MAUI'S GOLDEN LEAGUE PLANS UNFOLDING WHILE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION EYES EXPANSION TO FORT SMITH, ARKANSAS

Happy New Year to my loyal readers. May 2010 be a very good one, both on the baseball diamond and in every other way.

We are in one of those infrequent long stretches between Independent Baseball Insider columns (the next one for subscribers is January 7), but the news certainly has not stopped.

The most compelling Independent stories we are aware of deal with the American Association and the Golden League. The AA seems to be bearing down on Fort Smith, AR as a future site while the GBL still seems to have some unsettled franchise issues for the 2010 season.

American Association Commissioner Miles Wolff visited Fort Smith earlier this month, then sent a letter to the city and Chamber of Commerce plus the family that owns a potential developmental site that the league "is very interested in the city as a potential site for expansion".

While Fort Smith has less than 100,000 people, there are said to be between 250,000-350,000 within a 60-mile radius who could potentially be attracted to an 85-acre riverfront development. The Fort Smith Board of Directors, the regional Chamber and the Robbie Westphal family have signed off on spending $62,000 apiece toward a study on the feasibility of the project which could include a $20 million ballpark as part of a plan along with a hotel, retirement community and office space.

The Golden League has walked away from St. George, UT after three seasons, and there have been recent stories indicating the Long Beach (CA) Armada could be jeopardized if Long Beach State wins a new contract for Blair Field, but the intriguing news is the continued development of the team set to open this season in Maui, Hawaii, since it cannot help but be an expensive venture with the Pacific Ocean between that franchise and the rest of the league, even though Michael Cummings, the CEO of the parent XnE Corporation, says a break-even budget only requires drawing about 1,200 fans a game. The league, prior to admitting Maui, already was spread from Western Canada to the Arizona communities of Tucson and Yuma.

Maui, where operators admit they are behind the schedule they would like to be on, have taken some definitive steps by selecting a nickname that primarily translates into "the strong warriors of Maui", hiring former major league star and St. George Manager Cory Snyder as field boss and signing the team's first player. The official nickname is Na Ikaika Koa Maui, and team President Rick Berry is said to favor a logo that incorporates a Hawaiian warrior.

Snyder indicates he has his sights set on several of Hawaii's best baseball players, including the initial signee, 30-year-old Mark Okano, who played in the league last year.

We expect to be writing much more in the months ahead about the inclusion of Maui, and the possible addition of other Hawaiian teams in the years to come.

Subscribe now to 2009 Independent Baseball Insider columns

REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER

NICE CHRISTMAS GIFTS

We can mark Cody Clark, John Lindsey and Mark DiFelice down as already receiving nice holiday gifts, even a few days ahead of December 25.

DiFelice's reward came in the form of a 2010 contract that is said to be for slightly less than $100,000. While that is less than one-quarter his '09 salary when he pitched in 59 games (4-1, 3.66) for the parent Milwaukee Brewers, the 33-year-old is going to miss most or all of next season as he recovers from December 3 shoulder surgery.

"They did me a favor bringing me back," the onetime Atlantic League (Somerset and Camden, NJ) right-hander told MLB.com. It seems to be a totally mutual admiration society between the Brewers and DiFelice. "If they're going to sign me knowing I won't be able to participate, I want to come back (with them after free agency at the end of 2010) the following year."

He will spend much of his rehab time at the team's year-round training facility in Phoenix.

Clark and Lindsey have been invited to major league spring training camps. They have been there before, but still are looking for the opportunity to get into their first regular season game in the "bigs".

Clark, a catcher who once played for San Diego in the Golden League and hit .304 as a backup and designated hitter for Class AA Northwest Arkansas last season, is with Kansas City and Lindsey, as we reported in last week's Independent Baseball Insider column, has returned to the Los Angeles Dodgers after a year of Triple-A (.251-19-83) for the Florida Marlins. Lindsey, a power-hitting first baseman now in the Mexican Pacific League, played his Indy baseball for the New Jersey Jackals of the Can-Am League.

Non-roster invitations will continue to trickle in over the next several weeks. Pitcher John Halama (Southern Maryland and Long Island, NY, Atlantic League) got his Milwaukee invitation earlier as did lefty reliever R. J. Swindle (Schaumburg, IL, Northern League and Newark, NJ, Atlantic) when he signed with Tampa Bay.

Subscribe now to 2009 Independent Baseball Insider columns

REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER

DODGERS' NEW SCOUTING BOSS NOT LIKELY TO FORGET HIS ONLY HOME RUN

It should be a well-above-average trivia question.

Name the three Tampa pitchers who came from the same high school (Hillsborough), played together on two youth teams in national championships (Little League World Series and Senior League World Series) and made it to the major leagues?

I was reminded of this unusual feat while interviewing new Los Angeles Dodgers Pro Scouting Director Vance Lovelace for this week's subscriber-driven Independent Baseball Insider column. Lovelace, the No. 1 draft choice of the Chicago Cubs in 1981, was one of them, of course. The other two, Hillsborough grads a year later and ultimately more successful as major league players, were Dwight Gooden and Floyd Youmans, with the latter ironically giving Lovelace a chance to extend his career at the end. Youmans was pitching coach for the Catskill (NY) Cougars of the Northeast League. That move got Lovelace back into the game in the U.S., he moved on to pitch and be pitching coach for the New Jersey Jackals, now in the Can-Am League, then started scouting in the Dodgers system in 2001.

"Inconsistency" was Lovelace's pro pitching legacy, he admits, which limited him to nine games between California and Seattle in his brief major league playing career. Still, he was an important part of a trade in which third baseman Ron Cey moved from the Dodgers to the Cubs.

Lovelace laughed when I reminded him of the only home run he hit in 18 pro seasons. It came in his final season of 1998. "It was in Adirondack (Glens Falls, NY, Northeast League)," he said instantly. "I got all of it", with the ball going out in dead center. "I always swung hard," he joked.

PITTSFIELD HEADED TO CAN-AM LEAGUE

Pittsfield, MA, with ancient but updated (by more than $1 million) Wahconah Park, appears to be the sixth team for the Can-Am League in 2010.

A preliminary okay has been given by league directors, and it would not seem formal approval from the Berkshires community should be more than a formality in January since onetime Boston Red Sox General Manager Dan Duquette, who would be part of the ownership group, and his partners already had a lease to use the stadium for their New England Collegiate Baseball League team. In effect, Chairman Buddy Lewis and Duquette will be moving their previous Can-Am team from Nashua, NH to Pittsfield. Wahconah last hosted professional baseball in '03.

Subscribe now to 2009 Independent Baseball Insider columns

REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER

SALUTING THE NORTHERN AND GOLDEN ALL-STAR GAME AND THE REJUVENATED BROCKTON ROX

The spotlight has been especially focused on the major leagues during this week of the winter meetings, but at least two cheery developments have emerged for the Independent leagues which should add to holiday joy in several segments of the country as well as Western Canada.

While we don't always find total compatibility within Independent circles--or in the rest of the business world, for that matter--it was nice to see the Northern and Golden Leagues get together for All-Star Games the next two seasons. What an added accomplishment it would be if they could fill up 11,000-seat Hi Corbett Stadium in Tucson for the first game July 14.

Meanwhile, the Can-Am League should be feeling good that its Brockton, MA franchise has come up with a new management team and a new set of investors to stabilize the Rox. That actor-comedian Bill Murray is among the investors helps, and with Chris Carminucci now overseeing the business operations as well as returning to manage the club will be comforting to all concerned. His energy pumped new life and revenue into the Atlantic City franchise two years ago even though other forces took the Surf off the diamond.

Subscribe now to 2010 Independent Baseball Insider columns

REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER

COSTE HEADED BACK TO MAJORS WITH METS ALTHOUGH A REGULAR SEASON JOB IS NOT A CERTAINTY

Indy favorite Chris Coste is headed back to a major league uniform although his work still seems to be cut out before he makes an opening-day, 25-man roster.

There seems to be some confusion whether the New York Mets have officially announced the signing of the catcher-infielder who spent his first five professional seasons in Independent leagues, but all signs indicate he will have a coveted 40-man roster job heading into spring training.

The story apparently broke in his hometown newspaper, the Fargo (ND) Forum, earlier this week, and it has since been widely distributed.

"They (Mets) have money to spend and they could go out and get a couple more catchers," Coste told the Fargo paper. Bingo! They have already added one other receiver.

The National League team announced a deal Thursday night with 38-year-old free agent Henry Blanco. News reports give him the inside track to land the backup catching job away from Coste and Omir Santos, who caught many games last season. The Mets still seem to be looking for a No. 1 receiver, possibly from among free agents Bengie Molina or Rod Barajas, who Coste had to outlast for playing time in Philadelphia in 2007.

Coste, whose grit is well documented through his Independent days, including four seasons in Fargo (Northern League), obviously still has plenty of determination. "Money was not the deciding factor," he told the Forum. "It was a combination of the opportunity to be on a team that has a chance to win and to be in an area that is just as intense as Philadelphia was."

It was in Philadelphia where Coste finally got his first major league opportunity at age 33 in 2006. He was with the Phillies through their World Series championship in '08, but was claimed on waivers by Houston last July 10. The Astros outrighted him to Triple-A after the season, a year in which he hit .224 in 205 at-bats for Philadelphia and Houston with two homers and 18 runs batted in. The '09 average was nearly 50 points below his career mark of .272 for 299 games.

Subscribe now to 2010 Independent Baseball Insider columns

REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER

JAKUBAUSKAS MOVES TO PIRATES; INDY FREE AGENTS ALSO FINDING HOMES

The dust is just beginning to settle as major league organizations do a shakedown of their minor league rosters, and I can tell you I have not seen any certain winners so far from within the ranks of players who either started in or have played in Independent leagues.

The promotion of players to the coveted 40-man rosters has taken place over the last few days with what appears to be an average of four to five players per organization getting the good news. Indy players have been shut out although 22 of them still have 40-man holdover slots.

If there has been a winner so far it would appear to be Chris Jakubauskas, who Pittsburgh claimed off waivers from Seattle. The 30-year-old right-hander had a solid major league debut with the Mariners in '09, going 6-7 with a 5.32 ERA over 35 appearances, including eight starts.

The Pirates have said Jakubauskas will be given a chance of winning a spot in the bullpen where they seem to see him as a parallel to Jeff Karstens, who has been designated for assignment. Karstens was out of options and Jakubauskas has options, which means he could be sent to the minors without being lost to the club if he does not measure up in spring training.

Jakubauskas is one of eight pitchers on major league rosters who got their start in an Independent league. The onetime Oklahoma Sooner broke in with Florence, KY of the Frontier League in 2003-04, moved on to Ohio Valley in that league in 2005, then really put it together while with Fullerton, CA (now Orange County) of the Golden League in '06 and Lincoln, NE of the American Association two years ago. He needed only a year and a half in the Seattle system to win a major league job.

Dozens of former Indy players annually become six-year free agents at this time of year, and this season is no exception, although we know of four who already have been re-signed to Triple-A deals, an indication of some strength for those individuals.

Philadelphia has kept Jason Anderson, who played Indy baseball for Somerset, NJ of the Atlantic League, and another right-hander, Steve Bray (Bridgeport, CT, Atlantic), is back with Seattle. Catcher Jose Yepez (Pensacola, FL, American Association, and Gary, IN, Northern League) also signed once again with Seattle, and southpaw R. J. Swindle, who has gotten a little major league experience, inked with Tampa Bay, who had his rights for all of a day in mid-season. Swindle's Indy experience was with Schaumburg, IL of the Northern League and Newark, NJ of the Atlantic League.

It seems a safe bet at least some of the quartet will get an invitation to major league spring training.

Subscribe now to 2009 Independent Baseball Insider columns

REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER

WHAT HAPPENED TO THOSE WHO DEBUTED IN MAJORS ONE YEAR AGO?

Anyone who follows my offerings in this space and in my more extensive subscription-only Independent Baseball Insider knows how much I believe in tracking players from the Independent leagues who make it all the way to the majors. It is even more enjoyable if the players started their career in an Indy league.

I have been wanting for some time to follow up about those who debuted in the big time in 2008 when a whopping 12 players made it for the first time (half of them had come all the way up from an Independent beginning) but were not in the majors for even a brief time (except for spring training) this past season.

Five players fall into this category: Mike Cervenak, Justin Christian, Scott Patterson and Charlie Zink were in the group who played their very first pro game in an Independent league while Jason Perry had re-cycled from affiliated to Independent and back to affiliated. In fact, he had only trained with an Indy team early in 2008 when Atlanta signed him before he played a regular-season game.

PERRY: The outfielder was in camp with Lancaster, PA of the Atlantic League when Atlanta purchased his contract early in '08. He was in the major leagues for a few days in mid-season, collecting a single, triple and one RBI in 17 at-bats covering four games. Perry found himself actually playing nine games for Lancaster this season, but Tampa Bay lured the 29-year-old away as minor league insurance. Most of his time was at Double-A Montgomery (5-15-.204).

CERVENAK: Mike, now 33, had another stellar Triple-A season, hitting .305-9-77 at Lehigh Valley, Philadelphia's top club. Cervenak got into 10 major league games in '08 (2-for-13), but also got the thrill of staying with the Phillies (although not active) during their magical postseason run. He played in the Frontier League (Chillicothe, OH) in 1999-2000.

CHRISTIAN: Speed and defense allowed the centerfielder to appear in 24 games with the parent Yankees (10-for-40, six RBI, seven steals) one year ago. But he was in Triple-A for Baltimore this season, stealing 26 bases in 88 games and hitting .270 for Norfolk. His pro journey started with two seasons ('03-04) with River City, the Frontier League team in O'Fallon, MO.

PATTERSON: Started with four plus seasons in Indy baseball (Gateway, Sauget, IL of the Frontier League and Lancaster), and once he moved from starting to relieving climbed rapidly through the Yankees' system. He was in one game with the Bombers and three more with San Diego one year ago (0-0, 1.93), but did not make it out of spring training this time around. His season was split between Portland, OR (San Diego) and Oakland's top club, Sacramento, but his razor-sharp control was not a good as in the past.

ZINK: His Independent time was spent at Yuma, AZ when that city was in the Western League. (It is in the Golden League now.) He now has logged eight years in the Boston system. A knuckleball pitcher, he got to make one start for the Red Sox in '08 (a bumpy outing, at that) and was back at Triple-A Pawtucket, RI this season, sliding to 6-15, 5.59, mostly as a starter. One other contribution to the Red Sox is that he has given some of their up-and-comers the opportunity to catch the knuckler and be more prepared for the veteran Tim Wakefield when they reach Fenway Park.

I will bet all five have some great memories of their time in the major leagues, short though it may have been to this point.

Subscribe now to 2009 Independent Baseball Insider columns

REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER

THINKING OF COSTE, MADRITSCH AND THE BASEBALL-PLAYING BACHELOR OF THE YEAR

Have I ever been negligent. Sorry. Now that this week's Independent Baseball Insider has gone out I can find more time. There certainly is not a lack of subjects to touch on in this space. For example:

**While it was disappointing to see Houston take Chris Coste off its 40-man roster and move him to Triple-A Round Rock, I cannot imagine that this Independent one-of-a-kind is finished in the major leagues. There is too much need for a competent catcher, even if it is in a backup role. It helps that Coste can play first base; maybe even third, and can pinch hit. He has done mighty well for someone who did not break into the majors until he was 33, playing in 299 regular season games so far with a .272 batting average. Being with the Phillies during their World Championship run one year ago had to be the opportunity of a lifetime. The BA did slip to .224 this year with only two home runs in 205 at-bats. His Independent days were spent with two in Minneapolis followed by a sterling career with hometown Fargo, ND of the Northern League.

**It seems a safe prediction that young women will want to gather near the first base stands at Sioux Falls Canaries games next season now that Patrick Reilly has been named South Dakota's hottest bachelor by Cosmopolitan magazine. He is remembered in Sioux Falls for one other reason, too. The onetime University of Arizona lefty drove in the winning run in the 2008 American Association championship game.

**I have been trying to confirm that onetime pitching star Bobby Madritsch, who came up to Seattle with longtime Indy teammate George Sherrill, has turned to boxing. Madritsch's baseball career went south because of injuries, but I recall well when I interviewed him before a Long Island (NY) Ducks (Atlantic League) game that he had the type of physique frequently found in the ring.

**Fans itching to follow Independent players this winter should check out the new Florida Winter League (www.FWBL.com). More than 30 Indy players are on the four rosters.

**Two sluggers this typist has been hoping might get a major league shot for some time now are in the Mexican-Pacific League this offseason. John Lindsey is with Mazatlan and Sandy Madera with Mochis. Both played Independent Baseball in Little Falls for the New Jersey Jackals (Can-Am League).

Subscribe now to 2009 Independent Baseball Insider columns

REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER

YOUTHFUL AGE SEEMS PARAMOUNT IN SELECTING INDY BASEBALL'S BEST PROSPECTS

It was intriguing checking out Baseball America's list of what it considers the top 10 prospects in Independent Baseball (among all players not signed by a major league organization by August 13) today, and learning that Colombian first baseman Reynaldo Rodriguez ranked No. 1

Timing is very imperfect in these instances, and we had just written in Thursday's Independent Baseball Insider that the Red Sox have purchased the 23-year-old's contract after his summer at Yuma, AZ of the Golden League where he hit .335. BB-A's J.J. Cooper suggests Rodriguez probably projects best as a corner outfielder in affiliated baseball since he likely does not have the power to be an ideal major league first baseman.

While these veteran eyes see a number of Independent players getting an affiliated opportunity at a much more advanced age and even a big league look if they continue to progress, it is easy to see that Baseball America really concentrated on younger players in making its selections. No one on the team is more than 24, and only two of the 10 have reached that birthday. That also explains why the Atlantic League, which does not have many of the under-25 crowd on its rosters, did not land anyone on the list.

MAJOR LEAGUERS IN MINORITY

It was surprising that with so many former major leaguers in the Atlantic League only four of the 14 players on the circuit's postseason All-Star team have even one game at the highest level.

Carl Everett of Newark, NJ was the only major name tabbed, with his role as DH. Closer Bill Simas and southpaw starter Troy Cate of Long Island, NY both have major league time as does outfielder Charlton Jimerson, one of Everett's teammates.

HOMETOWN SUPPORT

Sure we have prejudice as a life-long baseball enthusiast, but Amarillo, TX may have the smartest people around. They have selected the hometown Amarillo Dillas the "Best Local Sports Team" for the fourth consecutive year in the Amarillo Globe-News's annual poll of the Best of Amarillo, which covers a variety of categories.

What a shame it is when some communities hardly know they have a professional baseball team even though the competition as well as the entertainment and the cost run fairly similar from ballpark to ballpark. If only these towns paid more attention.

FALL WORKOUT OCTOBER 24-25

It is not the normal tryout camp, but the Frontier League has a fall workout for college-eligible players as well as others looking for exposure scheduled October 24-25 at the Gateway Grizzlies' GCS Ballpark in Sauget, IL, near St. Louis. The indication is all of the league's managers will be on hand. Details can be found at www.FrontierLeague.com.

Subscribe now to 2009 Independent Baseball Insider columns

REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER

SOMERSET KEEPS UP ITS WINNING WAYS; NOW THE BACK STORIES TAKE OVER IN INDEPENDENT BASEBALL

Sadly, those of us who live and breathe baseball do not have any more Independent games until next season. The Somerset (NJ) Patroits hoisted the final postseason championship flag when they won their record fifth Atlantic League title, and became the first team in the league's 12-year history to triumph in back-to-back seasons.

New York Yankees fans might see an omen as the major league postseason gets under way in that onetime bullpen ace Sparky Lyle manages the Patriots and Jeff Nettles, the son of longtime third base standout Graig Nettles, was the championship series MVP. Time will tell.

While the games always are the enjoyable part, the behind-the-scenes maneuverings of the eight Indy leagues carry serious impact. Which teams are solid, and unquestionably safe for 2010? Which ones need a new infusion of investor money or a better stadium lease? Which teams will not see a new season?

All indications are this is going to be an uneasy offseason in too many locations. American Association ownership was meeting on this very day and again Wednesday, with one question certain to be the fate of the Fort Worth Cats, a success at the gate but with top-heavy costs because of the acreage surrounding LaGrave Field which owner Carl Bell must resolve. Reports that the United League covets the territory seem to be true, but that is not a solution. Besides, the American Association does not want to give up on Fort Worth.

Can-Am League owners will huddle next week, and while we expect they will find Brockton, MA once again in safe territory, this circuit still needs a replacement for the American Defenders of New Hampshire (Nashua) to maintain is six-team operational base. Don't be shocked if new ownership is introduced in two other existing cities, although that could come somewhat later.

These are just a few of the headaches to key leagues where we feel confident of understand some of the big issues. The three-year-old Continental League still is in need of solidifying itself, and it bears watching to see whether the United League, which almost did not survive league-wide ownership issues one year ago, can progress with what the league has been saying is a major new facility in the busy Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

Enter the four-team Florida Winter League. Hit or miss? We will see.

Independent Baseball provided some great entertainment and missed a third consecutive eight million fan season by a whisker, and it probably will do the same or even better next summer when the economy may be more stable. But that is many headlines--and headaches--down the road.

Stay tuned.

Subscribe now to 2009 Independent Baseball Insider columns

REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER

A BIG DAY FOR ERIC GAGNE AND MILES WOLFF

The ups and downs in baseball are something we are never going to figure out.

The last time these fingers discussed former Cy Young Award winner Eric Gagne's comeback effort in the Can-Am League it definitely looked like a downhill story. Then Thursday night, right after we had finished our weekly Independent Baseball Insider column, all Gagne did was lift the Quebec Capitales to within one victory of the league championship.

Gagne obviously was at the top of his game, thrilling 5,011 of his French-speaking fans with a complete-game six-hitter in which he walked only one and struck out eight as Quebec dispatched Worcester, MA, 5-1. The Capitales were to take a 2-1 series advantage into Game 4 before their home fans Friday night.

PROUD DAY FOR THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION

Since Miles Wolff is commissioner of both the Can-Am League and the American Association, it is difficult to imagine he could have had a better day all-around than Thursday. That postseason crowd of 5,011 in Quebec had to put a little extra gingle in his walk, doubly so since he is the owner of the team.

Then two pitchers who started their pro career in the American Association early this summer signed with major league organizations for what is believed to be well over a combined $4 million.

Aaron Crow, who had pitched at Fort Worth, TX, got what MLB.com scribe Dick Kaegel estimated was a guaranteed $3 million plus incentives for a three-year major league deal with Kansas City. Tanner Scheppers, who worked for St. Paul, MN, got a reported $1.25 million for his deal with Texas, and may be invited to major league spring training.

Not bad.

Subscribe now to 2009 Independent Baseball Insider columns

REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER

A TIME OF CELEBRATION AND SADNESS

The pinnacle has been reached by three more Independent Baseball franchises as Fargo, ND has taken another Northern League title and Lincoln, NE (American Association) and Calgary, Alberta, Canada (Golden League) have earned their first championships in their current leagues. It is time to congratulate everyone involved because these feats are not easy targets.

At the same time, there is more than a little sadness around this great game in that it has said goodbye to Bob Flori.

Flori was a youthful 79 and nine months, although he kept those numbers pretty much under wraps as he continued to find managerial positions all the way through two summers ago. His last manager's post was at Shreveport, LA where he guided the Sports for three summers (2005-07) with a composite record 12 games over .500.

The Shreveport position was pretty typical for Bob, at least in the years I knew him and sometimes competed against him. He was normally working for a team that would have to be considered a "have not" at that stage, which means he did not enjoy some of the financial resources a competitor had.

That did not matter. He would turn over stones until he could build a competitive team.

Another prime example came in 2004 when Flori took charge of the Northeast League's travel team, the Aces. The uniforms were not the best, the pay rate he could offer players was under scale, and every night from May to September was spent on the road. His 70-something years did not even allow him to look as vibrant as other managers more like half his age.

Travel teams are not supposed to win. The deck is too heavily weighted against them. The Aces did not win the Northeast League championship or even reach the playoffs, which would have brought scorn to the entire league. They won only nine games and lost 37 in the first half of the season, but they had been hastily assembled in the final days before the Play Ball cry because another team had suddenly walked away from its obligations.

It was the second half of the season when Bob Flori's ability to form, manage and pacify a group of bus-weary players really shined. The Aces more than doubled their first-half output, winning 19 games and losing 27. Three teams that had home stadiums and had been able to do normal preparation finished below them. Heck, the Aces were the runner-up in the South Division.

Flori had proven himself years earlier in the very beginning of modern day Independent Baseball by dominating leagues with records like 56-13 and 54-24, but the Aces may well have represented one of his best jobs.

He bailed the league out when it needed a big bucket to have an eighth team and make certain there was a "visiting" team for every home date in the seven stadiums. And this is only one of the many reasons so many people are fondly remembering this husband, father, grandfather and baseball man today.

And, that's Baseball with a capital "B".

Subscribe now to 2009 Independent Baseball Insider columns

REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER

A LITTLE OF EVERYTHING IN PLAYOFF LAND

With playoffs under way in five of the eight Independent leagues, the only challenge in this corner is to figure out what is THE most interesting. I give up on that point, but I can tell you...

ATLANTIC SEEMS ALL BUT DECIDED: It is going to take a major, major run by someone in the final 12 days to keep Newark, NJ and Long Island, NY from winning the wild card races and joining first half winners (and probably second half repeaters) Southern Maryland (Waldorf) and Somerset, NJ in the Atlantic League playoffs. Newark's 66-61 overall record was one-half game better than Long Island going into play Wednesday, but the Ducks' margin for the last position was five and a half games over Lancaster, PA and six in front of Bridgeport, CT.

AMARILLO REPEATS: The Amarillo (TX) Dillas won their second United League championship is as many years Tuesday night when they turned back San Angelo, TX 7-3 in the fifth and deciding game. Amarillo topped Alexandria, LA last season, and the Aces have already triumphed this year, winning the title in the Continental League.

A 'LISTENING PARTY': Knowing how difficult it can be to draw crowds in the playoffs when school is back in session and fans do not have a lot of notice on games, I found it intriguing that the Pensacola (FL) Pelicans held a "listening party" while the team was in Fort Worth, TX for the first round of the American Association playoffs. The 70 fans who showed up were even given a chance to take batting practice. Pensacola lost that night, but came back to oust the Cats and move into the championship series against Lincoln, NE. Both teams are going after their initial AA title.

SEEMS LIKE OLD TIMES: The Northern League is at the other end of the experience level in its championship series. Greg Tagert has Gary, IN involved for the fifth season in a row while Doug Simunic has Fargo, ND going after its fourth crown since 1998. In fact, Gary or Fargo has won four of the last six championships, with each club on top twice in that time.

GAGNE ON THE HILL: Eric Gagne was set to take the mound for Quebec in one half of the Can-Am League playoffs as they were scheduled to start Wednesday night. We will be able to follow up on that effort against Brockton, MA as well as focusing on our annual evaluation of Independent Baseball attendance when we publish our Independent Baseball Insider column on Thursday.

Subscribe now to 2009 Independent Baseball Insider columns

REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER

FIGUEROA MAY CAPITALIZE AS METS STRUGGLE

Nelson Figueroa is not the typical Independent Baseball graduate because he neither started that way nor spent years working his way up through various leagues until a major league organization took notice. His only Indy time was for two starts with the Long Island (NY) Ducks (0-1, 2.79) early in the 2006 Atlantic League season.

Nevertheless, when a player is in an Independent league it almost always means he needs a fresh start of some nature, unless he is a top draft choice only on the scene to get some work until his agent can negotiate what he and the player consider a fair contract.

Figueroa spent all of 2005 rehabilitating from rotator cuff surgery so he went to Long Island to work his way back. Washington signed the right-hander, now 35, on May 9 of 2006, and he spent the summer with their Triple-A New Orleans farm club and the next season in Mexico.

These stops helped the Brooklyn, NY native get a renewed opportunity in the major leagues, where he had not been since 2003-04 stints at Pittsburgh.

He rattled between New Orleans, which had changed parent organizations from the last time he was in the Crescent City, and the New York Mets last year (3-3 for the Mets; 4-7 for New Orleans) and was in Buffalo for the Mets most of this season until the injuries continued mounting for the ill-fated residents of the new Citi Field.

This is a long leadup to a story that seems to have taken a nice turn. Figueroa has stepped in for the decimated New York pitching staff, and turned in a career-high 10 strikeouts while stopping the Cubs at Wrigley Field, 4-1, early this week. He allowed six hits and one run while pitching into the eighth inning. He had fanned eight Cubs on the same diamond for the Milwaukee Brewers, but that was almost seven years earlier (September 4, 2002).

"He is the epitome of getting secondary pitches over," Manager Jerry Manuel told The Associated Press. "And it also looks like to me he's kind of a cerebral guy where he has a good memory out there as to what he did before to get a particular guy out and able to command his fastball enough to be able to attack them in different spots.

It would seem pretty evident Figueroa (2-3, 4.50) should get regular work the last five weeks of the season, pitching only a few miles from where he once toiled for the Long Island Ducks.

Good for him.

Subscribe now to 2009 Independent Baseball Insider columns

REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER

THE INDY IMPACT VERY VISIBLE IN A SINGLE MAJOR LEAGUE GAME

Anyone in need of a reminder of the impressive role Independent Baseball plays at the major league level should think about Houston's 4-2 win over Arizona Saturday. Okay, it probably did not have major postseason implications, but it certainly entertained the 39,412 fans who were at Minute Maid Park.

Max Scherzer, who started his professional career with the Fort Worth (TX) Cats in the American Association, opened on the mound for the Diamondbacks, and while he took the loss (7-8) the four runs he gave up in five innings were not exactly a pasting. Scherzer fanned seven.

Once he was lifted, with all of the scoring complete, Clay Zavada (Southern Illinois, Frontier League) hurled two perfect innings, striking out one and lowering his rookie season ERA to a tidy 2.87.

For the winning Astros, Chris Coste (Fargo, ND, Northern League in addition to the departed North Central and Prairie Leagues) went 0-for-3, but did the calling of pitches for the five Houston hurlers. One of those was Tim Byrdak (Gary, IN and Joliet, IL, Northern), who worked 1.2 innings in relief of winner Brian Moehler, allowing a harmless double and striking out two as his ERA dropped to 3.13.

That's four former Independent players, all playing key roles in a single game.

Even though Seattle sent Chris Jakubauskas (reportedly tired arm) to Triple-A Tacoma over the weekend, ending what had been a full season of rookie mound duty for the M's, 22 players with Indy ties remain in the majors. That number probably will go up once rosters expand September 1.

Subscribe now to 2009 Independent Baseball Insider columns

REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER

THE TELL-TALE SIGNS OF AUGUST

A couple of things make it easy to tell when late August rolls around in Independent Baseball, and I am not talking pennant or playoff races even though they make it the best time of year.

First, teams start signing players from the Mexican League, where play is winding down and big arms or bats can solidify a postseason run. While I have never personally liked seeing a team "load up" this way, it is very natural. If the player is available and a team has salary cap room, well, it is going to happen.

Second, this is the time when we see records starting to tumble. Many times it is a season record, but the Frontier League had a career mark tumble this week when Chris Sidick of Washington, PA broke the mark for games played. Sidick moved past the previous mark of 411 games, which had been owned by Fran Riordan, who now is both Director of Baseball Operations and Manager of the Kalamazoo (MI) Kings. I cannot help but wonder how many of today's players realize what a playing career Fran had.

THE FUN OF FENWAY

It had to be quite a thrill for a pair of former Indy leaguers to get to play a regular league game recently at Boston's Fenway Park. The Red Sox scheduled a doubleheader in which their Double-A and Triple-A teams visited the Green Monster and all of the quirks the venerable ballpark offers. It was not an empty stadium, either, with 16,126 fans counted.

Daniel Nava, who started his Independent Baseball career in Chico, CA (Golden League), went one-for-three, scored a run and played rightfield as his Portland, ME mates edged Baltimore's Class AA Bowie, MD, 3-2. On the losing side and hitting cleanup was first baseman Eric Crozier, who was in the Atlantic League (Southern Maryland) earlier this season. Crozier, who also has played for Lancaster, PA, had a single in two at-bats. Crozier did play 14 major league games with Toronto in 2004, but did not face Boston.

In the Triple-A game, the Pawtucket, RI (Boston) starter was knuckleballer Charlie Zink, who started one game for the parent Bosox last season (his only major league appearance). He was charged with a 7-3 loss to the New York Mets' Norfolk, VA farmhands.

Subscribe now to 2009 Independent Baseball Insider columns

REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER

SO YOU THINK IT IS EASY TO STAGE A FIRST PITCH CEREMONY

I would imagine most everyone thinks it is pretty routine to stage a pre-game ceremony, especially something as "simple" as a ceremonial first pitch before a baseball game.

Get the "pitcher" to the right location, make certain someone is there to catch the toss, have a fresh baseball and cue the public address announcer. How difficult can this be, right?

I can share two incidents where the best of planning did not work out.

Golden League Commissioner Kevin Outcalt related the story recently that he calls "the worst first pitch ceremony in the history of professional baseball".

It happened prior to the much anticipated home opener of the new Tucson (AZ) Toros at Hi Corbett Field, with the Commish himself as the pitcher. Well, one of the pitchers, and that is where the plan was not exactly executed by the book.

The renowned mascot known everywhere as The Famous Chicken was to be a surprise and another first ball thrower. When Outcalt got into his windup, the Chicken would show up, interfere and eat the baseball. Eventually, the Chicken would lay two eggs (baseballs) for the double ceremony.

The problem was the Chicken was nowhere to be found. Outcalt was left to stall, on the mound, no less. The Commissioner asked the catcher for a sign. The fans started razzing him. Then, he dropped the ball. People got on him even more, but there still was no sign of the normally prompt and amusing Chicken.

"It seemed like three or four minutes", Outcalt remembers. Alas, the Chicken--Ted Giannoulas--heard the booing, scurried in from The Chicken Coop (or wherever he was), and the supposedly simple ceremony continued.

This reminded me of an incident the late Bowie Kuhn, who was major league commissioner at the time, shared when he was to throw out a first pitch from the box seats in Jacksonville, FL.

The team got him into position, and gave him the baseball. Alas, something went awry between the on-field coordinator and the public address announcer. The game started and, I believe, ended with Kuhn never introduced to make the pitch.

I can only imagine this resulted in some red faces in the front office the next morning.

Subscribe now to 2009 Independent Baseball Insider columns

REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER

THE ALL-TIME RECORD IS SAFE AS COASTAL WINS IN ITS 27TH TRY.

The Continental League must be breathing a little easier knowing that one of its road-only teams, the Coastal Kingfish, will not be breaking the all-time record for consecutive losses in a minor league season.

Coastal had dropped 26 games in a row until Saturday night when it edged first place Alexandria, LA, 4-3. This left the Kingfish six losses short of tying the 32-game loss streak of the 1914 Austin Senators of the Texas League, who hold the minor league record for futility. If you are old enough to remember, the minors had AA, A, B, C and D levels at that time. The Texas League was a "B" league, and Austin finished an agonizing 67 1/2 games behind first place Houston. The Senators were 31-114, then, perhaps out of pity, Austin did not have a professional team again until 1947.

CEO TURNS IN FOUR SHUTOUT INNINGS

It was a newsmaking weekend in Alexandria. Chief Executive Officer Eric Moran, who had not pitched in seven years, worked four scoreless innings of one-hit baseball Friday when the Aces stretched Coastal's losing streak to 26 in an 11-0 whitewash in the second game of a doubleheader.

STUNNING RESULTS

Every week when we write our subscriber-only Independent Baseball Insider it is agonizing to realize there is not enough opportunity to mention all of the outstanding performances being turned in at the Independent Baseball level. Consider these feats from recent days:

***Affiliated baseball would no doubt scoff for fear of ruining a career, but Florence, KY allowed Preston Vancil to stay on the mound for 149 pitches. The Sacramento, CA native, making only his second professional start, hurled a 5-0 no-hitter against Traverse City, MI. Vancil walked seven and hit a batter, but also picked up eight strikeouts. "Adrenaline carried me through," Vancil explained. It was the 14th no-hit game in the 17 seasons of the Frontier League.

***Former major league catcher Pete LaForest, who has been guiding Eric Gagne through his comeback on the mound for Quebec, hit for the cycle and went 5-for-6 in a 14-5 romp on the road in Augusta, NJ against the Sussex Skyhawks. LaForest's three-run homer broke the game open during a seven-run seventh. LaForest drove in four runs for the game and scored three times.

Subscribe now to 2009 Independent Baseball Insider columns

REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER

SHERRILL'S MOVE TO DODGERS HELPS BUILD POSTSEASON INTEREST FOR INDEPENDENTS

Major league baseball's postseason might be a lot more interesting to Independent fans now that George Sherrill has been traded from Baltimore to the Dodgers. It certainly should be that way in Evansville, IN (Frontier League), Sioux Falls, SD (then of the Northern League and now of the American Association) and Winnipeg, Canada (Northern League).

Sherrill spent his first 4 1/2 years of professional baseball in those communities (1999-2003) before the majors got interested in this strong southpaw.

THREE MORE IN MAJORS

Independent Baseball can be proud of three other grads who have gotten back to the majors in recent days.

The latest addition is catcher Robinson Cancel, who has rejoined the New York Mets where he had some big moments last season. Cancel played for both Somerset, NJ and the traveling Road Warriors in the Atlantic League as well as in Edinburg, TX of the United League.

Randy Williams, who as we noted in this week's Independent Baseball Insider column had not been to The Show since 2005, is now in the Chicago White Sox bullpen. He had pitched in Edinburg when that city had a Central League franchise.

And, R. J. Swindle is once again with Milwaukee. His Indy days were spent with Newark, NJ of the Atlantic League and Schaumburg, IL of the Northern League. The only casualty from a major league roster in this span was Josh Kinney (River City, which is in O'Fallon, MO of the Frontier League), and I imagine he will be back with St. Louis later this season.

THE CHASE TO HIT .400

We had planned to feature Independent Baseball's top hitters in this week's column before other news crowded that item out. Two players were hitting above .400 as of Thursday with Brian Frichter of San Angelo, TX (United League) at a robust .422 and Jason James of Rockford, IL (Frontier League), whose 40-game hitting streak we featured a week ago, at .405. Calgary (Golden League) infielder Nelson Castro was knocking on the door at .392. The Golden League had seven of the top 10 hitters in all of Independent Baseball, with everyone at .364 or better.

Subscribe now to 2009 Independent Baseball Insider columns

REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER

GAGNE IS GETTING BETTER RESULTS, EVEN FLIRTING WITH A NO-HITTER

His season-long earned run average of 5.91 will not overwhelm; neither will his 23 strikeouts in 53.1 innings. This is especially true of the strikeout figures when one considers this man has 718 major league strikeouts in 644 innings.

But there is more to the story.

This is Eric Gagne, the onetime nemesis of any National League team trying to collect even one measly ninth inning run during his power days of early this decade with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Gagne seems to be definitely finding his way back to at least some degree of pitching efficiency in the starting rotation of the Can-Am League's Capitales de Quebec.

He was within three outs of a seven-inning no-hitter Sunday, stifling the New Jersey Jackals with his first complete game since back in 1998 with the Class A Vero Beach (FL) Dodgers. The Yogi Berra Stadium crowd in Little Falls, NJ finally saw the home team get two hits in the seventh only to have a triple play end the 10-0 whitewash.

Gagne has worked at least six innings in each of his last five starts, and in the last four of those contests he has put together a 2.31 ERA (seven earned runs in 27.1 innings) while winning three times and taking a no-decision in the other outing. It also is somewhat encouraging that the 33-year-old Gagne has fanned 14 hitters in his last three starts, which is significant improvement over the nine strikeouts total in his first six starts. He has issued six walks in the three games and only 16 for the season, which includes three wins in five decisions.

We understand Gagne's velocity also has gone up about five miles per hour since he first took the mound for Quebec a month and a half ago. He is now getting back into the high 80s.

That is progress.

Subscribe now to 2009 Independent Baseball Insider columns

REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER

OUR LIST MAKES IT PRETTY CLEAR MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL IS THE NO. 1 SUMMERTIME SPORTS VALUE

While everyone associated with minor league baseball--affiliated or non-affiliated, staffer or fan--has known it all along, it is nice to see broader recognition that this is one of the best summer values around. Heaven knows, we need bargains in these times of all sorts of financial perils around us.

Credit Sports Illustrated magazine for this latest recognition by ranking minor league baseball as No. 7 on its list of the "25 Best Summer Sports Bargains."

Then, examine the list more closely and minor league baseball jumps up, essentially to No. 1. There cannot even be much argument that minor league baseball is the absolute top attraction for families coast to coast.

SI has $1 Fridays at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, NJ ranked first, but this is hardy family entertainment and it is in only one location, not the more than 200 communities with professional minor league baseball. Other single location events follow Monmouth Park in positions two and three, and No. 4 is Cape Cod League baseball, which is a great treat but takes place only in this Massachusetts resort area.

The Newport Polo Club in Portsmouth, RI gets fifth place billing, followed by the semi-pro North American Football League which is not going to have 200 organized sites.

That brings us to No. 7, which is Minor League Baseball.

A great reputation is a wonderful thing, and that is what got the Cape Cod League its billing and placed the longtime Independent Baseball favorite Saint Paul (MN) Saints at No. 14 as well as being the only individual team from Abner Doubleday's grand sport on the list.

This is meant as praise for the Cape and the Saints. Both have earned their spurs, the Cape because that is where many of this country's top collegiate players have been spending their summers honing their skills for decades. Each individual team on the Cape has an imposing list of players who have gone on to major league stardom.

The Saints came out of the chute with zest back in 1993, the first season of modern day Independent Baseball. They grabbed attention with former major leaguers hoping to prolong their career, and with the involvement of actor Bill Murray and Mike Veeck, who started creating the zaniness fans love. Both remain involved today, with Veeck heading up the staff that still does the type of stunts the Sports Illustrateds of the world and the everyday fan loves.

"...the between-innings stunts make the ticket costs (as low as $5 a pop) one of the best deals of the summer," the magazine praised. "A pig delivers baseballs to the umpire between innings, and upcoming promotion nights include Twitter-my-face (this Thursday) and pocket-protector giveaway night (Friday) which features The Nerd Pride Parade."

So load up the kids, the neighbors or whomever you like to be with and take advantage of some days and nights of minor league baseball. There is a team not far from home. Relaxing and smiling at inexpensive prices are not bad, either.

Bob Wirz

Subscribe now to 2009 Independent Baseball Insider columns

REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER

IRONIES ABOUND, WITH THESE IN ATLANTIC AND FRONTIER LEAGUES

One cannot help but find delight at some of the sidelights that come out of baseball.

This corner found the irony surrounding one of Kenny Baugh's Atlantic League performances worth sharing.

Baugh played his final home game for Southern Maryland on a day when the Blue Crabs wore retro uniforms as part of a promotion in which the jerseys were auctioned to assist Hospice of Charles County. These uniforms were patterned after those love 'em or hate 'em rainbow colored togs the Astros wore years back.

Baugh tossed six solid innings to defeat Lancaster, PA that game, made one more winning start on the road to run his record to 6-3, 4.52, then his contract was sold. You guessed it, he went to Houston, which also happens to be his hometown. He had been a collegiate star at Rice in the same city.

The only disappointing post script for the 30-year-old is that his first two appearances for Class AA Corpus Christi, TX have been difficult, resulting in a loss and nine earned runs in a mere 10.1 innings.

TWINS LIVEN FRONTIER LEAGUE ALL-STAR GAME

Fort Walton Beach, FL twins Jason and Josh Lowey have one more experience to share the rest of their lives. The River City (O'Fallon, MO) pitchers were selected to play in the Frontier League All-Star Game, the first this had happened in the 17-year-old circuit.

Closer Jason (0-0, 12 saves, 4.50) and starter-reliever Josh (3-0, 3 saves, 2.03) won't be ragging on each other, though, since both hurled a scoreless inning

Subscribe now to 2009 Independent Baseball Insider columns

REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER

THE DOTS DO NOT CONNECT, BUT TOMMY JOHN TAKES PART IN HOT DOG RACE ON THE DAY HE STEPS DOWN AS MANAGER

Always expect the unexpected.

How many times have we learned this lesson at a baseball game?

It happened again Wednesday. This typist was enjoying a leisurely Camp Day morning game at The Ballpark at Harbor Yard; the final game in the first half of the Atlantic League season between Freedom Division champion--and defending overall league king--Somerset, NJ and the homestanding Bridgeport (CT) Bluefish.

First came the hot dog race in about the second inning when the last of three participants in the mascot-like contest turned out to be none other than 288-game major league winner Tommy John, Bridgeport's fun-loving manager. The lefty, who is not so fleet of foot now that he is 66, has been a frequent participant in on-field events during his 2 1/2 years at the helm of the Bluefish. He often has taken part in a golf chipping contest against a fan.

Little could anyone--save the Bluefish players--know that in the middle of the fourth inning the public address would reveal this was John's last game as manager. No, he did not get sacked for losing the race. He told the Bridgeport players during a pre-game meeting that he would be leaving.

The hometown newspaper web site, ConnPost.com, reported that General Manager Todd Marlin said John resigned to "pursue an opportunity outside of baseball". The oddity of this is Marlin had told beat writer Rich Elliott he was caught off guard by the announcement.

The PA announcement did not mention a replacement although it was later revealed to be Willie Upshaw, the third base coach, and the only man to lead Bridgeport to an Atlantic League title. Upshaw is the winningest manager in Bluefish history (220-139, .613), and guided the team to three consecutive playoff berths before stepping down after the 2000 season to return to major league baseball. He had returned as the top assistant to John this season, the first in which the Bluefish are owned by Atlantic League Founder Frank Boulton.

Bridgeport won the game, 6-4, to give John a 160-176 record for his time at the helm, although none of his teams qualified for the playoffs.

Subscribe now to 2009 Independent Baseball Insider columns

REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER

SIXTH INDEPENDENT GRAD GETS HIS INITIAL MAJOR LEAGUE TRIUMPH IN 2009

No sooner had I written in last week's Independent Baseball Insider that five former Independent Baseball hurlers had picked up their first major league victory this season when, bingo, Greg Burke was added to the list.

That's a pretty nice feat for half a baseball season.

Four of the six started their professional careers in non-affiliated ranks, making it even better.

Burke, who pitched for the Atlantic City (NJ) Surf of the Atlantic League in his initial season of 2005, got his first major league win--first decision, for that matter--against the National League West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers. Hurling for San Diego in the "Manny Returns" series which packed PETCO Park, Burke was the Independence Day winner with two-thirds of an inning of work. His rookie earned run average is a very acceptable 3.57 for 22.2 innings of work.

The other first time winners who started in the Indy ranks are Chris Jakabauskas of Seattle, Josh Kinney of St. Louis and Arizona's Max Scherzer. Jakubauskas broke in at Florence, KY of the Frontier League and also has worked at Ohio Valley, Fullerton, CA (now Orange County) of the Golden League and Lincoln, NE of the American Association. Kinney was at River City (O'Fallon, MO) of the Frontier League and Scherzer at Fort Worth, TX (American Association). The other two hurlers to get their first victory in 2009 are Craig Breslow of Oakland, who pitched for the New Jersey Jackals (Little Falls), now a member of the Can-Am League, and Clay Zavada of Arizona, who was with Southern Illinois (Marion) of the Frontier League.

Subscribe now to 2009 Independent Baseball Insider columns

REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER

SOME PLAYERS CREATED THEIR OWN FIREWORKS BEFORE THE HOLIDAY

Here is hoping everyone gets to enjoy a fireworks show at a ballpark near home on this Fourth of July Weekend. Baseball does these events really well.

The Lincoln (NE) Saltdogs might have been expecting fireworks when Jarrett Gardner took the mound Tuesday at St. Paul, MN since he had hurled the franchise's first no-hit game his last time out, allowing only a single walk to El Paso and winning, 4-0. Gardner (5-3, 4.10) gave up seven hits and four runs against the Saints, leaving with one out in the seventh and a 6-4 lead. The Saltdogs' bullpen coughed up the lead, eventually losing 8-7 in the American Association battle.

GAGNE CONTINUES TO STRUGGLE

Longtime major league closer Eric Gagne probably would have traded places with Jarrett Gardner since he is continuing to struggle. Now 33 and trying to return to form as a starting pitcher, Gagne's earned run average for Quebec in the Can-Am League jumped to 10.80 when New Hampshire bombed him for 14 hits and nine runs (eight earned) in only five innings on Monday.

The most telling statistic may be that the once overpowering right-hander has only been able to strike out eight Can-Am League hitters in 20 innings covering four starts.

1,000-HIT MILESTONES

It is an understatement to say it takes a while to collect 1,000 professional hits, but the feat was accomplished twice in a short span in Independent Baseball.

Brockton, MA first baseman Clyde Williams achieved the feat in style when he slugged two home runs, scored four times and drove in five runs as the Rox routed the American Defenders of New Hampshire, 10-3. Saving the best for last, Williams blasted a towering three-run homer to cap off a 3-for-3 performance in a Can-Am League game.

Meanwhile, Gary, IN shortstop Jay Pecci's 1,000th hit (in only 1,024 games) landed behind the pitcher's mound against Northern League rival Kansas City, KS. Like Williams, Pecci got to enjoy his accomplishment in front of home fans.

AN EXCEPTIONAL MONTH

It is no wonder Wichita, KS outfielder Greg Porter was named American Association Player of the Month for June. He had 50 hits in a mere 27 games, good for a .481 average. Porter also drove in 21 runs, scored 23 times and had a blistering .571 on-base percentage.

Subscribe now to 2009 Independent Baseball Insider columns

REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER

OUTSTANDING FEATS KEEP ON COMING

The great performances never end, and since we cannot get them all into our weekly Independent Baseball Insider this is the next best opportunity.

What a week Brockton, MA designated hitter Palmer Karr just finished in the Can-Am League. He homered in five consecutive games to lead the league with nine, and polished off all Batter of the Week competition by hitting .385 with nine RBI, lifting his season average to .318 and his second ranked slugging percentage to .626. Karr has traveled the Independent world, playing in Pensacola, FL and Fort Worth, TX (American Association) as well as Laredo, TX and Alexandria, LA in the United League. Alexandria is in the Continental League this season.

The Rox have not had a great season to date, but another outstanding individual contribution has been that of southpaw Craig Anderson, a frequent member of the Australian all-star teams. Anderson's 1.99 ERA leads the league, and he has won four of five decisions. He was in Baltimore's farm system the last three seasons.

WALK OFF SLAM

I believe many fans would agree that a walk-off grand slam is about as good as it gets although managers would rather win games in some easier fashion. Alberto Cruz went the slam route a couple of nights ago to lift Rio Grande Valley (Harlingen, TX) to a 6-5 United League triumph over Edinburg, TX.

TAIWAN CALLING

Atlantic League signings continue at a terrific pace--Independent signings, for that matter--, but not every one is to a major league organization. Mexico, Korea, Japan and Taiwan all continue to look for talent.

Lancaster, PA just lost closer Ryan Cullen to Taiwan. The lefty had worked in the Texas, Oakland and New York Mets farm systems, and he toted a 4-3 record, seven saves and a 2.08 earned run average off to his new opportunity.

Subscribe now to 2009 Independent Baseball Insider columns

REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER

DAVID VS. GOLIATH ENDING TO ATLANTIC LEAGUE ALL-STAR GAME; GUESS WHO WON?

It was a storybook ending.

I am talking about Tuesday night's Atlantic League All-Star Game at Newark, NJ, and not at all about the celebrity softball game which preceeded the classic and featured show business star Queen Latifah and Hall of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith. That event was fun, too, as the crowd announced at 6,491 will attest.

I was so happy to have made the 90-minute trip, which primarily was for this week's Independent Baseball Insider column. It also provided a good opportunity to keep up with friends.

The storybook part did come at the expense of longtime major league closer Armando Benitez, who is trying to make his way back by playing for the host Newark Bears. Too bad, but I suppose there always must be a victim along with a hero. It was Benitez's turn to be the victim.

The host Freedom Division took a 5-3 lead into the top of the ninth inning.

A swinging bunt single and another misdeed on a grounder to third got the 36-year-old Benitez into trouble, as a number of major league scouts looked on and captured his fastball as high as 94 miles per hour.

With the tying runs eventually on third and second, the stage was set.

Up to the plate came Liberty Division second baseman Mike Just of division-leading Southern Maryland, who happens to be the only one of the 44 All-Star players who has not had professional experience above the Independent level.

Twenty-five-year-old Mike Just, a New Jersey resident no less (Woodcliff Lake), who has made his way through the Frontier League (River City, O'Fallon, MO in 2006), the Northern League (Fargo, ND, 2007) and last year played for the All-Star host Bears. But he has never been tabbed by a major league organization. He is listed at 5-foot-11, perhaps on tiptoes; Benitez looks every bit his 6-foot-5.

David vs. Goliath.

The count goes to 3-0, then a nifty slider makes Just look a bit overmatched. The right-handed hitter gets a little piece of the next offering. Full count.

Then Just made solid contact, shooting a hard smash just out of the reach of a diving shortstop Ramon Nivar, also of Newark.

Two runs score, tie game, 5-5. Bridgeport, CT third baseman Luis Lopez slaps another single to left, and Just scurries home. Jon Knott of Camden, NJ made Benetiz's night longer with a run-scoring double, setting what would be the final score at 7-5 for Butch Hobson's winning Liberty Division.

The MVP announcement came a moment later from Atlantic League Executive Director Joe Klein. It was Mike Just, the only player on the field who has not gotten beyond Independent Baseball to this point.

It was fitting and deserved.

We will have more on the All-Star Game, including Just's thoughts, in Thursday's Independent Baseball Insider column.

Subscribe now to 2009 Independent Baseball Insider columns

REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER

BACK IN AFFILIATED LEAGUE, SHELDON HAS HIGH PRAISE FOR HIS INDEPENDENT EXPERIENCE

It is my solemn duty as a regular typist on the subject of Independent Baseball (i.e. Every Thursday's Independent Baseball Insider column as well as this blog) to suggest the story I am about to relate should be posted on every clubhouse bulletin board.

Ole Sheldon is a 26-year-old first baseman recently signed by his second major league organization. He was drafted in 2004 by the Houston Astros, and just had his contract purchased from the American Association's St. Paul (MN) Saints by the Cleveland Indians. As he was leaving the Saints he offered these thoughts:

"Playing with the Saints is the most fun I've had in baseball since my time at the University of Oklahoma and that includes my five years in the Astros organization. I can't say enough good things about the atmosphere with the Saints and playing for George (Tsamis). He makes you compete and I enjoyed the experience. On top of that, George helped me a lot in getting back to affiliated ball."

What a walking billboard for the Indy game. So many players have said the same thing in recent years. They genuinely enjoy the spirit of winning that goes on in the Independent world, and one can only hope everyone is treated as royally as Sheldon feels about his St. Paul experience.

By the way, this product of Roseburg, OR went 4-for-5 in only his third game in the Carolina League Sunday (Kinston, NC) with a double and two runs batted in. He is hitting .385 (5-for-13), after pounding away at a .340 clip with six homers and 19 RBI in 30 games for St. Paul.

THE YANKEE WHO GOT AWAY

Jonathan Poterson could not have been terribly happy when he left the New York Yankees organization three years after they tabbed him in the first round of the free agent draft (37th selection nationally). The switch-hitting first baseman-outfielder could not say he did not get an opportunity since he was in 215 games in five stops during his three years in which he only hit above .200 twice (.202 and .247). But, hey, he was barely 20 years old in that last season.

Poterson spent the next two summers in the independent Frontier League, hitting .231 and .215, respectively, for Chillicothe, OH, with 33 doubles and 12 home runs.

Now 23, could the pride of Gilbert, AZ be starting to put it together, much as champion Lucas Glover, Ricky Barnes and the comebacking David Duval did in the U.S. Open? Poterson has hit seven round-trippers in his last nine games for Rio Grande Valley (Harlingen, TX) of the United League, and in back-to-back games last weekend he homered on four consecutive at-bats. Playing third base for the first time in his professional career, Poterson is hitting .308 through the first 11 games with nine of his 12 hits for extra bases. He has driven in a dozen runs and, not surprisingly, sit atop the league with his seven home runs.

He still has time to continue maturing and heading up the baseball ladder.

Subscribe now to 2009 Independent Baseball Insider columns

REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER

GAGNE, IRABU AND A WHOLE LOT MORE

Meanderings around the baseball universe while thinking about the future for Independent comebackers Eric Gagne and Hideki Irabu and what else will go into Thursday's Independent Baseball Insider column.

It will be interesting to see how many additional fannies they put into the seats in their next outings. Gagne's will come Friday night in Worcester, MA.

ANDY MC CAULEY'S THREE MAJOR LEAGUE HURLERS

I shortchanged Kansas City (KS) T-Bones Manager Andy McCauley recently. I was giving him credit for helping relievers Brad Ziegler (Schaumburg, IL to Oakland) and Travis Schlichting (T-Bones to Los Angeles Dodgers) reach the majors. It turns out R. J. Swindle, who pitched briefly for Philadelphia last season and has had a couple of stretches with Milwaukee in '09, also pitched for McCauley at Schaumburg. He and Ziegler were separated by a season on the Northern League team.

A NICE MILESTONE WHETHER 99 OR 100

Justin Knoff, a very capable pitcher and equally good guy on the starting staff of the Sussex (NJ) Skyhawks' defending Can-Am League champions, mentioned in a recent email that his teammate, DH/outfielder Jorge Moreno, was nearing his 100th career home run (not counting winter baseball). Knoff said Moreno had hit No. 99 the night before he went to the keyboard.

The only thing is, depending on the reliable work at Howesportsdata, that actually was No. 100 in a career that has been exclusively in Independent ranks since 2003. He has been at London (Canadian League), Lincoln, NE (Northern League at the time), Winnipeg (Northern) and Sioux City, IA (American Association). The most important thing, in Knoff's words, are "Jorge is a heck of a ballplayer and even better guy."

LOVING INGENUITY

As someone who has worked in the public relations world, I admire creativity. Therefore, I throw a bouquet in the direction of the York (PA) Revolution for devoting an entire media release to an opponent: The weatherman. It had rained on 13 of the first 18 home dates. The release went so far as to say "the likes of Reignman will not be granted entry to Sovereign Bank Stadium."

I do not believe the Atlantic League team has lost a home date to weather since.

Subscribe now to 2009 Independent Baseball Insider columns

REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER

ERIC GAGNE RETURNS SATURDAY WITH QUEBEC, WHERE IT IS A VERY BIG DEAL

Jose Lima makes another start in his most recent comeback effort tonight (Friday) in Long Beach, CA and Hideki Irabu follows suit with the Armada Saturday, but these Golden League efforts could pale by comparison to what is about to take place in Quebec.

Eric Gagne is suddenly ready to try coming back as a starter, no less, and his first outing will come Saturday night at Stade Municipal de Quebec against the Worcester (MA) Tornadoes.

The only part of this event that has yours truly a little conflicted is whether this is a bigger opportunity for the Can-Am League or for the Capitales de Quebec. I suppose it is more meaningful for Quebec right now, but that could change if the onetime unequalled relief ace's arm holds up and he makes a series of starts throughout the northeast in this downsized (six-team) league that could use a burst of attention.

Here is the situation: Gagne once collected a major league record 84 saves in the same number of opportunities before starting to struggle through a series of pitfalls since the 2004 season. But unlike many who try to bounce back, he is only 33.

And, where it really gets interesting is the fact the French Canadian Gagne was born up the road from Quebec in Montreal. His pending return has been getting front page attention, complete with color photos, for days now in both Quebec and Montreal.

"We are sold out" Can-Am Commissioner and Quebec Owner Miles Wolff told us Friday, "with 600 standing room tickets" to go on sale Saturday morning. In other words, the old Stade Municipal de Quebec, with current capacity of about 4,500 (without the standees) will be bouncing at record levels.

"Absolutely" was Wolff's one-word reply when I asked him if this would be the biggest event in team history. Who could argue.

Gagne called the Capitales about playing for them, reinforced the thoughts after talking to another former major leaguer (and French Canadian), Pete LaForest, who is a DH-first baseman-catcher in Quebec. Eric, his wife Valerie and their children all have moved from their year-round home in Arizona to Quebec for the time being.

He knows his days of throwing 95-mile-per-hour heaters are over, Wolff said, but is hopeful of getting back to the majors at about 88. Tons of mound savvy certainly will not hurt.

The right-hander has not started since 2001, the season before he hit paydirt with consecutive years of 52, 55 and 45 saves for the Los Angeles Dodgers, except for twice in Frisco, TX in '07.

Gagne was limited to 10 saves (4-3 with a 5.44 ERA) for Milwaukee last season, boosting his career total to 187. He signed a minor league deal with the Brewers this spring, but was released early in spring training when shoulder damage showed up.

The future may be up in the air, but Saturday--barring some of Quebec's stubborn rain--is going to be one big event for all levels of Canadian and Independent baseball fans.

Subscribe now to 2009 Independent Baseball Insider columns

REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER

LIMA GETS AN A+ WITH IRABU AND ALBERTO CASTILLO NOT FAR BEHIND

If I was a teacher instead of merely a baseball guy wandering around beautiful Newport, RI for a few days, I would give Jose Lima an A+, Alberto Castillo a solid A and Hideki Irabu a B. All three have been making significant baseball news impacting the Independent world.

Lima and Irabu pitched for Long Beach, CA in the Golden League on back-to-back nights, hoping to once again attract major league attention, while Castillo got a call to the big time for the Baltimore Orioles for a second year in a row.

Lima, listed at 36 years of age, has taken the Independent Baseball route before to get back to the majors where he has an 89-102 career record. He was with Newark, NJ of the Atlantic League six years and two days ago when Kansas City purchased the right-hander's contract. He worked magic the rest of '03 and in '04, going a combined 21-8 for the Royals and Los Angeles Dodgers, and he even spun a five-hit complete game win for the Dodgers in the 2004 National League Division Series.

The dazzle faded, and Lima has not been in the majors since 2006 (Mets). But the way he has pitched in three starts for the Armada scouts have to be taking notice. He worked eight innings twice, then threw the Golden League's first shutout of the season Thursday, blanking the Colombian imports who wear Yuma (AZ) Scorpions uniforms, 8-0. He has a stingy 1.44 ERA for 25 innings. Lima now is ticketed for the Armada's home opener at Blair Field next Friday night.

Irabu, who turned 40 May 15 and has not pitched anywhere professionally since '04, made his first appearance for Long Beach Friday night, and picked up a 6-5 win over Yuma. He went the first five innings, a more than decent feat for a pitcher not in the majors since 2002, allowing six hits and two earned runs (four overall) while walking two and striking out five. Nearly a dozen Japanese media members were on hand to cover the event.

Irabu was a big deal when he debuted with the New York Yankees in 1997. Could it happen again?

Castillo, a native Cuban who finally got to the majors for the first time last season and turns 34 on July 5, has returned to Baltimore's bullpen. He has worked a lot in Independent Baseball (Schaumburg, IL., Northern League, in 1999-2000, Newark in 2002-03, the Atlantic League's traveling Road Warriors in '06-07 and Camden, NJ two seasons ago). The southpaw won his only decision and posted a creditable 3.81 earned run average in 28 games for the Orioles last season. He had been pitching for Triple-A Norfolk, VA this season.

TWO DUGOUTS ON SAME SIDE

Since I mentioned being in Newport, I had to pay another visit to quaint Cardines Field. Not only is rightfield well under 300 feet from home plate, but where else will one find both dugouts on the first base side of a stadium. Cardines is home to, among others, the Newport Gulls of the New England Collegiate Baseball League.

Subscribe now to 2009 Independent Baseball Insider columns

REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER

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.

Subscribe now to 2009 Independent Baseball Insider columns

REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER

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.

Subscribe now to 2009 Independent Baseball Insider columns

REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER

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.

Subscribe now to 2009 Independent Baseball Insider columns

REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER

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.

Subscribe now to 2009 Independent Baseball Insider columns

REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER

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.

Subscribe now to 2009 Independent Baseball Insider columns

REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER

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.

Subscribe now to 2009 Independent Baseball Insider columns

REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER

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

Subscribe now to 2009 Independent Baseball Insider columns

REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER