Wednesday, May 21, 2014

TRACY MC GRADY'S SECOND START COMES UP THURSDAY

Alright you Tracy McGrady fans, start No. 2 in the NBA great’s professional baseball career comes up Thursday night (ESPN3 and other ESPN platforms) when the Sugar Land (TX) Skeeters host the York (PA) Revolution about the same time our weekly Independent Baseball Insider column lands in subscriber’s inboxes.

The 8:05 p.m. EDT game also falls on $2 beer and soda night at Constellation Field near Houston, which should not hurt at the gate. McGrady went 1.2 innings allowing two hits and two runs in his initial Atlantic League game May 10, and received generally favorable marks from those who watched.

On perhaps a more serious note for the Skeeters, who are off to a sluggish 11-13 record, All-Star outfielder Adam Godwin has returned to the roster. Godwin set a league record with 50 stolen bases and hit .282 for Gary Gaetti’s 2013 powerhouse, but started this season in Mexico.

MORE NAME-DROPPING

Pitcher Mike Piazza, a cousin of the former major league star of the same name, has allowed only two hits in 5.2 innings (two appearances) so far with Laredo, TX in the American Association. He made one start, and shows a 0-0, 3.17 log for the Lemurs.

Ozzie Guillen’s son, Ozney, landed a Frontier League job. The third baseman, 22, is with Normal, IL and has a double in five at-bats after four appearances. “This is the first time he’s seen me with a professional uniform,” the younger Guillen told SouthtownStar.com when the former Chicago White Sox manager attended a preseason game.


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Friday, May 09, 2014

MARTE STAYS HOT, MC GRADY'S DEBUT SET AND SOME DAZZLING NUMBERS FOR THE MANAGER'S DAUGHTER

How quickly things develop.

It was only last night when I finished my weekly Independent Baseball Insider column and sent it to subscribers (www.WirzandAssociates.com) that I said Andy Marte, who was still playing in the Atlantic League (York, PA) one year ago, had been on such a hot streak he could well be one of the next Indy players to get to the majors (Arizona). And, I had more praise for former NBA star Tracy McGrady although I said we still did not know when the Sugar Land (TX) Skeeters would take him off the inactive list for his Atlantic League debut.

Marte, who hit .301 with 19 homers and 74 RBI for the Revolution last season, had another big night Thursday for the D-Backs’ Triple-A Reno, NV farm club, driving in four runs with a homer and single in three at-bats and jumping his batting average 12 points to .309. He has gone 14 for his last 25 (.560) and now has three homers and 15 driven in for 29 games.

TRACY MC GRADY TO DEBUT SATURDAY

Sugar Land announced later Thursday that McGrady will make his much-anticipated professional baseball debut tomorrow (Saturday) night, starting for the Skeeters in the Houston suburb against rival Somerset, NJ.

The game starts at 7:05 EDT and will be seen on ESPN3 and the network’s digital platform.

What a showcase for the Atlantic League and all of Independent Baseball.

LUIS GARCIA REJOINS PHILLIES

It had been apparent for some time (Insider, April 24) Philadelphia had to be keeping its eye on former Can-Am League (Newark, NJ) reliever Luis Garcia, who to date has a perfect ERA plus two wins and six saves in 11 outings for their Lehigh Valley (Allentown, PA) farm club.

The Phils gave Garcia his second call-up of the season Thursday. Unfortunately, the right-hander was charged with the final five runs (three earned) in a 12-6 loss to Toronto hours later. He allowed four hits and a walk in two innings (44 pitches).

UMPS, MANAGERS NEEDED

Pecos League Founder Andrew Dunn’s most important goal, he told us this week, in taking the four-year-old league that features recent college players to the next step in its development is to find 10 good managers (pay ranges from $5,000-$15,000 for the 70-game season) and 10 quality umpires.

HOW ABOUT THESE MOUND NUMBERS?

St. Paul (MN) Saints (American Association) Manager George Tsamis made it to the major leagues for part of one season as a lefty reliever for Minnesota. Now, he has a budding pitching star in his own family.

Daughter Casey, a senior at Bacon Academy in the family hometown of Colchester, CT who probably is headed to the University of Rhode Island, has struck out 35 batters and has not walked anyone so far in 29 innings this season while compiling a 5-0 record for the softball team.


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Friday, May 02, 2014

WALKS HAUNTED HERRERA WITH ANGELS

Yoslan Herrera seemed to be rolling along nicely out of the Los Angeles Angels’ bullpen when all of a sudden the right-hander, who was pitching in the Atlantic League (Lancaster, PA) last year, had a game against Cleveland in which he gave up two hits, a walk and two runs without retiring anyone and all of a sudden he was sent back to Salt Lake City.

Herrera’s earned run average bumped up from under 2.00 to 4.50 since he had only worked six innings in seven appearances. It probably was walks which cost him since he issued seven passes in those six innings.

COLABELLO COWBELLS

Chris Colabello, the second year sensation out of the Can-Am League, is to be honored at Target Field Friday night with a giveaway of cowbells. It may be a stretch to think cowbells because of the first baseman-outfielder’s name, but then again such attention only helps his overall buildup by the Minnesota Twins.

KEEPING UP WITH NAVA, GARCIA AND BROCK PETERSON

Daniel Nava had another 1-for-3 night (one strikeout) on Thursday for Pawtucket, RI, but the Boston outfielder, hoping to get back to Fenway Park soon, still is hitting .333 (7-for-21) with a .400 on-base percentage since being farmed out six games ago.

Brock Peterson continues to drive in a decent amount of runs in Triple-A with his 11th in 26 games for Syracuse Thursday, but it is probably going to take one of his power shows before the parent Washington Nationals consider him. Peterson, who played his Independent baseball for Bridgeport, CT in the Atlantic League, still has not homered in 98 at-bats this season. The first baseman is hitting .235 with four extra base hits (three doubles, a triple) among his 23 hits.

Luis Garcia (Newark, NJ, Can-Am League) continues to excel for Philadelphia’s top farm club. He picked up his fourth save Thursday to go along with a 2-0 record and a perfect ERA for Lehigh Valley (Allentown, PA). Garcia has allowed six hits spread over 11 innings in eight appearances.


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