FIGUEROA, PAXTON SHINE IN PLAYOFFS AND SAINTS TO GET A NEW HOME

Nelson Figueroa added one more neat line to his lengthy baseball resume Thursday night when the 38-year-old right-hander lifted Pawtucket, RI (Red Sox farm club) to the International League championship with a strong six-inning start in a 4-1 triumph that ousted Charlotte, NC (Chicago White Sox).

Figueroa, who pitched briefly in the Atlantic League (Long Island, NY) in 2006 and has major league time with Arizona, Philadelphia (twice), Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, the New York Mets and Houston, allowed seven hits and a run. He had to work out of a first and third, no-out situation in the sixth with the strikeout of Seth Loman (St. George, UT, Golden League) the first out.

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION'S PAXTON ALSO SHARP

Another strong playoff performance we did not get into yesterday's Independent Baseball Insider column was James Paxton's 7.1 innings of work in leading Jackson, TN to an 8-1 Game 1 triumph over Mobile, AL (Arizona) in the Class AA Southern League Championship Series.

Paxton, the Grand Prairie, TX (American Association) prospect, struck out 10 and was touched for only an unearned run. "James pitched great this whole postseason...the second half of the season," Manager Jim Pankovits told The Jackson Sun.

The highly-regarded Seattle prospect is due to pitch in the Arizona Fall League, and no doubt will be in the Mariners' spring training camp in February.

MAUI SPLITS IN JAPAN

I am not certain what to make of it, but the North American League's Na Koa Ikaika Maui split two games in Japan with a semi-pro team known as the Ishikawa Million Stars. The more important aspect seems to be continuing discussions about creating what has been called a World Independent Baseball League. It may be an outlet for the two teams the NAL has in Hawaii if there is sufficient backing to make a new league work. We are told the entire trip was being captured on video, and the games were broadcast back to home fans in Maui.

SAINTS TO HAVE A NEW STADIUM

After years of planning and lobbying, it appears the American Association's St. Paul (MN) Saints finally will get a new stadium. Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton signed off on a $25 million state bond project to make it happen.

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