INDY COUNT UP TO 31 FOR WBC PLUS A RETURN BY VALENTINO PASCUCCI

A scan today of final first-round rosters for the World Baseball Classic starting in eight days (March 2) reveals at least 31 players who have been in Independent leagues are scattered among seven of the 16 teams.  We use the term "at least" because it is possible others have been overlooked.

 

Four players were added since we ran down the original 28 from provisional rosters in our subscription publication, the Independent Baseball Insider, in January, while veteran Canadian hurler Scott Richmond is no longer listed.  The additions are Venezuela's RHP Juan Rincon, who was with Bridgeport, CT of the Atlantic League part of last season, left-handed hitting infielder Mike Costanzo (a recent signee with Washington) and RHP Justin Cicatello with Italy and shortstop Jesus Merchan with Spain, which now has 12 players with Independent experience.  Costanzo played at Camden, NJ in the Atlantic League in 2010, Cicatello pitched in the Frontier League (Kalamazoo, MI) back in '07 while Merchan hit .391 in 115 at-bats with Lancaster, PA of the Atlantic League last season.

 

SLUGGER PASCUCCI REJOINS ATLANTIC LEAGUE

 

Long-ball-hitting first baseman-DH Valentino Pascucci is back in the Atlantic League.  The 1999 Montreal Expos-drafted Pascucci was with Camden for a time in 2010 before going to the New York Mets organization.  He saw brief action (3-for-11, one home run) with the parent Mets last season and homered 17 times in Triple-A, but was recently signed once again by the Riversharks.

 

POSITIVE THOUGHTS FROM LUKE HOCHEVAR

 

Luke Hochevar's starting job seems very much up in the air with Kansas City this time around even though he made 32 starts, including the second game of the 2012 season, for the Royals last year, but the onetime Fort Worth (TX) Cats (American Association) hurler is putting a positive face on at spring training in Surprise, AZ.

 

"I think it's a great situation," Hochevar told MLB.com.  "I think it's great that I'm in a position where I'm being pushed because it heightens everything.  It heightens your focus, it heightens your everything, so it can only be good.  Not just for me but for the whole club--it's great.  That's what it's all about, the club winning games." 

 

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