tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-249136132024-02-08T08:51:29.841-05:00Indy Baseball ChatterIndy Baseball Chatter is dedicated entirely to Independent Baseball<br><br>
More than 325 players have gained major league status since Independent Baseball started in 1993. Get a complete list for your private enjoyment for only $9.95.
See link below, right.Bob Wirzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01271728075023143363noreply@blogger.comBlogger652125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24913613.post-17684448203388092962022-12-23T15:59:00.003-05:002022-12-23T15:59:35.287-05:00AFTER RECORD-TYING YEAR, MORE INDEPENDENT PLAYERS EARN NEW OPPORTUNITIESIndependent Baseball's contributions to the major leagues continue to impress as evidenced by a second consecutive season in 2022 of equaling the record number of the players who were in The Show during the season. Two recent stories give a head start for more of the same for next season.Before getting into the newest stories, a review seems appropriate. IndyBaseballChatter.com Bob Wirzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01271728075023143363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24913613.post-64259374805161449872022-01-07T15:37:00.001-05:002022-01-07T15:37:38.542-05:00SOME PLAYERS ARE MAKING NEWS DESPITE THE LOCKOUTNews about established major league baseball
players is not easy to find these days because of the lockout, but when one
digs, especially in the ranks of former Independent players, stories are
plentiful. Transactions at the Indy
level are not taboo, as IndyBaseballChatter
will prove with this writing.
Promotions to major league rosters, spring
training invitations, free agent signings andBob Wirzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01271728075023143363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24913613.post-44852213962894025242021-10-26T17:19:00.000-04:002021-10-26T17:19:52.811-04:00AMAZING MATZEK, MARTIN GIVE INDEPENDENTS BRAGGING RIGHTS IN WORLD SERIESThis has been an incredible year for Independent Baseball in that a record number of players--record by far, we should say--have had the distinction of wearing major league uniforms.The jubilation continues right into the World Series with two of these bright lights as key members of the Atlanta Braves bullpen. Lefty Tyler Matzek has been brilliant, and 6-foot-8 right-hander Chris Martin Bob Wirzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01271728075023143363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24913613.post-80722820625436886742021-09-28T17:03:00.000-04:002021-09-28T17:03:36.452-04:00CAN YOU BELIEVE? RECORD 54 INDEPENDENT PLAYERS IN MAJORS IN 2021 The 2021 season is going down in history with regard to the involvement of players who have played in at least one Independent league during their career and have later earned major league time. In both 2016 and 2017 an all-time high 45 Indy players appeared with one of the 30 major league teams. The total was obliterated--destroyed or wiped out also would work--in the Bob Wirzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01271728075023143363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24913613.post-36625262710349641782021-07-21T16:42:00.001-04:002021-07-21T16:42:38.819-04:00INDEPENDENT LEAGUES WELL REPRESENTED IN OLYMPICSTravel anywhere that baseball is played at a high level, and the Independent leagues will be represented.This includes the resumption of the sport in the Japan Olympics starting this week. Our list most likely is incomplete, yet 11 Indy vets, some from this season, have been identified on Olympic rosters. Israel and the Dominican Republic have the heaviest representation. The Bob Wirzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01271728075023143363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24913613.post-66672129700214199462021-07-09T16:38:00.003-04:002021-07-11T18:15:09.577-04:00Seven make majors after indy time, led by Cubs' Tommy NanceMajor league roster changes are made at such a furious pace these days if one blinks someone else is in the news.One thing is certain, especially in these times when the big-league guys have trimmed their farm systems: The majors need the Independent Leagues more than ever as proven by the fact more than 100 players have been purchased--many at escalated prices--already in 2021. It Bob Wirzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01271728075023143363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24913613.post-79705433168760570852021-05-05T17:30:00.002-04:002021-05-05T17:30:53.181-04:00Perhaps Not Another Mercedes, But Anthony Bender a New Major Leaguer While
it seems totally safe to say nothing is going to top Yermin Mercedes's amazing
production for the Chicago White Sox in terms of contributions from Independent
Baseball graduates during the 2021 season, it always will be a Red Letter Day
when another name is added for the very first time to an active major league
roster.
&Bob Wirzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01271728075023143363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24913613.post-51399490752998621262021-04-02T15:07:00.003-04:002021-04-02T15:10:29.972-04:00INDEPENDENT BASEBALL CLAIMS 16 SPOTS ON MAJOR LEAGUE ROSTERS; 4 OTHERS INJURED Two players with a single game of
major league experience are among the 16 onetime Independent Baseball graduates
who have opened the regular season with big-league jobs, the annual review by IndyBaseballChatter.com has revealed. Another four are on the injured list.
Bob Wirzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01271728075023143363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24913613.post-88323811930473845492021-03-29T16:51:00.001-04:002021-03-29T16:51:33.902-04:00Nogowski, Dobnak, Thielbar Have Majors Jobs, Others Still Hopeful It is still about 72 hours until the cry of Play
Ball becomes real so much can happen as major league teams juggle their rosters
to get to the 26-man Opening Day limit.
But considerable positive news
already is known for some of the former Independent Baseball players who
started spring training last month Bob Wirzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01271728075023143363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24913613.post-17548249247131978702021-03-17T17:25:00.000-04:002021-03-17T17:25:02.029-04:00GUERRA BACK IN BIGS AS VARIOUS OTHER SPRING TRAINING BATTLES CONTINUE The first sure
thing--if there is such a thing for non-poster boys in spring training--is that
veteran right-hander Junior Guerra, a onetime starting pitcher in the American
Association, will open the season in the major leagues with the Los Angeles
Angels.
Although a Bob Wirzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01271728075023143363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24913613.post-31004751366571538542021-02-26T16:25:00.000-05:002021-02-26T16:25:32.348-05:00Kazmir, Roe Help Lift Indy Count in MLB Camps Past One Year Ago With veterans Scott Kazmir and Chaz Roe
leading the way, four more pitchers have jumped the count of former Independent
league players in major league spring training camps to 52. That is one more than last spring, with 44 of
them being mound hopefuls.
The addition of the left-handed
Kazmir, who was at Sugar Land, TX of the Atlantic League in 2012Bob Wirzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01271728075023143363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24913613.post-51082910853974186192021-02-19T13:07:00.000-05:002021-02-19T13:07:19.721-05:00WITH TINY DROP, 48 ONETIME INDEPENDENT PLAYERS IN MLB CAMPS Since last year's minor league season was a near total loss because of the pandemic and Independent Baseball players were not being purchased by major league organizations one might have expected a sizable drop in the number former unaffiliated players in major league spring training camps this time around. It is not so. The annual research by Bob Wirzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01271728075023143363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24913613.post-32733604632373294192021-02-12T15:44:00.001-05:002021-02-12T15:44:32.697-05:00INDY TEAM COUNT AT 71 FOR '21; MLB NON-ROSTER INVITATIONS GROWING After all of
the shakedown because of the major leagues reducing their number of minor
league affiliates, Independent Baseball has seen a significant increase for the
new season. www.independentbaseball.net, which tracks all of the current
leagues as well as projected startups, lists 71 teams expected to play this
season at thisBob Wirzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01271728075023143363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24913613.post-49244064659719050802021-01-22T12:54:00.000-05:002021-01-22T12:54:56.101-05:00MLB TEAMS NOT BUYING PLAYERS, BUT INDEPENDENT VETS STILL PROSPERING After a year without a great many games and with the major leagues streamlining their minor league systems starting in 2021, the purchasing of Independent Baseball players is nearly at a standstill (temporarily, we hope), but for those who entered the affiliated ranks prior to COVID-19 the opportunities with the 30 big-league organizations continue to be available.IndyBaseballChatter.com&Bob Wirzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01271728075023143363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24913613.post-28802664066094533372020-12-10T16:39:00.000-05:002020-12-10T16:39:20.333-05:00TRIO OF ONETIME INDEPENDENT PLAYERS CHOSEN IN RULE 5 DRAFTWhile so much still is to be determined before the (presumed) 2021 Independent Baseball season unfolds, two right-handed pitchers who started their professional career in the Frontier League and a third who also played in that circuit have new major league organizations to look forward to joining in the year ahead as the result of being selected in Thursday's Rule 5 draft.Matt Wivinis, who Bob Wirzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01271728075023143363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24913613.post-61088352178976201162020-10-22T13:40:00.018-04:002020-10-22T13:47:58.389-04:00NICK ANDERSON CARRIES THE LOAD, AND DOES SO ADMIRABLYTampa Bay reliever Nick Anderson is the only player with Independent Baseball experience in the World Series. He would have been joined by two other pitchers, Chris Martin and Tyler Matzek, had Atlanta been able to get past the Dodgers in the final game of the NLCS. Anderson is a more than worthy candidate to carry the flag for the 270 other Indy grads (Source: IndyBaseballChatter) who haveBob Wirzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01271728075023143363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24913613.post-31355507576782585162020-10-07T16:25:00.007-04:002020-10-07T22:48:24.777-04:00OH, THOSE (INDEPENDENT) RELIEVERS DAZZLING IN MLB POSTSEASONBoth the NL Division Series between Atlanta and Miami and the ALDS tussle
featuring Tampa Bay and the New York Yankees are terrific showcases for the type
of relief pitchers Independent Baseball can brag about these days. The Braves
and Marlins both have a pair of bullpen stars with Indy experience. With Atlanta
holding the upper hand entering play Wednesday, southpaw Tyler Matzek and rightyBob Wirzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01271728075023143363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24913613.post-56513416687057856982020-09-25T17:30:00.003-04:002020-10-07T22:41:59.165-04:00AT LEAST 9 ONETIME INDEPENDENT LEAGUE PLAYERS APPEAR HEADED TO THE POSTSEASONThis is truly a moving target because several teams are on the edge toward earning major league baseball postseason berths and roster changes are still being made daily. But as of late Friday, IndyBaseballChatteris tabbing nine former Independent Baseball players as likely eligibles for next week's first round of the 16-team playoffs. Here are those most likely participants by team with theBob Wirzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01271728075023143363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24913613.post-83509513525747717992020-08-17T17:37:00.003-04:002020-08-19T11:35:28.151-04:00JOHN NOGOWSKI JOINS ST. LOUIS, EARNS SOME ATTENTION FOR INDEPENDENT LEAGUE POSITION PLAYERSPitchers almost always seem to dominate when discussing the former Independent Baseball players who have made it to the major leagues. That could easily be the case today, too, but the hurlers must step aside for moment because the newest player to reach baseball's pinnacle is a hitter.The new man in the spotlight--the 266th on the distinguished list maintained by IndyBaseballChatter--is StBob Wirzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01271728075023143363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24913613.post-87564770768125880482020-08-04T18:43:00.001-04:002020-08-04T18:43:27.664-04:00INDY GRADS BENEFIT FROM MARLINS' VIRUS ISSUES
While the COVID-19 surge that shut down the Miami Marlins for more
than a week was a devastating blow for Don Mattingly's young team it has proven
to be a fortunate break for two former Independent Baseball pitchers and could
help still others.
Hard-throwing James Hoyt and southpaw Brian Moran have new
baseball lives with the Marlins organization that may well not have happened
without the Bob Wirzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01271728075023143363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24913613.post-10287033421004039632020-07-28T15:53:00.001-04:002020-07-28T15:53:10.882-04:00MAJOR LEAGUE COUNT CLIMBS TO 24 AND 4 ADDED TO ALTERNATE TRAINING SITEOnly five days into the major league season and the tally of former Independent players on active major league rosters has improved to 24, with four new additions to the Alternate Training Site rosters including one player who started his professional career in an unaffiliated league.
One of the additions to active duty was an oversight in our Opening Day report in that we overlooked veteran Bob Wirzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01271728075023143363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24913613.post-39141333901275270132020-07-24T15:17:00.000-04:002020-07-24T15:17:30.125-04:002019 AMERICAN ASSOCIATION HURLER AMONG 5 INDY GRADS WHO MAKE JUMP TO MAJORSThe major leagues' so-called Summer Camp turned out to be a bonanza for at least five players with Independent Baseball playing experience, with the American Association's bounce-back lefty Tyler Matzek topping the list.
Matzek, who pitched for the Texas AirHogs for significant time each of the last two years in his quest to overcome wildness and other issues and return to the majors for the Bob Wirzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01271728075023143363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24913613.post-75422422272452093852020-07-22T15:45:00.001-04:002020-07-22T15:45:52.140-04:00DURABLE RENE RIVERA JOINS 40-MAN; HOW MANY OTHERS WILL FOLLOW?With the so-called Summer Camp about over, we should know by Friday how many of the 41 players with Independent league experience will be on the expanded 30-man active rosters of major league teams when the season begins.
Durable Rene Rivera appears to have become the first player who did not start Summer Camp on a 40-man roster to earn an Opening Day job. The well-traveled catcher was Bob Wirzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01271728075023143363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24913613.post-29596031336217284102020-07-10T17:49:00.001-04:002020-07-10T17:49:24.487-04:00KICKHAM, deSAN MIGUEL GET MLB SHOTSKansas City T-Bones (American Association) lefty Mike Kickham and Southern Maryland (Atlantic League) catcher Allan deSanMiguel have been added to Spring Training 2.0 rosters, giving Independent Baseball 40 of its graduates with an opportunity to be on major league rosters when the 2020 season finally opens July 23.
Added in recent days as teams fill gaps in their 60-man training camp rosters Bob Wirzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01271728075023143363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24913613.post-20793586461574024432020-06-30T14:48:00.003-04:002020-06-30T14:48:29.887-04:00Wow! 38 With Independent Baseball Experience Invited to Train with MLB Teams...So FarThe 17 onetime Independent Baseball players healthy and still in major league spring training camps when the sport shut down in mid-March because of the COVID-19 pandemic seemed certain all along to be part of re-opening rosters. Add in another five who are on 40-man rosters but had been optioned plus 16 invitees and the non-affiliated leagues have a total of 38 players due to report for Bob Wirzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01271728075023143363noreply@blogger.com0