PROMOTION ALSO HELPING JACKALS BOSS STAY FIT

This may fall into the "nothing ventured nothing gained" category.

New Jersey Jackals President Greg Lockard, who also is chairman of the Can-Am League directors, decided to pay a visit to a Parsippany bicycle shop one day on his way to work at Yogi Berra Stadium in Little Falls. Before he had time to tell a single Yogi story, Lockard and Cycle Craft manager Brendan Poh had started putting together a promotion for the Jackals and the second Floyd Hall-owned team, the Sussex Skyhawks of Augusta.

Don't let it be said the old prexy doesn't know how to cook up a deal for the baseball teams.

May has been National Bike Month, but this deal is going to continue for a while with bicycle safety, a bike rodeo and some giveaways with a few Jackals players--and perhaps some Skyhawks--taking part.

But the part I like best is to know Lockard, who always looks fit and is known to frequent the golf course, is riding a bicycle 8.6 miles from home to the ballpark "two or three days a week."

"It's great exercise," says Lockard, who admits he had not been a regular with this form of transportation is some time. "I'm seeing a conditioning benefit; I really feel good."

He makes one more promise that oneday "soon" he will ride 50 miles between Yogi Berra Stadium and Skylands Park, where the defending league champions play.

It is a nice promotion all the way around.

SOUTH COAST LEAGUE ALIVE THANKS TO ROCKIES FARMHAND

On my master roster of Independent graduates who are now with major league organizations, I only show three players remaining from the South Coast League which had a one-year go at it in 2007. One of them is doing his best to see that the league is not soon forgotten.

When I was doing research for this week's Independent Baseball Insider, up popped Scott Robinson, who is enjoying a dandy season for Colorado's South Atlantic League team in Asheville, NC. Only 20 and now playing the outfield, the right-handed-hitting Robinson is in the top 10 in hitting (.326) and is setting the pace for the Tourists in both runs (30) and hits (58). He also has 16 steals, the type of numbers that speak of a bright future.

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CLAY ZAVADA A WINNER IN HIS DEBUT WHILE JOSE LIMA CHALKS UP A COMPLETE GAME

We noted in this week's Independent Baseball Insider, which went out to subscribers Thursday night, how Max Scherzer of the Arizona Diamondbacks (and a former member of the Fort Worth Cats of the American Association) and Craig Breslow had picked up their first major league victories in recent days. Breslow, the onetime New Jersey Jackal (now in the Can-Am League), got his shortly before Minnesota sent him west to the Oakland Athletics.

Add Clay Zavada to those with a "W". This lefty, who was in the Frontier League (Southern Illinois) one year ago at this time, got his in what could be called more dramatic fashion. It came in his first major league game. Zavada, who had been called up for a day recently only to go back to Double-A Mobile, AL without pitching, had just rejoined the D-Backs Thursday.

The 24-year-old relieved Scherzer in the seventh inning at Florida on the short end of a 3-2 score, struck out two of the three hitters he faced and became the winner when Arizona rallied for two runs in the eighth inning. A neat way to break in.

LIMA GOES THE DISTANCE

These tired eyes could not have been more surprised when reading the recap of last night's Golden League openers than to see that Jose Lima went the full eight innings for Long Beach, CA. Almost unheard of for any hurler to go the distance in an opener, and this longtime major leaguer is not a spring chicken or someone who has dazzled in recent years. Lima was on the short end of a 4-0 decision at Calgary, still his six-hit performance without allowing a single walk (six strikeouts) is mighty impressive.

FIRST SUBSCRIBER FROM THE FAR EAST

On a personal note, what a nice feeling to pick up a subscriber for the Independent Baseball Insider from Japan. It came from Saitama City in eastern Japan, a city which an on-line search tells me has only been around since 2001 when three cities merged.

Sayonara and happy Memorial Day.

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IN A LAST MINUTE MOVE, TEAM OF COLOMBIAN PLAYERS WILL REPRESENT YUMA IN GOLDEN LEAGUE

When my telephone rang late Wednesday afternoon I found an excited Kevin Outcalt, the commissioner of the Golden League, was calling.

He was informing me that in an eleventh hour development an entire team made up of players from the Colombian League is on its way to the United States today, and that it will replace the regular Yuma Scorpions at Desert Sun Stadium. The move was being announced only two days ahead of the Friday league opener when Yuma will host the St. George (UT) Road Runners.

This is big news in that an affiliation agreement similar to what a major league team would sign with its minor league affiliates has been completed.

"This could be a whole new model for Independent clubs," Outcalt said.

It also is big news for the players Yuma Manager Mike Marshall had assembled to play in the GBL. Outcalt said the league is ambitiously trying to place those players elsewhere, including with other Independent leagues. This will be a challenge with such short notice, and with many of the teams already playing although the Can-Am League does not start play until May 28 and the United League on June 11.

We intend to unravel the details in time for Thursday's Independent Baseball Insider column.

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SCOTT RICHMOND BOUNCES BACK WITH SEVEN SHUTOUT INNINGS ON VICTORIA DAY

Standout rookie Scott Richmond, whose first three seasons were spent in Independent Baseball, threw another gem Monday afternoon.

The 6-foot-5 right-hander blanked the Chicago White Sox on five hits for seven innings (one walk, seven strikeouts), but did not get the decision for American League East-leading Toronto because the bullpen gave up a two-run eighth inning homer to Jim Thome that tied the game at 2-2. The Jays eventually won, 3-2.

It still had to be a sweet feeling for Richmond because it was (Queen) Victoria Day, an annual Canadian celebration. He is from North Vancouver, British Columbia as well as a recent member of Team Canada. Perhaps even sweeter, the American League Rookie Pitcher of the Month for April had dropped his last two decisions, including a roughing up by the New York Yankees in his last start which did not go beyond the second inning.

Richmond, who spent his first three professional seasons in Western Canada with Edmonton (2005-07) before the Cracker-Cats left the Northern League and became the Capitals of the Golden League, has a 4-2 record. He lowered his earned run average from 4.28 to 3.64 during his 109-pitch performance Monday.

Independent Baseball's longest-tenured player, Kevin Millar, hit second home run of the season for Toronto. He played for the St. Paul (MN) Saints in 1993. In another note along the Indy trail, the winning run was scored by Jose Bautista whose brother Luis is with Pensacola, FL of the American Association this season.

3,000 FROM MILITARY FAMILIES AT ST. PAUL OPENER

Speaking of St. Paul, the Opening Night crowd Tuesday when the Saints host the Lincoln (NE) Saltdogs at Midway Stadium will include 3,000 Minnesota servicemen and women and their families, who will be guests of Cub Foods. Military people stationed around the globe will be able to tune in over the internet courtesy of iBN Sports.

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MORE HEADLINES AS ADDITIONAL INDY LEAGUES GET THEIR SEASON STARTED

What a nice start for the American Association's fourth season last night (Thursday).

Three of the five games went 10 innings, and the only one decided by more than two runs was one of those affairs in which Sioux City, IA outlasted El Paso, TX, 4-1. That outcome spoiled what could have been a glorious start for the Diablos since 7,902 fans showed up at Cohen Stadium.

Fort Worth, TX had the second best crowd of 4,872, which should easily rank among the top 10 Opening Day turnouts when all teams have opened by mid-June. The Cats were one of only two home teams to win, outlasting Metroplex rival Grand Prairie, 7-5.

JASON PERRY STAYS HOT

When outfielder Jason Perry was lured away from the Lancaster (PA) Barnstormers to join Tampa Bay's Double-A club in Montgomery, AL he was blistering Atlantic League pitching to the tune of a .361 average with league-leading totals of six homers and 15 RBI in only nine games, as we reported a week ago in our Independent Baseball Insider column.

He had only his second hitless game out of seven he has played for the Biscuits last night, but the 28-year-old out of Georgia Tech still is hitting .333 (9-for-27) against Southern League hurlers with two homers and five runs batted in. His on-base percentage is a healthy .438

It will not be easy finding room in the Rays' outfield, but if he keeps up the pace Tampa Bay brass will most certainly take notice. Perry knows what it feels like to taste the major leagues since he got into four games with Atlanta last season.

NORTHERN LEAGUE OPENS YEAR 17 TONIGHT

Has it really been 17 years since the re-birth of Independent Baseball? Numbers do not lie, with the Northern League starting its 17th season tonight (Friday) and the Frontier League following suit next Wednesday.

One early NL highlight will come Sunday when the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks entertain 4,082 fans who helped save that upper midwest region from more recent flood damage. Yes, every one of the 4,082 free tickets have been distributed, with that number corresponding to the Red River's record crest of 40.82 feet.

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GIVING CREDIT ALL AROUND IN PENSACOLA

In my environment of writing the weekly Independent Baseball Insider column, I cannot begin to tell you the number of media releases that come this way. I do my best to keep up with the reading of them because I work under the theory of never having enough ideas for the column and this blog.

I see game stories, box scores, player signings, promotional releases, and I learn quite a lot about the tremendous community outreach by many of the Independent Baseball teams.

I was particularly impressed with a recent release from the Pensacola (FL) Pelicans of the American Association. It included a day-by-day schedule of the Pelicans' preseason workouts, including times and locations.

"All events are free and open to the public," the release stated. Very good. As a veteran publicist myself, you cannot give fans and media enough useful information. Most workouts are conducted in virtual privacy. But why not let the fans know. Seniors or eager youngsters, the latter on weekends or after school, might very well enjoy seeing the Pelicans go through their paces. Maybe a businessman will use the opportunity to drop by the ballpark to pick up season tickets or to buy for some future game, and take a 20-minute lunch break to see some baseball.

As for the media, I can just hear some radio DJ or sportscaster on a sunny day in the Florida Panhandle rambling on about the Pelicans working out at the same time he or she is on the air.

I also applaud Pensacola for a more recent media release in which the team paid public tribute to six Santa Rosa Medical Center physicians who donated their services to give the players their official physicals.

The generosity of the doctors saved the team more than a few dollars, and it was nice to see each person acknowledged. A nice gesture deserves credit.

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ALMOST LOST IN GARZA'S PERFECT GAME ATTEMPT WAS THE BEST NIGHT OF MICHEL HERNANDEZ'S CAREER

It was almost lost in the euphoria of Matt Garza's six perfect innings during Tampa Bay's 13-0 thrashing of the Boston Red Sox Thursday night, getting only brief mention from the mainstream media. But Garza's batterymate, Michel Hernandez, had a career night with four hits in addition to putting down the right fingers on the call of every pitch.

Hernandez's story is an intriguing one, even without last night's heroics, starting with his escape from his native Cuba 13 years ago when he left his country's baseball team in Mexico City and continuing through the need to drop into the Independent ranks (Somerset, NJ of the Atlantic League) for a time in 2007 before getting back to an affiliated league.

Hernandez, 30, has been a professional in the United States since 1998 when the New York Yankees gave him a minor league opportunity. Still, he had only one hit in four at-bats over five games with the parent Yankees in 2003. An injury to Tampa Bay backup Shawn Riggans opened the door late last season, and Hernandez stepped in, going 3-for-15 in five games for the Rays, then being eligible but not getting into a single postseason game during their magical run to the World Series.

With Riggans disabled with shoulder tendinitis early this April, the affable Hernandez was summoned and he had gone 2-for-9 in three appearances prior to last night. Think about this career major league line prior to last night: 13 games, 6-for-28 (.214) with every hit a single and zero career runs batted in.

Josh Beckett, Boston's ace and one of the game's best, was Garza's mound opponent Thursday.

This is what Hernandez did: He went 4-for-5 with two singles, plus his first career double, and his first career home run and his first three career RBI. "How about that", the late Mel Allen would have screamed into the microphone.

The Rays' catcher was 2-for-3 off Beckett, including a fourth inning homer and a fifth inning single that ended the Boston starter's night.

What a feeling it had to be to go home to Tampa to wife Marta and young son Michael, who has to continually battle diabetes.

Riggans hopes to be back within the next 10 days, but even if Hernandez lands back at Triple-A Durham, NC he will have this latest wonderful memory. It may be just as good as the feel of that World Series ring on his finger.

DI FELICE DOES IT, AGAIN--I had just written in Thursday's subscriber-only Independent Baseball Insider column what a wonderful start former Atlantic Leaguer Mark DiFelice is off to in the Milwaukee bullpen. Along with starters Scott Richmond of Toronto and Chris Jakubauskas of Seattle, they are making Independent Baseball look mighty good. DiFelice was called upon again in the seventh inning as the Brewers were trying to stay within a 1-0 deficit of Arizona. He got the final two outs of the inning to lower his ERA to 0.77, then Milwaukee rallied for four runs in the bottom of the inning to spoil the effort of still another Indy league grad, the D-Backs' Max Scherzer, and the onetime Somerset and Camden, NJ righty has a 3-0 career major league record (two wins this season). Scherzer's six scoreless innings in his no-decision game lowered the former Fort Worth (TX) Cats (American Association) hurler's ERA to a solid 3.48.

Bob Wirz

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