Monday, April 29, 2013

PAYING TRIBUTE TO SPARKY LYLE AND TWO RECENT INDEPENDENT HURLERS

It will be one sentimental evening at TD Bank Ballpark in Somerset, NJ Friday when the Patriots host Sparky Lyle Tribute Night to honor the mustachioed one for his 15 years of managing the Atlantic League team which included five championships and more than 1,000 victories.

Now 68, Albert Walter Lyle also won 99 major league games and saved another 222 plus still more before the first official save rule went into effect. That is a lot of winning baseball for the left-hander now considered manager emeritus for Somerset.

ADDING ON TO KYLE SCHEPEL'S STORY

I singled out Arizona farmhand Kyle Schepel in last week's Independent Baseball Insider column because of the seven-inning no-hitter he threw for South Bend, IN in his initial season after being signed out of an Independent league. Mal Fichman, who signed the right-hander after an invitation-only tryout camp in Joliet, IL last September as one of his final feats before moving on to scout the Indy leagues for Baltimore, added some perspective on just how meaningful it can be to move into a major league organization for anyone who starts his career in a non-affiliated league and for those close to him.

Schepel spent last summer with Rockford, IL in the Frontier League. Fichman said Rockford Manager Rich Austin "may have been happier than Schepel" that his pitcher impressed enough for the Diamondbacks to sign him. While it seems unlikely the manager was actually happier, the comment says a great deal about how much someone like Austin wants the best for his players.
Fichman's email also said "Schepel and his father sat in the dugout for a few minutes (after the signing) to go over some things" before the three of them walked to their cars. "I thought they were going to fly home rather than drive," Fichman concluded.

The 22-year-old Schepel won again Saturday to run his record to 2-0 for four starts, and he has allowed only 15 hits in 24.2 innings while building a 2.55 earned run average.

ADD ONE MORE TO MAJOR LEAGUES

The newest Independent leaguer to reach the major leagues is southpaw Vidal Nuno, now with the New York Yankees less than two years after his contract was purchased from Washington, PA in the Frontier League.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER FOR 2013. 40 issues for only $48 through December, 2013; Scouts: $32
REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER
Get the independent minor league baseball trivia question of the day by clicking this link: Independent Minor League Baseball Trivia Questions



Saturday, April 20, 2013

CURT SMITH, MATES REINFORCE INDEPENDENT IMPACT IN AFFILIATED LEAGUES

 

I had it reinforced one more time the depth of impact Independent Baseball players make on virtually any major league-affiliated game when I took my three grandsons to an Eastern League game this week.

We did not single out this game in order to see former Independent players; it so happens the New Britain (CT) Rock Cats, the Double-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, are the closest to us. It turned into an 11-inning dandy, too, on a sunny day for this 10:35 a.m. school day game. No less than four former Indy stars took part, three of them as starters. Perhaps the most surprising part was that all are position players since pitchers seem to be in the spotlight most often.

I was especially excited to see New Britain first baseman Curt Smith, who had played in both the American Association (Lincoln, NE) and Atlantic League (Lancaster, PA) and was signed by the Twins shortly after his dominant bat played a major role in getting The Netherlands to the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic. I had written about him more than once in this space as well as in my weekly Independent Baseball Insider column.

Smith turned in a very professional game with two singles, one driving in the Rock Cats’ first run in a two-run bottom of the ninth that sent the game into extra innings, playing a solid first base and exhibiting great hustle. I could see the latter in the way he went after foul balls down the line even if he could not get to them. He is making an impact, hitting .343 after eight games with three doubles, a homer and five runs batted in.

Antoan Richardson (Schaumburg, IL, Northern League) was the leadoff hitter and centerfielder and Reynaldo Rodriguez (Yuma, AZ, Golden League) entered as a pinch runner in the eighth and stayed in to play left. For New Hampshire, Toronto’s No. 2 farm club, Amadeo Zazueta played very solid shortstop and had a hit. Like Smith, he had played at Lincoln and the switch-hitter was with Sugar Land, TX in the Atlantic League part of last season before his contract was sold to the Blue Jays.

What a nice day for all of us.
 
SUBSCRIBE TO THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER FOR 2013. 40 issues for only $48 through December, 2013; Scouts: $32
REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER
Get the independent minor league baseball trivia question of the day by clicking this link: Independent Minor League Baseball Trivia Questions



Tuesday, April 09, 2013

ANGELS BRING UP INDEPENDENT VET DANE DE LA ROSA AS SEVERAL OTHERS MOVE ON

Dane DeLaRosa, the well-traveled former Independent hurler who spent most of spring training with the Tampa Bay Rays, finds himself back in the major leagues today, taking the Los Angeles Angels' roster spot that opened up when Jered Weaver was disabled after being hit on the elbow of his non-pitching hand.

DeLaRosa, a 6-foot-7 right-hander who got in a dozen major league appearances with the Rays the last two seasons, was traded to the Angels late in spring training and started the season with Salt Lake City. He has played in three Independent leagues, the Atlantic with Southern Maryland, the American Association with El Paso, TX and with four different teams when the Golden League was operating (Victoria, BC, Orange County and Long Beach in California and Yuma, AZ).

Twenty onetime Independent players are now with major league teams although four of them are on disabled lists.

SOME RELEASED PLAYERS QUICKLY GOBBLED UP

Several more players from the non-major-league-affiliated teams have been released in recent days as organizations set their Opening Day rosters. Those losing out included onetime Can-Am League standout infielder Nick Giarraputo (New Jersey Jackals and Sussex) from the Chicago White Sox, St. Paul, MN (American Association) infielder Dan Kaczrowski from Arizona, left-handed pitcher Eric Niesen (Long Island, NY, Atlantic League) from Seattle, third baseman Marquez Smith (Camden, NJ, Atlantic) from Texas, American Association (Fargo, ND) outfielder Buddy Sosnoskie and shortstop Chris Wade (Windy City, Frontier League) from Baltimore.

Versatile infielder-outfielder Gabe Suarez, who was with Team Spain in the World Baseball Classic, was let go by Texas, but quickly signed with the Long Island Ducks, one of his former teams. He has played for four Atlantic League teams in all plus Kansas City, KS of the American Association, Florence, KY of the Frontier League and Lincoln, NE when the Saltdogs (American Association) still were in the Northern League.

Kaczrowski has already re-signed with St. Paul and Sosnoskie has re-joined Fargo.
 
SUBSCRIBE TO THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER FOR 2013. 40 issues for only $48 through December, 2013; Scouts: $32
REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER
Get the independent minor league baseball trivia question of the day by clicking this link: Independent Minor League Baseball Trivia Questions



Tuesday, April 02, 2013

INDEPENDENT PLAYERS MAKE BIG JUMP OVER ONE YEAR AGO ON OPENING DAY ROSTERS


With 16 of its former players on Opening Day major league rosters, Independent Baseball made a huge jump over one year ago.  The list would be even more impressive if not for the fact five near certain roster candidates are one disabled lists.  We will have the full list, including salaries, when our weekly Independent Baseball Insider column goes out to subscribers on Thursday.

One who did not make it to opening day was Nelson Figueroa (Long Island, NY, Atlantic League),  a standout for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic.  The 38-year-old right-hander was in spring training with Arizona.

RICE GETS FIRST MAJOR LEAGUE OUTING BEHIND HIM

Terry Collins played it perfectly with Scott Rice, getting the 14-year minor leaguer into his first major league game in a non-pressurized situation.
With the New York Mets leading San Diego 11-2 on Opening Day at Citi Field, Collins brought the southpaw reliever in for the ninth inning.  The Atlantic League veteran (York, PA, Long Island, Newark, NJ) struck out the first two batters he faced (Nick Hundley and Cameron Maybin), then got a routine grounder to second to finish the game.


SUBSCRIBE TO THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER FOR 2013. 40 issues for only $48 through December, 2013; Scouts: $32

Get the independent minor league baseball trivia question of the day by clicking this link: Independent Minor League Baseball Trivia Questions