Indy Baseball Chatter: LIST OF RELEASED PLAYERS IS LENGTHY

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

LIST OF RELEASED PLAYERS IS LENGTHY

This is a tough one to write.

While it was not unexpected, more than 40 Independent Baseball players whose contracts had been picked up by major league organizations have been released in recent days out of minor league camps. It happens every spring--and not merely to Independent players--as the minor league operations departments put together the rosters of their full-season affiliates. More cuts will have to come, but the number should not be nearly as hefty.

Some of these players will land jobs in other organizations, but the vast majority probably will be back in tryout camps, showing up on 2008 Independent rosters or will give up on everyone's goal of playing in the major leagues and find a new career path.

The recent releases include two outfielders who were non-roster invitees to major league camps, Jorge Piedra (Long Island, NY, Atlantic League) with Florida and Chad Hermansen (Sioux Falls, SD, American Association) with the Los Angeles Angels. Hermansen saw only limited major league action in the Cactus League while Piedra, a left-handed hitter who turns 29 later this month, had a solid showing, hitting .400 (4-for-10) with a home run and a .455 on-base percentage. Former major leaguer Junior Spivey, who played briefly for the World Champion Red Sox this spring, also has been released.

Other players released include John Anderson, Chadd Blasko, Steve Boggs, Tim Brown, Ken Chenard, Ian Church, Derrick Ellison, Branden Florence, Sheldon Fulse, Chris Fussell, Lino Garcia, Chris Grossman, Lee Gwaltney, Gerald Haran, Joe Hulett, Mike Just, Jared Locke, Brian Logan, Sam Marsonek, Luke Massetti, Charles Merricks, Brent Metheny, Jeff Nettles, Franklin Nunez, Dustin Pease, Eddie Pena, Brian Peterson, Josh Pressley, Scott Richmond, Chris Rivera, Jim Rushford, Luany Sanchez, Gary Schneidmiller, Dan Schwartz, Juan Senreiso, Mike Thompson, Steve Torrealba, J. J. Trujillo, Mike Vicaro, Cory Willey, James Wladyka, and Jeremy Zick.

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Bob Wirz

Former chief spokesman for Major League Baseball Commissioners Bowie Kuhn and Peter Ueberroth. Six years as publicity director for the Kansas City Royals, and a background in newspaper, radio and television. Started Wirz & Associates, a sports PR and consulting firm, in 1985. Has written extensively on Independent Baseball since 2003.

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About 'My Nebraska'

It seems almost universally accepted that Nebraskans are friendly, hard-working people.

A native son, who eventually transitioned to the East Coast because it was the best avenue to follow his passion of continuing to work in major league baseball, has published a book to share a lifetime of memories of growing up in the Cornhusker state.

You may have guessed it when you saw the title: My Nebraska. Yes, Bob Wirz, now a youthful 85, is sharing his "rich memories of growing up in rural Nebraska" in the 1940s and 1950s in a delightful 136 pages in the book produced by Dorrance Publishing in Pittsburgh, PA.

Wirz, who got to live his passion of working at the highest levels of baseball and later developing his own sports public relations and marketing company, lovingly empties out his memories of everything from counting millions of tiny trees to playing grass-roots baseball where the age of teammates might run from the early teens to the 50s.

The colorful cover of My Nebraska, which features two paintings from Dunning, NE rancher/artist Laron McGinn that depict the beautiful landscape of rural Nebraska and the ranching lifestyle, sets the tone for the 5 x 8 book also filled with meaningful pictures.

It is "a wistful and endearing love letter to Nebraska filled with memories shared by generations raised in small towns throughout the Midwest", praises Shari Veil, who heads up the journalism and mass communications department at the University of Nebraska.

My Nebraska, a 5x8 paperback, is priced at $19.95 plus $4.00 for handling and shipping. Autographed copies may be ordered at www.WirzandAssociates.com