Thursday, April 26, 2012

FENWAY PARK MEMORIES LINGER AND MAJOR ATLANTIC LEAGUE INVESTOR PLANS INTO THE FUTURE

I keep thinking back to the lavish 100-year anniversary party at Fenway Park, and realizing once more how many major league personalities have been a part of Independent Baseball. The Red Sox invited every one of their former players back, and they strolled in from centerfield without introduction.

Among those I spotted who have had Indy connections were these headline-makers: Oil Can Boyd, Bill Buckner, Jose Canseco, Mike Easler, Rich Gedman, Richie Hebner, Roger LaFrancois and Kevin Millar. Millar, who has been the best player ever to emerge from a start in Independent Baseball (St. Paul Saints) and Pedro Martinez were the leaders in a spontaneous toast to the grand 'ol ballpark.

A BIG WEEK FOR OPENING DAY PARTNERS

Today's Independent Baseball Insider will treat subscribers to the emerging long range planning of the Atlantic League, which ushers in the Independent season tonight. Opening Day Partners (ODP), which already has Atlantic League teams in Lancaster and York, PA and Southern Maryland (Waldorf) is officially opening its news showpiece in Sugar Land, TX tonight, but that is only one point in showing how this organization is being steered far into the future by Peter Kirk and his large group of experienced staffers.

ODP has had quite a week. It also announced the hiring of 50-year plus baseball executive Tal Smith for a key role, as discussed in the Insider, and Lisa Riggs as the new president of the Lancaster Barnstormers. I do not know Ms. Riggs, who lives in East Hempfield Township with her husband and two children, but she has been running something called James Street Improvement District which is Lancaster's community and economic development organization. That normally signifies the person in that role (President) is among a community's most important movers and shakers. Her involvement with the Barnstormers goes back nearly a decade when JSID played a key role in the development of Clipper Magazine Stadium.


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