TRACKING ED NOTTLE AND SOME RECENT AFFILIATED MINOR LEAGUE OUTINGS

How nice it is to see Ed Nottle feeling sufficiently chipper after his various illnesses to be back in a baseball uniform.

Nottle is in familiar haunts, too, back in Brockton, MA, where he is a coach for the Futures Collegiate League's Brockton Rox. That name is very familiar, of course, since it is the same name used by the pro teams that played at Campanelli Stadium in the Northeast and Can-Am Leagues through last season.

Nottle managed the Rox from '02-05, including the '03 NEL championship season.

FRONTIER LEAGUE GRAD SHINES ON MOUND WHILE OPPOSING TOP DRAFTEE

Onetime Boston farmhand Michael Lee dazzled Frontier League hitters for a time this season as he struck out 59 hitters and allowed only 30 hits in 41 innings for Rockford, IL before his contract was purchased by the Atlanta Braves.

The 6-foot-7 right-hander gave Atlanta an early bonus this week when he out-pitched the Washington Nationals' top draft choice of 2011, Alex Meyer, to give the Class A Lynchburg (VA) Hillcats a 3-1 verdict over Potomac, VA. Lee allowed only four baserunners in eight innings to run his Lynchburg log to 1-1 with a 3.18 ERA for four appearances, two of them starts.

"It (Independent Baseball) helped me to get my confidence up and just go back to being me," the 25-year-old told The Lynchburg News & Advance.

BURKE, RETHERFORD GETTING CHANCES AT HIGHER LEVELS

Two players we hoped to salute in yesterday's Independent Baseball Insiderbefore running out of space were former major league pitcher Greg Burke and onetime American Association (Fargo, ND) infielder C. J. Retherford, both recently promoted.

Burke, who started his pro career in the Atlantic League (Atlantic City, NJ) and worked his way up to the San Diego Padres before shoulder surgery set him back, could be nearing the time where Baltimore gives him another major league opportunity. After saving 14 games and winning another (1-0) at Double-A Bowie, MD, the Birds promoted him to their top farm club in Norfolk, VA where he has a 2.70 ERA (one loss) and 16 strikeouts in 13.1 innings.

Retherford is the No. 2 hitter in the California League (.343), tied for second in home runs (20) and has 72 RBI although he has been promoted to Double-A Chattanooga, TN, where he is hitting .243 for his first 37 at-bats (four RBI).

Lefty reliever Les Walrond has not been so fortunate. It was only a week after Toronto purchased his contract from Lancaster, PA (Atlantic League) that the Blue Jays released Walrond. He only worked four innings at Class AA New Hampshire (Manchester), giving up four runs (only one earned) along with four walks. Not much of an opportunity.

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