JODIE REPLACES SPARKY LYLE AT SOMERSET AND KEN OBERKFELL WINS LINCOLN JOB

Baseball's revolving door for managers appears to have nudged legendary Sparky Lyle into a "manager emeritus" status at Somerset, NJ, but the onetime major league lefty relief standout left quite a mark for his 15 years with the Patriots, including a record five Atlantic League championships and 1,024 regular-season victories.

Always frank and open with this typist, our fedora is lofted very high for you, Sparky.

It is easy to feel Somerset is in good hands into the future with longtime player personnel boss and pitching coach Brett Jodie taking over although he must get the Patriots off back-to-back disappointments.

Another managerial hiring that got our attention today was Lincoln, NE (American Association) signing Ken Oberkfell, who has an arm's length of accolades on his side even if he did struggle through what had to be a very embarrassing few months with the Newark (NJ) Bears (Can-Am League) this summer before leaving early for what we had heard were personal health issues.

Oberkfell is managing in the Dominican Republic now, where he has had tremendous success.

TWO MORE HAVE MAJOR LEAGUE INVITATIONS

Add the veteran lefty Tim Byrdak (Gary, IN and Joliet, IL, when both were in the Northern League) and catcher Eddy Rodriguez (American Association stalwart at Sioux Falls, SD and El Paso, TX) to the growing list of players with non-roster invitations to major league camps well before the holidays. We will get into this topic in more detail in next week's Independent Baseball Insidercolumn, which subscribers will receive on Thursday, but Byrdak will once again be with the New York Mets and Rodriguez with San Diego.

We also throw a bouquet in the direction of onetime Kansas City, KS (American Association) manager Tim Doherty, who one year ago moved from the Independent ranks to serve as assist hitting coach with the Red Sox. Doherty will be the hitting boss with Minnesota's top farm club in Rochester, NY this season.

ONE MORE HINT ON THE NORTH AMERICAN LEAGUE

While it has been all-too-apparent the North American League wasn't likely to enter Year 3 in 2013, more evidence came in today when the Maui club (owners also have the Hawaii Stars) listed the affiliation of those two teams as the Pacific Baseball Association. One has to feel for San Rafael, CA, where a new lease was recently signed. The Pacifics probably will hook on with some type of league in the area, but it is difficult envisioning them playing what had been the NAL's Southern Division teams, all located in Texas and more likely to resume under some type of United League banner.

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