major leagues for the 33-year-old lefty in recent years with two appearances for the Los Angeles Angels one year ago and 19 with Seattle in ’11. He went .287-5-28 for his 47 regular-season games with the Skeeters, but only hit .200 (2-for-10) in their three consecutive losses to Somerset, NJ in the first round of the playoffs. He was even limited to pinch-hitting duty in the finale.

LEW FORD COULD BE THE HERO

If Long Island, NY can win just one of three games at Somerset this weekend the Ducks will have pulled off a second consecutive shocker in the Atlantic League Championship Series.

The veteran bat of outfielder Lew Ford, who was with Baltimore one year ago and getting ready to face Texas and the New York Yankees in the playoffs, could be the difference. He belted a two-run, sixth inning homer Thursday night to erase a 2-0 deficit, and the Ducks tacked on another run for a 3-2 victory.




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Friday, September 20, 2013

TALKING ABOUT ANDY MARTE, VIDAL NUNO AND LEW FORD

Working on the theory one can never be too early, this corner projects corner infielder Andy Marte as a possibility to get a solid major league look from the Los Angeles Angels next spring.

Marte, 29, started this season by driving in 74 runs and hitting .301 (19 homers) for the York (PA) Revolution of the Atlantic League. He never let up once the Angels purchased his contract, hitting .362 (how does that make Atlantic League pitching look?) with six homers and 18 RBI in 26 regular-season games for Salt Lake City, then taking the hot bat into the Pacific Coast League playoffs before a separated shoulder took him out of a possible call to the American League team.

Marte, who has 302 major league games, mostly with Cleveland and all from 2005-10, had a heroic second game in the first round of the playoffs against Las Vegas (Mets) when he went 4-for-5 with a double, home run and two runs, and scored the winning run on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth only to suffer the injury on that play. Marte’s injury seriously hampered the Bees’ offense, and they lost to Omaha (Royals) in the championship round.

The Dominican native hit only .218 in his six years in the majors, but seems to have come more into his own since that time.

FIRST INDEPENDENT INVITATION TO ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE

The first 2013 invitation to a player with Independent experience to play in the prospect-dominated Arizona Fall League has gone to left-hander Vidal Nuno, who had some memorable moments in spot opportunities pitching for the pitching-shallow New York Yankees early this season. Nuno is on the 60-man disabled list right now allowing the Yankees to add another player for the stretch run, but the former Frontier Leaguer (Washington, PA) obviously is expected to be healthy for the AFL.

Four Indy players were in the league last fall.

LEW FORD’S HOT BAT AT LONG ISLAND

Veteran major league outfielder Lew Ford (Minnesota and Baltimore) has wasted no time at all getting back into an offensive groove since being released by the Orioles and rejoining defending Atlantic League champion Long Island on August 28.

He has hit safely in 18 of 19 games he has played and had his third three-hit game Thursday to help the Ducks take a 2-0 lead over Southern Maryland in a best-of-five first-round playoff matchup. The game actually was decided by a wild pitch in the 10th inning.


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Friday, September 13, 2013

ADD 42 SAVES TO THOSE 106 WINS FOR ONETIME INDY STARS NOW IN MLB

As a postscript to yesterday’s story in our Independent Baseball Insider column about former Independent Baseball hurlers having an incredible 106 victories (and 72 losses) in major league games this season, we add the fact another 42 contests have been saved by this same group.

Seattle’s Tom Wilhelmsen (Tucson, AZ, Golden League) is the leader with 24 saves even though he has lost the closer’s role for now. Brad Ziegler (Schaumburg, IL, Northern League) is closing for Arizona and has 10 saves at this point.

NICE ACCOLADE FOR CRAIG BRESLOW

Lefty Craig Breslow, who has one of the good arms in the Boston bullpen, will be honored one week from now (September 20) as BoSox Club Man of the Year. The BoSox Club has been the official booster club of the Red Sox since that magical year of 1967. Breslow has turned out to have a very solid major league career after being released by Milwaukee without graduating above Class A in 2004 and signing with the New Jersey Jackals in the Northeast League (Jackals now in the Can-Am) that same summer. He was in the majors with San Diego the very next season, and has been there most ever since, while now enjoying major success with Boston.

EXCELLENT NUMBERS POSTED BY THOSE SOLD TO MLB SYSTEMS THIS SUMMER

Corner infielder Andy Marte (York, PA, Atlantic League) hit .362 with six homers and 18 batted in in 26 games for the Angels’ top farm club in Salt Lake City, which one would think would give him a solid chance in 2014.

Bridger Hunt, who was tearing up the Can-Am League with his bat while with the Newark (NJ) Bears, has kept it going after having his contract purchased by San Diego. The infielder hit .337 (two homers, 13 RBI) in 20 games for Lake Elsinore, CA.

David Peralta, one of those who started out in an Independent league and eventually had his contract sold (Arizona), hit .346 with 42 RBI in only 51 games for Visalia, CA. The infielder had time with both Amarillo, TX and Wichita, KS in the American Association as well as with Rio Grande Valley of the United League.

On the mound, Eddie McKiernan was sold to Arizona this summer by Lincoln, NE of the American Association and he won eight of 11 decisions (3.51 ERA) as a starter at Visalia. Mark Serrano, sold by Laredo, TX (American Association), was another Arizona farmhand who excelled. He was a combined 6-2, 3.02 between Classes AA and AAA.

Atlantic League hurlers Mitch Atkins (Somerset, NJ) and Michael Colla (Bridgeport, CT) were 5-2 and 6-2, respectively, and had ERAs well under 4.00. Atkins is in the Atlanta system and Colla is a minor leaguer for Tampa Bay.

AFTER A DECADE, PAXTON DUE TO BAT AGAIN

James Paxton (Grand Prairie, TX, American Association) is due to make his second major league start for Seattle on Saturday, this one an inter-league clash at St. Louis. That means he will be expected to bat. “I haven’t hit since I was 13 or 14 years old”, the southpaw hurler says. “They stopped me hitting as soon as I started playing competitive high school baseball. So that will be interesting.” So much for baseball’s variations of rules between major leagues.


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Friday, August 30, 2013

THE INDY LEAGUES NEED A FORMAL ORGANIZATION; SUNDAY KNUCKLEBALL EXPERIENCE ALSO AVAILABLE

Some of the established Independent leagues have been talking for years about forming an association–the Independent Professional Baseball Association is a prominent name that has been mentioned.

Such an organization would be in position to bargain with sporting goods dealers for better prices on bats, balls and uniforms and perhaps to enter into some joint promotional programs. They might even be able to try to develop better visa arrangements to get foreign players.

The biggest value, to this veteran’s mind, would be to etablish criteria for being considered an authentic Independent league. Minimum number of games, all players getting paid and acceptable standards in such areas as player housing and travel.

Without such an organization, anyone who wants to start a league or run a team without sufficient funding to make it last through a season may do so and call itself an “Independent League.” When there is a failure, everyone gets a bad name. It is not just a failure in one community; it gives the entire industry a bloody nose. It is difficult enough to make a go of it without some underfunded operation hurting everyone.

This subject came to mind again this week when news reports out of the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX area told of employees and vendors of the Fort Worth Cats of the United League not being paid.

“My last paycheck, I took it to the bank Tuesday afternoon (August 20) and it would not clear,” first base coach Mike Ford told WFAA.com. The television station said it talked to some players with similar stories.

The story also mentioned some vendors who said they were not paid for their products.

This type of news should not impact successful, well-run leagues and teams. But it does.

MILLIONAIRE KOREAN BASEBALL OWNER TO TAKE THE MOUND

For anyone in the vicinity of Pomona, NY, an hour or so north of New York City, who wants an enjoyable baseball outing on Labor Day Weekend, I suggest a trip to see the Can-Am League game between the host Rockland Boulders and the Newark (NJ) Bears.

Provident Bank Park is a beauty, as we have told readers previously, and the bonus will be that a 37-year-old knuckleball pitcher from South Korea is going to pitch for the Boulders. Hur Min, who made it big via an online game called Dungeon & Fighter, formed the first Independent team in South Korea. He’s also been working on a knuckler, training under the likes of Hall of Famer Phil Niekro, and he will put his work on display in the next to last day of the Can-Am season.

Will a star pitcher be born? Likely not, but it will be a fun opportunity in a beautiful setting to see the story play out.


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Friday, August 23, 2013

SEE-SAW BATTLE FOR AMERICAN ASSOCIATION HOME RUN RECORD

These last 11 days of the American Association season are going to be fun to watch, if just for the battle for the league home run record.

We wrote in Thursday’s Independent Baseball Insider column for subscribers about C. J. Ziegler of the Wichita (KS) Wingnuts tying the mark of Brandon Sing of Sioux Falls, SD (2010) with his 27th round-tripper. Guess what? Hours later (Thursday night) the newest Sioux Falls strongman, Tim Pahuta, homered twice to move one ahead of Ziegler. Unfortunately, the Canaries took a 5-3 loss to Fargo, ND. Both Sioux Falls and Wichita have 10 games remaining.

Wichita and Fargo have all but wrapped up divisional titles, but the other two playoff berths are very much in question. In the South (which might as well be known as the Texas Division), Laredo has a two-game lead over Grand Prairie and Amarillo. Gary, IN is the wild-card leader, but its bulge is only one and a half games over Winnipeg and two and a half ahead of Lincoln, NE.

10 EJECTED AFTER BRAWL

The American Association office may have its hands full on another front since Lincoln and El Paso engaged in a seventh inning melee in which 10 players and staff members were ejected.

ANOTHER POWER HITTER HAS CONTRACT SOLD TO ROCKIES

The United League season in Texas wrapped up when Edinburg outlasted Fort Worth in the best-of-five championship series, but for several players the season continues. Various Independent teams have been dipping into the talent supply to bolster playoff hopefuls, and Fort Worth first baseman David Bergin has joined the Colorado Rockies’ Class A farm club in Asheville, NC after his contract was purchased.

Bergin, only 23, led the United League in both home runs (19) and RBI (66) for the 80-game regular season. Bergin was drafted out of Tennessee Wesleyan College by St. Louis, joining the Cats this season. He has not yet played for Asheville.


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Friday, August 16, 2013

NEW LEAGUE FOR YOUNGER PRO HOPEFULS MUST WAIT AT LEAST ANOTHER YEAR

It was virtually at the same minute yesterday’s Independent Baseball Insider column went out to subscribers when Frank Boulton announced he would have to push back the proposed start of his newest creation, the Diamond League, at least until 2015.

Reaction?

It certainly was not a shock since finding six or more suitable–and available–ballparks in the East and Northeast is a giant task, even for a man as determined as the Atlantic League founder.

The next steps will be to see whether Miles Wolff can put suitable ownership into Sussex County’s Skylands Park near Augusta, NY or Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field in Worcester, MA–or find at least one other site–to build his Can-Am League up from its current five teams and what Boulton and his Atlantic League partners will do to keep from an awkward nine-team lineup when the Loudoun (VA) Hounds start play next season.

Boulton’s statement continues what he called the belief “in the economic model and the need based in the game of baseball for a circuit like the Diamond League to exist.” That model would offer fresh opportunities for recent college graduates who are not drafted and other early to mid-20s players.

“I’m disappointed,” Boulton told NewJerseyHerald.com. “I don’t like shutting this down, but when I do things I want to do them right and I didn’t think we had everything we needed to go forward next year.”

His patience certainly paid off before the Atlantic League launched.

DAZZLING STRIKEOUTS EARLY IN RETURN

When friend Scott (Skip) Nathanson calls I know he almost certainly will have one or more good tips, probably about players he has managed.

Sure enough, Nate, who loves this game as much as any man possibly can, wanted me to know that Zach Woods was back on the mound and thriving. The right-hander, only 25, pitched for Nathanson with the New York Federals and with Brockton, MA (both then in the Can-Am League) when he was right out of East Carolina in 2011 and with the league’s New Jersey Jackals last season before joining the New York Yankees farm system.

Woods sat out a good portion of this season with an injury (knee, I believe) before putting what Nathanson called a “nasty, nasty slider” to work for Tampa in the Florida State League. All he has done so far is strike out 17 (one walk, eight hits) in 10.1 scoreless innings split over six appearances. “He hides the ball very well,” my friend added, to which FSL hitters would surely agree.


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Sunday, August 04, 2013

QUEBEC'S ANDREW ALBERS JOINS TWINS, GIVES CAN-AM LEAGUE FIVE IN MAJORS

The Can-Am League has only five teams these days and now it has the equivalent of one major league player per organization.

The newest major leaguer is left-handed pitcher Andrew Albers, who joined the Minnesota Twins Saturday, and is scheduled to make his big-league debut Tuesday in Kansas City.

Albers will be the eighth former Independent Baseball player to play his first major league game this season, the highest number since nine broke in two years ago. Two of the others also are with Minnesota, Can-Am League first baseman Chris Colabello and American Association southpaw hurler Caleb Thielbar. Albers, a Canadian native, had a brilliant 2010 season as a reliever with the Quebec Capitales of the Can-Am League, saving 17 games and winning his only three decisions while posting a 1.40 earned run average. Colabello played his first seven professional seasons in the Can-Am League, mostly with Worcester, MA, while Thielbar did a stint with St. Paul, MN in the American Association.

Twins General Manager Terry Ryan praised the 27-year-old Albers when he told MLB.com “you can’t overlook what he’s accomplished down there (Triple-A Rochester, NY) every time he pitches. He has a knack of being able to produce quality innings.” Albers, who pitched for Canada in the World Baseball Classic in March, was 11-5 with a 2.86 ERA in 22 starts for Rochester.

“I’m really thrilled to be here,” Albers told MLB.com. “I’m glad I’ve got a couple days to take in the atmosphere, get (acclimated) to the club and those good things.”

The other Can-Am League grads in the majors also are pitchers, Steve Delabar (Brockton, MA) with Toronto, and Luis Garcia (Newark, NJ) and Raul Valdes (New Jersey Jackals and Nashua, NH) both with Philadelphia.

The count of former Independent players on active major league rosters remains at a season-high 25 with the addition of Albers and pitcher Chaz Roe


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Friday, August 02, 2013

IT IS BIG BROTHER'S TURN IN THE CAN-AM SPOTLIGHT; ALSO, LEARNING ABOUT THIS 'FRATERNITY' CALLED BASEBALL

When I spent a day with the Rockland (NY) Boulders earlier this season the talk was centered around Chris Edmondson because he was making an early run with Triple Crown-like numbers against Can-Am League pitching.

Older brother Jerod, also an outfielder, could easily have gotten lost in the glare of Chris’s accomplishments. That is what made it so sweet when Jerod Edmondson went on a offensive splurge of his own and won Rawlings Hitter of the Month honors for July.

Edmondson hit .380 with five homers, but he hit so much in the clutch, driving in 23 runs to grab a share of the league lead (51). He had 14 extra-base hits and went a perfect 8-for-8 in stolen bases.

Chris Edmondson had his contract purchased by Atlanta in June, but he has been limited to only 10 games (7-for-34, .206 with one homer) because of an injury and has spent more than three weeks on the disabled list.

BASEBALL ‘LIKE A FRATERNITY’

St. Paul (MN) Saints newcomer Bryan Henry is writing a journal about his baseball days for Tallahassee.com, and if fans want a glimpse of how players adapt when they join a new team Harvey’s “Life in the Minors” column helps out.

“The baseball world is a small one,” the onetime Florida State hurler wrote recently. “It is a lot like a fraternity. It seems as if everyone is connected by past connections, a.k.a. the six degrees of separation syndrome. This team is no different.” He went on to discuss his personal or second-hand connections he learned about in chatting with his new mates.

Henry, 28 and fresh from seven years in the Arizona farm system, also talked about his perceptions and the realities of visiting new cities, such as his very first junket to North Dakota. He thought visiting Fargo might be much like scenes from the “Field of Dreams” with “farms, cornfields, crops in the middle of nowhere and then boom, a baseball field.”

The right-hander, who has had two stints in Triple-A and took a 30-26 career record to St. Paul, not only learned that the RedHawks have a nice stadium and playing surface, but “the most surprising thing to me was the atmosphere at the game. There were more than 4,000 fans in attendance, and it was an intense game.”

As for his pitching for the Saints, Henry has a 1.68 earned run average after four relief outings although he has suffered one defeat.

FELIX PIE’S SPEED COULD HELP PITTSBURGH

While he did not make the team despite a long look in spring training, it would not be at all surprising to see former major league and Atlantic League (Camden, NJ) outfielder Felix Pie helping the surging Pittsburgh Pirates down the playoff stretch.

His speed alone could be enticing. Pie has 34 steals at Triple-A Indianapolis although his average has tailed off to .245.

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Saturday, July 27, 2013

COLABELLO HOMERS, HELPS TWINS TO TWO WINS IN A DAY

We talked at length in Thursday's Independent Baseball Insidercolumn about the fates--at least for now--of former Independent sluggers Chris Colabello and Brock Peterson depending on whether they were able to take advantage of their new opportunities with Minnesota and St. Louis, respectively.

Oh, how things change swiftly. Peterson (1-for-7) was sent back to Memphis today when Matt Holliday returned from the disabled list. The good news for this 11-year minor leaguer, including '11 and half of last year with Bridgeport, CT (Atlantic League), is that he got to taste the major leagues, drove in two runs in his short stint and remains on the Cardinals' 40-man roster, which can be a hurdle itself for a player hoping to return.

Colabello, after struggling in three brief call-ups and again in a lengthier test this time, finally has clicked in less than 24 hours. He banged his first major league home, a two-run job, in the 13th Friday night in Seattle to provide a Minnesota victory, then came right back to help in a 4-0 win Saturday afternoon with two singles (2-for-4), a walk and a run. He hit fifth on Saturday and lifted his first-year average to .182 as the Twins continue to give him a solid look to see what they have in the 29-year-old, who was in the Can-Am League his first seven professional seasons.

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Friday, July 19, 2013

CAN-AM'S COLABELLO BACK IN MAJORS

With the Minnesota Twins struggling 14 games under .500, longtime Can-Am League star and current International League RBI machine Chris Colabello was recalled to the American League team Friday in time to help usher in the second half of the season.

We had projected in Thursday’s Independent Baseball Insider column that Colabello could be wearing a Twins uniform for the fourth time this season, and logic would say this will be a longer trial for the first baseman-outfielder. He was 2-for-16 in seven appearances–his first in the major leagues–the first three trips combined.

Fresh from a 1-for-3 game in the Triple-A All-Star Game (although he was shut out in the home run-hitting contest), the seven-year Can-Am veteran (Worcester, MA and Nashua, NH) will bring a season log of .354-24-76, all among International League leaders, with him to Minnesota. He could face another former Indy player, Cleveland lefty Scott Kazmir (Sugar Land, TX, Atlantic League), Friday night.

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HOW CAN ANYONE OVERLOOK THESE STORIES OF INDEPENDENT PLAYERS MAKING THEIR WAY IN MLB ORGANIZATIONS?

The stories of Chase Lambin and Aaron King are two of the most intriguing to follow, Lambin because he is said to be the oldest active player in all of the affiliated minor leagues never to play in the major leagues and King because he has moved from trying to pitch to be an interesting offensive story.

Both came through Independent Baseball, of course, to where they are now.

Lambin, 34, has had his ups and downs ever since the New York Mets drafted him 11 years ago. He found himself in Sugar Land, TX (Atlantic League) for 24 games earlier this year (.305-5-13 and a .347 on-base percentage) before getting one more affiliated opportunity. It is in Omaha, NE, with Kansas City’s top farm club, where he is hitting .264 with four ribbies in 21 games.

“I’m realistic,” he told The Washington Post recently. “I know the chances (of reaching the major leagues) are pretty slim. But I know there is a chance.”

King once had a decent chance of climbing the baseball ladder as a left-handed pitcher. Then control issues became more prominent, including during a stint last summer with River City (O’Fallon, MO) in the Frontier League.

Fast forward to 2013 when King found his way onto the Lancaster, PA (Atlantic) roster for a short time when Barnstormers Manager Butch Hobson referred him to Grand Prairie, TX (American Association) Manager Ricky Van Asselberg because of what Baseball America quoted Hobson as saying was “unbelievable” power. The 24-year-old went 14-for-36 with six extra-base hits when Boston purchased his contract.

The Red Sox sent the Newton, NC native to their Gulf Coast League team, but only for a few days before moving him up to Class A Lowell, MA. The 6-foot-4 southpaw hit his second New York-Penn League home run last night (Thursday) and with a .328 average and .381 on-base percentage after 16 games the saga seems to be gaining life.

MORE POSITIVE PRODUCTION

In our never-ending search through the affiliated leagues for bright lights among former Independent players, these numbers are worth reviewing:

–Outfielder Antoan Richardson (Schaumburg, IL, when still in the Northern League), is hitting .285 with 21 thefts in 58 games since the Minnesota Twins promoted him to Triple-A Rochester, NY.

–Another outfielder, Dustin Martin, went 2-for-3 with a triple and RBI last night to lift his average to .343 in 38 games for Arizona’s Double-A Mobile, AL farm club. He started the year in Sugar Land.


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Friday, July 12, 2013

CHAZ ROE, GREG BURKE LOG MAJOR LEAGUE TIME, SUGAR LAND DUO ALSO MAKE NEWS


Lots of Friday afternoon notes and thoughts following up on yesterday’s newsy Independent Baseball Insider column.

**Interesting job just announced. The Atlantic League is seeking a new president, who will not be affiliated with any of the teams.

**I don’t know how this one slipped through, but Chaz Roe, who was a standout reliever with Laredo, TX (American Association) last season (3-2, 1.47 in 49 games), got a few days with the Arizona Diamondbacks, his first major league opportunity. Roe, 26, was in three games and picked up a victory over the New York Mets. He is back in Reno, NV now, but still on the 40-man roster.

**Another righty reliever, Greg Burke (Atlantic City, NJ, Atlantic League), is back with the Mets for the umpteenth time this season.

**It did not take Dustin Martin long after his contract was purchased from Sugar Land, TX (Atlantic) to draw attention in the Southern League. The outfielder was the Double-A league’s Player of the Week for July 1-7 when he hit .467 with four extra base hits and five RBI. He joined the BayBears May 23, and had gone .326-4-15 with a .410 on-base percentage at the time the award was announced.

**These former Indy players have been released, all somewhat surprisingly: Chris Jakubauskas, Mike Costanzo and Curt Smith. Jakubauskas and Costanzo have some major league time while Smith was a standout in the recent World Baseball Classic.

**Storm warnings in the United League. Alexandria, LA, trying to rebound with re-entry this season but with only part of its seating available, has ceased operation and reports are another team may do the same. While I hesitate to call it an Independent league, the new Pacific Association has suspended operation of the Vallejo (CA) Admirals at least temporarily until its players and some other bills have been paid.

FORMER MATE KEEPS IN TOUCH

Southpaw Will Startup has had such a good season in his first year in the Detroit organization (4-1, four saves, 2.04) that he was in the Eastern League All-Star Game this week, but the Nashville native is staying in touch with some of last year’s teammates at Sugar Land, TX (Atlantic League). “We have developed such a close-knit group of guys that we are always checking in, at least once a month”, he told Insider reporter Mike Nelson during festivities leading up to the All-Star contest in New Britain, CT.


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Tuesday, July 02, 2013

INDY TEAMS NEED SUPPORT ON ALL LEVELS, INCLUDING STEADY MEDIA COVERAGE

It is well known that for any Independent Baseball franchise present or future to succeed it almost certainly needs good ownership, a quality stadium and the support of local government, business and the media.

I know first hand how the lack of any of factors can spell doom.

I also saw, once again in recent days, a setup every municipality could well try to emulate if it really wants a flourishing local franchise.

I had the opportunity to be on hand for an American Association game in the Nebraska capitol city of Lincoln between the Saltdogs and the El Paso (TX) Diablos.

Lincoln has it clicking on all fronts, as, I believe, is the case in such other Independent cities as Winnipeg, Canada, and the Pennsylvania communities of York and Lancaster. There certainly are others where there is a beautiful stadium, wonderful ownership and good local political and business support.

But I also know the media piece is not nearly as strong in some areas, and in many of those instances past and present the team is struggling. How can a team draw sufficient fan support if they do not see the media on board in a consistent and quality manner. A few paragraphs hidden on Page 4 or 5 of the sports section just don’t do the job. Fans need to be introduced to the players and to the personality of the team whether it is winning consistently or not.

The next morning after the Saltdogs’ game The Lincoln Journal Star, serving a market of more than 200,000 where University of Nebraska sports reigns supreme, delivered marvelous coverage for its local professional baseball fans, and I seriously doubt the fact the team won, 4-1, prompted the decision.

“Saltdogs’ bullpen closes out Diablos” was the lead story in the sports section, which did not overlook the world sports scene. And right above that headline were a few words accompanied by logos telling everyone the next game would be played that afternoon, where the radio coverage could be found for those who couldn’t get to the game and a notice that JournalStar.com had a gallery of photos from the previous night’s game, which drew more than 4,700 spectators.

If Lincoln can package all facets to make certain local–and area–fans can enjoy this sport day in and day out throughout a summer, then other communities should be able to do it as well.

KINNEY GOES TO TRIPLE-A; PRIOR RELEASED

It was somewhat surprising to see the Seattle Mariners remove veteran reliever Josh Kinney from their 40-man roster and outright him to Class AAA Tacoma after he had finished his 60-day time on the disabled list and worked through rehab appearances, but then the M’s do not seem to be going anywhere this season so a younger arm probably seemed more attractive. Kinney, a onetime prominent World Series reliever for St. Louis and with a great deal of major league experience, started his professional journey in O’Fallon, MO, home to the Frontier League’s River City Rascals.

It also was disappointing, though perhaps not as surprising, to see Cincinnati give an outright release to onetime Chicago Cubs star Mark Prior, who logged Independent time at Orange County (Fullerton, CA, Golden League) as he tried to get his once top shelf career back on track.


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Friday, June 21, 2013

MONTANEZ CELEBRATES RETURN TO AFFILIATED BASEBALL WITH 4-FOR-5 GAME

One game cannot tell the full story, but another tuneup in Independent Baseball may be on its way to a successful ending in the affiliated game.

Outfielder Lou Montanez, who was in the major leagues for part of every season between 2008 and 2011 (Baltimore and the Chicago Cubs), had the first Independent stint of his 14-year professional career this season, and when he got back to the affiliated game on Thursday broke in with a 4-for-5 performance that included a home run, double, four RBI and three runs.

Montanez drove in 41 runs in 52 games for the Somerset (NJ) Patriots (Atlantic League) before the Los Angeles Angels purchased his contract and sent him to Arkansas (North Little Rock) of the Class AA Texas League.

“It was a blessing that the Angels saw something good in me in Independent ball and gave me the opportunity, the 31-year-old told MLB.com. “I’m grateful. It’s always good to start on a good foot. I can’t lie, I had a lot of nerves today, some anxiety, but good things happened and it worked out to my advantage.”

SINNERY’S ALL-STAR DEBUT

Right-handed pitcher Brandon Sinnery, whose pro career started in Independent Baseball and is in his first affiliated season in ’13, worked two-thirds of a scoreless inning (one hit) to help the East to a 6-5 Midwest League All-Star victory in Dayton, OH this week.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 170 pounds, the 23-year-old spent last season building a 9-2 record between Lincoln, NE (American Association) and London (Waterford, MI) of the Frontier League before Arizona signed him in the offseason. He is 4-2, 2.87, mostly as a starter, for South Bend, IN.

SECOND CHANCE IN SHORT PERIOD FOR STRIKEOUT KING

Mike Recchia got a short look in Baltimore’s minor league spring training camp this year after breaking the 20-year-old Frontier League record with 177 strikeouts and being named the league’s top pitcher last season for his 11-3, 2.51 campaign with Windy City (Crestwood, IL). He is getting another opportunity now after taking the lead in Frontier League strikeouts again with the ThunderBolts, this time with his contract purchased for the Chicago White Sox farm system.

Recchia was one of a trio of Frontier League players purchased by major league organizations for their farm systems this week.


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Monday, June 17, 2013

KENSING BACK IN MAJORS, KINNEY LIKELY ON THE WAY

One more former Independent Baseball player has made his way back onto an active major league roster, and it seems safe to say another one will be added any day now.

The new name is Logan Kensing, who has 134 major league appearances to his credit but not a single one since 2009 when he had time with both Florida and Washington. Kensing lost his major league status with shoulder woes, and ended up for a time in the Atlantic League (Bridgeport, CT) in ’11.

Colorado activated the soon-to-be 31-year-old Sunday after he had saved seven games for Triple-A Colorado Springs while posting an 0-1, 2.57 record. He is a combined 8-9 with two saves for his previous major league outings, which started with Florida in ’05.

The next name to watch for is longtime reliever Josh Kinney, who has yet to pitch for Seattle this season because of a stress reaction on the left side of his rib cage. Kinney, who started his professional career in the Frontier League (River City, O’Fallon, MO), made one rehab appearance with Tacoma May 17, then had to be shut down again, but he has thrown a shutout inning three times in the last week without even allowing a hit or a walk.

Meanwhile, the New York Mets have sent righty reliever Greg Burke, another who started in the Independent game (Atlantic City, NJ, Atlantic League), back to Triple-A Las Vegas for the second time this season.

RABEN GETS FIRST ROUND-TRIPPER IN ROYALS SYSTEM

I have been wanting to see what first baseman-outflelder Dennis Raben would do once he reported to Kansas City’s high-A farm club in Wilmington, DE after he had pounded 10 homers in only 23 games in the American Association (Lincoln, NE).

It took three games for Raben to hit one out in the Carolina League. The left-handed hitter is 4-for-14 (.286) for four games, and has a .375 on-base percentage. The other hits have been singles.

SHAWN HILL MUST BE BREATHING EASIER

The good news for Shawn Hill, who meteorically climbed from the York (PA) Revolution of the Atlantic League to one appearance for the Detroit Tigers last season, is that the Toledo Mud Hens have kept the right-hander in the starting rotation all season despite an 0-8 start.

That drought ended over the weekend when the 32-year-old, making his 15th start of the year, limited Syracuse to four hits and one run in seven innings to claim a victory. He is now at 1-8, 5.82 for Toledo.

THOSE DREADED RELEASES

Right-handed pitchers Andrew Aizenstadt (Wichita, KS, American Association) and Erik Arnesen (Somerset, NJ, Atlantic League) have been handed pink slips. Aizenstadt was in the Philadelphia organization, Arnesen with Oakland after starting the year with the Patriots.


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Friday, June 07, 2013

'NEARLY UNHITTABLE' NIX LEAVES SUGAR LAND FOR TRIPLE-A WHITE SOX OPPORTUNITY

 

So often we hear of pitchers having their career rescued when they move from starting to the bullpen and throw at a considerably faster speed.

It appears Michael Nix’s move the other direction to starting has given him a new lease to the point the Chicago White Sox just signed the 30-year-old right-hander from Sugar Land, TX (Atlantic League) and are sending him to Triple-A Charlotte.

York, PA Manager Mark Mason, who had Nix as closer with the Revolution two years ago, had told me a few days ago that Nix had “great fastball command” this season and that his “secondary pitches now are almost unhittable”. Nix had been used exclusively in relief at Auburn, for four years in the Atlanta Braves farm system plus Atlantic League stints at Newark and York until Sugar Land moved him into the rotation part way into last year.

Nix went 5-1 with an Atlantic League-best 1.81 earned run average in eight outings (seven starts) this season for Sugar Land, which could use his services for this weekend’s first place showdown at Somerset, NJ. He is the fourth Skeeters player signed by a major league organization in recent weeks.

NCAA SOFTBALL AND BASEBALL, NOW TIME OFF FOR ADAM AMIN

Talented broadcaster Adam Amin left the Somerset (NJ) Patriots for an ESPN job after doing Atlantic League games in 2010 and 2011, but he mentioned various Independent Baseball tie-ins when we chatted this week that have occurred since in his travels to broadcast college football and basketball as well as recent NCAA softball and baseball regional tournaments.

His partner last weekend for the baseball tournament in Tallahassee, FL was longtime Tennessee coach Rod Delmonico, whose son Tony is with Schaumburg, IL in the Frontier League although currently on the disabled list. Amin plans to do a few Boomers games on radio this summer to stay sharp while off from his ESPN duties. It so happens that friend Andy Viano is the team’s president and Schaumburg is an easy drive from his home in Chicago.

Amin was paired with Indy superscout Nick Belmonte in the Tallahassee regional last year, and a fellow ESPN voice is that of onetime quarterback Danny Kanell, who reminded Adam that he played in the Atlantic League at one time for Newark, NJ.

CROSSING PATHS

My week, as anyone who read Thursday’s Independent Baseball Insider knows, included a trip from Connecticut across the New York border to see the interleague skirmish between the host Rockland Boulders (Can-Am League) and the American Association’s St. Paul (MN) Saints. I ran into a trim and fit looking Marv Goldklang, the Saints’ chairman. He had back surgery a year or so ago, but said he is now back to running.

Another familiar face at the game was Kevin Winn, who supervises umpires in both of those leagues. He has had a busy past three weeks checking out his crews.

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Friday, May 31, 2013

SUGAR LAND LOSES THIRD PLAYER; RICE, NUNO, CHRISTIAN IN THE NEWS

 

It almost had to happen that the Sugar Land (TX) Skeeters would pay a price for their great start in the Atlantic League.  The Skeeters have lost three players to major league organizations--13 in their first two seasons--with the latest being infielder Chase Lambin, who joined Kansas City's top farm club in Omaha.

Lambin’s signing should encourage others who are hoping to get fresh opportunities well into their 30s. He has a lot of Triple-A experience, but has not been in the majors and turns 34 in early July.
Sugar Land sold RHP Sean Gallagher to Colorado and OF Dustin Martin to Arizona earlier this season.

THE INDEPENDENT ROLE IN METS’ SWEEP OF YANKEES

Fourteen-year minor leaguer and major league rookie Scott Rice continues to draw attention, including yesterday’s Independent Baseball Insider column where we pointed out he leads the majors in appearances (now 31 in 51 New York Mets games) and last night when he picked up the last two outs (one on a strikeout) in the eighth inning of the shocking four-game Mets sweep of the New York Yankees.

His ability to get ground balls was praised by Mets Manager Terry Collins as well as by Manager Mark Mason of York, PA, who was Rice’s pitching coach when he was with the Revolution in 2011.
“None of that 95 (MPH) stuff,” Collins said to The Newark (NJ) Star-Ledger earlier this week. “He just makes pitches. He’s certainly been a huge, huge savior for us. The hits he’s given up that have perhaps given up runs have been groundball singles. So you got to like that option.”

In talking to me about why so many Independent Baseball hurlers make it as relievers in the major leagues, Mason said Rice “throws downhill so much.” He described it this way: If a ball is rolled across a flat dining room table it can be easy to hit, but now if that table is slanted down it becomes so much tougher to make contact. “And you don’t have to throw hard,” Mason added.

The Star-Ledger attributed a statistic to FanGraphs this week, saying 69.4 per cent of batted balls off Rice have been on the ground. This ranked as the second best percentage among major league relievers. No. 1? That would be Arizona’s Brad Ziegler, another former Independent leaguer (Schaumburg, IL., then in the Northern League).

The strong start of Independent grad Vidal Nuno (Washington, PA, Frontier League) went to waste for the Yankees in their 3-1 defeat Thursday. The rookie lefty only allowed three hits and two runs in six innings, but one blow was a two-run homer by Marlon Byrd.

CHRISTIAN’S STRONG MAY

The way the St. Louis Cardinals have been playing it may be difficult for a player like veteran Justin Christian to get back to the major leagues, but the outfielder is doing what he can at Triple-A Memphis. Christian, 33, had a 10-game hitting streak end Thursday, but he still is at a .303 clip for May.

Christian, who started his professional career in the Frontier League (River City) and eventually played in the Atlantic League (Southern Maryland), is hitting .275 for the season with three homers, 20 RBI and six steals in 52 games.
 
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Tuesday, May 21, 2013

OKLAHOMA FAMILY WAS SAFE, BUT NEWS WAS NOT FAST ENOUGH; THIELBAR MAKES EARLY DEBUT

 

Tragedies such as the horrendous tornado that struck Moore, OK Monday always hit home for so many who live or have lived or have family members in the devastated area.  This goes for baseball players, too, who cannot always be with their loved ones.

Two members of Atlantic League teams in Pennsylvania felt the Moore tragedy in this manner, and there no doubt are others in similar situations.

Will Savage, who was scheduled to start Monday night’s game for Lancaster, heard from his wife that a tornado was in the area. “It was pretty stressful for awhile (after that), because the cell-phone service wasn’t working,” he told The York Dispatch. “And then they were finally able to get ahold of me once they (his wife and one-year-old son) got out to my mother-in-law’s house”, but that was only about 15 minutes before he was to start his pre-game warmup routine.

No doubt more relaxed, the right-hander worked six innings, although he took a 4-3 loss.

York’s Brian Burgamy, a native of Lawton, OK (90 minutes southwest of Moore), found out from his mother that everyone they knew was okay.

THIELBAR DID NOT WASTE ANY TIME

The newest major leaguer out of the Independent ranks, Minnesota Twins lefty Caleb Thielbar, did not get to Atlanta to join the team until shortly after Monday’s game had started. He found himself in the game in the seventh and eighth innings, blanking the Braves on one hit and collecting three strikeouts in the 5-1 Minnesota defeat.

Thielbar is the first player from the neighboring St. Paul Saints (American Association) to play for the Twins. His contract was purchased August 18, 2011 by the Twins, then he worked his way all through the farm system in 21 months to become the 19th Saints player to reach the major leagues.
 
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Friday, May 17, 2013

PLAYERS EARN PROMOTIONS AND A YOUNG UMPIRE GETS HIS CHANCE

Several former Independent players have been given nice promotions in recent days in the affiliated minor leagues.  These include:


–RHP Lance Day, who started his pro career at Grand Prairie, TX (American Association), from Class A to AAA by Houston.

–RHP Shaun Ellis (New Jersey, Can-Am League; El Paso, TX, American Association; Gateway, Frontier League), who was signed before spring training, from A to AA by Cincinnati.

–C Jeff Howell (Lincoln, NE, American Association) from A to AAA by Washington.

–RHP Chris Martin, another who started in the Indy game at Grand Prairie, from AA to AAA by Boston.

–LHP David Quinowski (Lincoln and Gary, IN, American Association; Somerset, NJ, Atlantic League) from A to AA by Baltimore.

–INF Vance Albitz (Lincoln) from AA to AAA by St. Louis.

NEW OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUNG UMPIRE

Anthony Sheets is a 22-year-old who has been umpiring, mostly at the high school level, for six years. He went to Shreveport, LA to audition for professional leagues this winter, The Portsmouth (VA) Daily Times reported recently, and the American Association signed him.

“Watching the game of baseball is fun but being in the game of baseball is a whole different level,” the Wheelersburg High School graduate told the newspaper. “I hope that this can be a career path that I can spend 30 years in but only God knows where this leads me.”

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Saturday, May 11, 2013

TIGERS RELEASE JOHN LINDSEY; GREG SMITH, PEDRO GUERRERO HAVE NEW OPPORTUNITIES

 
The end may have come–at least in the affiliated ranks–for John Lindsey, one of the prominent players to come out of the Can-Am League.

The powerful right-handed hitter now 36 was one of a few intriguing former Independent Baseball players released in recent days. Lindsey was let go in his second season with Detroit’s top farm club in Toledo at a time when he was hitting only .200 (16-for-80, 22 games) although he had four home runs (seven RBI).

Lindsey, who played for the New Jersey Jackals (Little Falls), only reached the major leagues once. He got into 11 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers late in 2010, getting one hit in 12 at-bats.

OTHER RELEASES, SIGNINGS

One surprising release was that of Juan Cedeno (Rio Grande Valley, North American League) from the New York Yankees’ top farm club in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, PA. Not only is he a southpaw, but he was an invitee to the major league spring training camp and he allowed only one earned run in 11 innings spread over 10 appearances in the regular season. He was the SWB team’s All-Star Game representative last season.

The Chicago White Sox cut outfielder Billy Rice from their Class A farm club in Winston-Salem, NC. He formerly played for Camden, NJ of the Atlantic League.

Southpaw Greg Smith, who made six starts for Grand Prairie, TX (American Association) in 2011, one year after spending time with the Colorado Rockies, has a new affiliated opportunity. Philadelphia signed the 29-year-old and assigned him to Double-A Reading, PA.

PEDRO GUERRERO TO MANAGE

Pedro Guerrero had 15 years in the major leagues between St. Louis and the Dodgers and was co-MVP of the 1981 World Series, but he seemed overjoyed when he was announced as manager of the Vallejo (CA) Admirals of the newly-formed Pacific Association (California, Hawaii, Japan) this week. “When (General Manager) Joe (Fontana) called, I was excited; I am still excited,” the 56-year-old Guerrero told The Vallejo Times-Herald. Longtime Dodgers teammate Mike Marshall, the commissioner of the new league, had offered Guerrero’s name among a list of possible managerial candidates.
 
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Sunday, May 05, 2013

CATCHING UP WITH KAZMIR, WILLIAMS, RECENT RELEASED PLAYERS AND A KENTUCKY DERBY OFFER

 

How great it had to feel to Scott Kazmir to get his first major league victory since 2010–number 67 in his career–and he did it in style Saturday, limiting Minnesota to two runs and five hits while striking out seven in six innings during Cleveland’s 7-3 triumph. Remember, the lefty, still only 29, was pitching for the Sugar Land (TX) Skeeters in the Atlantic League last year at this time.

Another former Atlantic Leaguer, Jerome Williams, gets a start today for the Los Angeles Angels. The 2011 Lancaster (PA) Barnstormer has been in the bullpen for quite a while, but those six sterling relief innings he gave the Angels recently helped give him this opportunity to quiet Baltimore.

FIGUEROA, BILLY RICE RELEASED

Nelson Figueroa’s time with Arizona’s top farm club in Reno, NV has come to an end with the onetime Long Island (NY) Ducks righty being released. Outfielder Billy Rice (Camden, NJ, Atlantic) was released out of Class A by the Chicago White Sox.

DERBY HORSE EARNS TWO-FOR-ONE DEAL FOR YORK FANS

Because of the similarity in names, the York (PA) Revolution are giving fans who attended Saturday night’s Atlantic League game the opportunity to turn in their ticket stub for a two-for-one deal to attend any remaining weekday home game all because the horse Revolutionary finished third in the Kentucky Derby. Rewards would have been greater had Calvin Borel gotten his mount to finish first or second.

MOVING UP

Chris Patterson has quite a resume, pitching at North Dakota State and in three Independent leagues, playing in Germany, France, Italy and Australia, working in various pay-to-play winter leagues and earning Manager of the Year honors in both the Continental and Pecos leagues.

His newest opportunity is to manage Rio Grande Valley (Harlingen, TX) in the re-minted United League. Patterson already has three former Texas Longhorns on the WhiteWings roster.

THE LATEST ON MARK PRIOR

We noted in last week’s Independent Baseball Insider column that veteran major leaguer Mark Prior, who pitched for a time at Orange County (Fullerton, CA) when the Golden League was in operation, had been idle for some time with Cincinnati’s Triple-A farm club in Louisville. He now has gone onto the disabled list although it is only required players be inactive for seven days.
 
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Monday, April 29, 2013

PAYING TRIBUTE TO SPARKY LYLE AND TWO RECENT INDEPENDENT HURLERS

It will be one sentimental evening at TD Bank Ballpark in Somerset, NJ Friday when the Patriots host Sparky Lyle Tribute Night to honor the mustachioed one for his 15 years of managing the Atlantic League team which included five championships and more than 1,000 victories.

Now 68, Albert Walter Lyle also won 99 major league games and saved another 222 plus still more before the first official save rule went into effect. That is a lot of winning baseball for the left-hander now considered manager emeritus for Somerset.

ADDING ON TO KYLE SCHEPEL'S STORY

I singled out Arizona farmhand Kyle Schepel in last week's Independent Baseball Insider column because of the seven-inning no-hitter he threw for South Bend, IN in his initial season after being signed out of an Independent league. Mal Fichman, who signed the right-hander after an invitation-only tryout camp in Joliet, IL last September as one of his final feats before moving on to scout the Indy leagues for Baltimore, added some perspective on just how meaningful it can be to move into a major league organization for anyone who starts his career in a non-affiliated league and for those close to him.

Schepel spent last summer with Rockford, IL in the Frontier League. Fichman said Rockford Manager Rich Austin "may have been happier than Schepel" that his pitcher impressed enough for the Diamondbacks to sign him. While it seems unlikely the manager was actually happier, the comment says a great deal about how much someone like Austin wants the best for his players.
Fichman's email also said "Schepel and his father sat in the dugout for a few minutes (after the signing) to go over some things" before the three of them walked to their cars. "I thought they were going to fly home rather than drive," Fichman concluded.

The 22-year-old Schepel won again Saturday to run his record to 2-0 for four starts, and he has allowed only 15 hits in 24.2 innings while building a 2.55 earned run average.

ADD ONE MORE TO MAJOR LEAGUES

The newest Independent leaguer to reach the major leagues is southpaw Vidal Nuno, now with the New York Yankees less than two years after his contract was purchased from Washington, PA in the Frontier League.

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