TWO BOOKS REMEMBER EARLY-DAY INDY LEAGUES; MORE PLAYERS GET NEW CONTRACTS

I am among those who cannot wait for Game 7 of this compelling World Series, but that is not all I want to get off my chest heading into the weekend.

I received a telephone call this week from Hank Utley (he really is Robert Utley but loved Hank Greenberg so much he now uses the name Hank), an 87-year-young former third baseman at North Carolina State and two-time author.

Knowing about my Independent Baseball Insidercolumn, Utley was reaching out my way because of two interesting sounding books he has co-authored. These are books about early-day Independent leagues and are entitled "The Independent Carolina Baseball League, 1936-38" and "Outlaw Ballplayers".

The Society for American Baseball Research(SABR) liked the first of these two McFarland Press publications so much that Hank Utley tells me the organization voted it one of the top baseball books of 1999.

Both books delve into the good, bad and ugly of the Indy world of those years, but it could not have all been bad news for the players since Crash Davis of "Bull Durham" fame emerged to reach the major leagues as did 10-year big-league pitcher Buck Ross and infielders Dick Culler and Grey (Noisy) Clarke.

I could not recall how much time Crash Davis actually got in the majors until I opened the Baseball Encyclopedia and researched his three seasons ('40-42) when the Philadelphia Athletics finished dead last in the American League. Lawrence (Crash) Davis launched his only two home runs for the '42 A's, who finished 55-99, and he got enough playing time to drive in 43 runs while hitting .230.

Historians--and anyone else intrigued by those times--should pay a visit to Utley's www.baseballoutlaws.com, where it also is possible to purchase the books.

MORE NEW CONTRACTS, MORE FREE AGENTS

Southpaw Scott Rice, who started this season in the Atlantic League, and catcher Eddy Rodriguez are among the latest onetime Independent players to get both new affiliated contracts and promotions to Triple-A. The Dodgers elevated Rice to Albuquerque, NM, where the former York, PA, Long Island, NY and Newark, NJ hurler is only one step from the major leagues. Rodriguez is now on the Tucson, AZ roster for San Diego. He played in the American Association for Sioux Falls, SD and El Paso, TX as well as Bridgeport, CT of the Atlantic League.

Mike Parisi, purchased from Long Island this year, already was on the Albuquerque roster before inking his new contract. He is a right-handed pitcher. Catcher Cody Clark, who was at San Diego during early Golden League days, will continue his tenure as a contributor in the Kansas City farm system.

Meanwhile, another trio of former Indy players who have logged major league time have opted for free agency, presumably in an effort to find better deals. Pitchers Josh Kinney (River City, Frontier League) and Mark DiFelice (Somerset, NJ and Camden, NJ, Atlantic League) quit the Chicago White Sox and Milwaukee, respectively. Catcher Rene Rivera (Camden) left the Minnesota Twins, with whom he spent a good chunk of this summer.

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CANADA NIPS TEAM USA IN GOLD MEDAL GAME, WITH INDEPENDENT GRADS STARTING FOR BOTH TEAMS

Team USA dropped a 2-1 heartbreaker to Canada in the gold medal game of the Pan American Games Tuesday night, but it was virtually a no-lose situation for Independent Baseball.

Both teams started pitchers who were signed by major league organizations out of Independent leagues in the last year and the closer for both was someone who not only emerged from an Indy circuit but got his first professional opportunity at that level.

The raw facts were that Canadian starter Andrew Albers (Quebec, Can-Am League) and closer Scott Richmond (Edmonton, then in the Northern League, now in the North American) shut down the USA on six hits. Albers, property of the Minnesota Twins, gave up a first inning run but also struck out eight (no walks) in 6.2 innings at Lagos de Moreno, Mexico. Richmond, a onetime starter for the Toronto Blue Jays and still in their organization, worked out of a first and third, two-out jam in the seventh and was perfect for the seven batters he faced, striking out three.

USA ace Andy Van Hekken allowed a two-run double in the sixth inning, but gave up only six hits in seven strong innings. The former Somerset, NJ (Atlantic League) hurler, soon to be a free agent after pitching in the Houston chain, finished the World Cup and Pan Am competition with a 0.96 earned run average for 28 innings and won three of his four decisions.

"Andrew Albers and Scotty Richmond came through for us tonight and my-gosh, it's just a dream come true," praised Canada's manager, former major league catcher Ernie Whitt. This was Canada's first-ever opportunity in the gold medal game of a major international tournament.

Catcher-first baseman Emerson Frostad, who was signed out of Lancaster, PA of the Atlantic League during 2011, also was a member of Team Canada although he did not play in the title game. Former Edmonton infielder Stubby Clapp is a coach on the team.

Albers saved 17 games (3-0, 1.41) to help Quebec to the Can-Am League crown in 2010 before his contract was purchased by Minnesota. He was in 40 regular-season games for the Capitales, striking out 59 batters in 58 innings.

Scott Patterson, whose pro debut was with Gateway (Sauget, IL) in the Frontier League and later a reliever with Lancaster, was the Team USA closer. While he did not pitch in the finale, the right-hander had three saves in eight appearances (1.29 ERA) in the international competition. Randy Williams (Edinburg, TX, Central League) had a loss and a save in five appearances (6.00).

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FORMER INDY HURLERS TO SQUARE OFF TUESDAY NIGHT IN PAN AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Stop the presses!

Team USA and Canada were scheduled to square off for the championship of the Pan American Games in Mexico Tuesday night, and the game likely will pit two former Independent Baseball pitchers against each other.

Andrew Albers, the relief ace for Can-Am League champion Quebec in 2010, was set to work for Canada, and unbeaten ace Andy Van Hekken was the logical choice for the USA. Both are left-handed. Van Hekken, who has been in the Houston farm system although he will soon be a free agent, hurled in three different seasons for the Somerset (NJ) Patriots of the Atlantic League. Albers is in the Minnesota farm system.

The gold medal game will be streamed live at 8 o'clock Eastern Daylight Time on the official Pan American Games website as well as on USABaseball.com. We will have a recap here and on www.AtlanticLeagueBaseball.com Wednesday.

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NEED MORE BASEBALL AT THIS TIME OF YEAR? CHECK OUT THESE REPORTS

We reported on the great success of former Atlantic League hurler Andy Van Hekken (Somerset, NJ) as the ace of Team USA in Thursday's Independent Baseball Insider, but he is certainly not the only former Independent player making news on the diamond these autumn days.

Brandon Sing, who annually hits at least 20 home runs, is the early-season leader in the Mexican Pacific League with four round-trippers in his first six games along with seven runs batted in and a .409 average (9-for-22). Sing played in all 100 games for Sioux Falls, SD of the American Association this season, hitting .303 with 24 dingers and 70 RBI. He also has played for Bridgeport, CT (Atlantic League) and Pensacola, FL when the Pelicans were in the American Association.

FRONTIER LEAGUER SERATELLI HAS GOOD START IN ARIZONA

Infielder Anthony Seratelli, who played for Windy City (Crestwood, IL) in the Frontier League, is hitting .318 after his first 22 at-bats in the rugged Arizona Fall League. Seratelli is in the Kansas City organization.

Another Windy City product, Chicago White Sox minor league pitcher Brandon Kloess, has a loss and a 2.25 ERA after four innings in as many games in the AFL. Kloess started his pro career in Independent Baseball.

THREE MORE GET NEW AFFILIATED MINOR LEAGUE CONTRACTS

Left-handed pitcher Andrew Dobies has earned both a new contract in the Kansas City organization and a promotion to Triple-A Omaha. He was a reliever at Somerset last season and early this year until his contract was purchased by the Royals.

Two others getting new contracts in their organizations are catcher Dayton Buller (Camden, NJ, Atlantic League) with Milwaukee's Class AA club and right-hander Cody Evans with the Los Angeles Angels. Evans, who has been with Amarillo, TX in the American Association and Schaumburg, IL, then in the Northern League, also won a promotion to Double-A.

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WHITE SOX TO TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT A PAIR OF FORMER INDEPENDENT PLAYERS

The Chicago White Sox are continuing to give a solid look to former Independent players Seth Loman and Brad Furnish. They have new contracts, which is far from automatic when a season ends.

Loman, a 6-foot-4 first baseman, is being protected on the Triple-A Charlotte, NC roster after his fourth consecutive season of at least 19 home runs. The string started in the Golden League when the now 25-year-old hit 19 dingers at St. George, UT. He has been in the Chisox system the last three seasons. The lefty hitter swatted 23 homers between Kannapolis and Winston-Salem in '09, another 25 at Winston-Salem one year ago and stepped up to Class AA Birmingham this summer. He hit .277 in 122 games for the Barons, with 24 doubles, 19 homers and 65 runs batted in.

Furnish was signed out of Bridgeport, CT of the Atlantic League this summer, and the southpaw is being given another chance even though he was a combined 0-4, 6.05 in 41.2 innings divided between Winston-Salem and Kannapolis. The 26-year-old out of TCU only issued 10 walks.

Furnish had a 2-1 record and a 2.70 ERA in 15 appearances, including three starts, for Bridgeport. He had been with Gary, IN, then in the Northern League, in 2010.

SEVERAL OFF MAJOR LEAGUE ROSTERS

At least four of the 40 former Independent league players who spent time in the major leagues during the season have lost those jobs in recent days. This will be one story we will develop for this week's Independent Baseball Insider column, which is delivered to subscribers on Thursday.

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ONE TRIO GET NEW CONTRACTS WHILE ANOTHER FOURSOME FILE FOR FREE AGENCY

Realizing that it will not be long until we see that long list of former Independent players (as well as those in the affiliated minors) who are six-year free agents hoping to land a new contracts with their old organization or a new one, it is nice to see some players getting new pacts already from their current major league organizations. This group includes (with Independent affiliations in parenthesis):

RHP Mike DeMark (York, PA, Atlantic League; Florence, KY, Frontier League), who started in Indy play, with Arizona.
SS Mike Hollimon (Grand Prairie, TX, American Association), with Minnesota.
LHP Matt Meyer (St. Paul, MN, American Association), with the Los Angeles Angels. Meyer was an invitee to major league spring training this past winter.

FOUR WITH MAJOR LEAGUE TIME OPT FOR FREE AGENCY

We can identify four former Indy players who got some major league playing time this season before going back to the minors and now have opted for free agency where they hope for better opportunities:

C Robinson Cancel (Long Island, NY, Somerset, NJ and Road Warriors, Atlantic League, and Edinburg, TX, United League) from Houston.
OF Jay Gibbons (Long Island and Newark, NJ, Atlantic) from the Los Angeles Dodgers. He hit .300 with nine homers and 48 RBI at Albuquerque after starting the season with the parent Dodgers.
LHP Mike O'Connor (Southern Maryland, Atlantic) from the New York Mets even though he struck out 66 Triple-A hitters in 60.1 innings when not in the National League.
LHP Randy Williams (Edinburg, TX, Central League) from Boston. Williams, who is traveling abroad with Team USA at present, had a 1.41 earned run average with 36 strikeouts in 32 innings for Pawtucket, RI when not with the Red Sox.

MIXED RESULTS IN TRIPLE-A

We were curious how several other players who spent some time in the majors this season fared as Class AAA players:

UTIL Erick Almonte (Long Island), who surprised most everyone by starting the year with the parent Milwaukee Brewers, hit .303 with six homers and 42 RBI in 244 at-bats.
RHP Mark DiFelice (Somerset and Camden, NJ, Atlantic) had a 2.17 ERA along with a 2-1 record and fanned 29 in 31 innings for the Brewers.
RHP Nelson Figueroa (Long Island) was 7-8, 6.05 in finishing at Indianapolis (Pittsburgh) after starting the year with Houston.
RHP Scott Richmond (Edmonton, Northern League) struggled to 6-9, 7.33 for Toronto.
C Jose Yepez (Pensacola, FL, American Association, and Gary, IN, Northern) compiled a .307 average with three homers and 26 RBI in 153 times at bat for Seattle. Yepez spent a few days with the parent Mariners although he did not get into a game.

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TV COMMENTS ASIDE, ONLY TWO FORMER INDY PLAYERS ARE IN CURRENT MAJOR LEAGUE PLAYOFFS

A comment during one of the telecasts of a National League Division Series game involving Milwaukee sent me scrambling to various sources. I take pride in being able to identify the former Independent players who are anywhere on the major league landscape, as regular readers here or with my subscription-only Independent Baseball Insider column can attest.

The TV voice said Brewers closer John Axford had played in an Independent league. (I also get somewhat annoyed when the commentators or writers say "Independent league" instead of identifying the league by name, but that is a different story.)

Alas, Axford did not pitch in one of the recognized Indy leagues. Back in 2006 before being drafted and signed by the New York Yankees, he pitched for a team called the Melville Millionaires of the Western Major Baseball League. This is a collegiate league in Canada.

Detroit's Max Scherzer and Brad Ziegler of Arizona are the only two former Indy players in the first round of playoffs although southpaw relievers Alberto Castillo (Arizona) and Raul Valdes (Yankees) are on standby for possible inclusion in the League Championship Series or World Series.

TIMO PEREZ, TWO COACHES SIDELINED

It was sad to see that veteran outfielder Timo Perez, who had played in the Can-Am League (New Jersey Jackals) at one time, was among those suspended for 50 games for violation of the minor league baseball drug program. The former major leaguer, 36, is a free agent after hitting .304 with Detroit's top farm club this season.

Former Indy managers Ken Oberkfell and Jon Debus were among those not renewed when the New York Mets made some changes to their coaching staff. Oberkfell had been the bench coach and Debus the bullpen coach.

ANOTHER UNITED LEAGUE

I have a feeling, without concrete knowledge, we may wake up one day soon and find the United League has returned, at least in some form. The three teams left standing without another home after 2010 plus the McAllen, TX team did not seem to fit when they were part of the North American League this season.

The Insider won't be dealing with this matter when it publishes later today, but we will be getting into some other interesting franchise developments.

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