FORMER INDEPENDENT STARS OFF AND RUNNING IN MAJOR LEAGUE EXHIBITIONS

It did not take long for several former Independent players to start making some type of statement in major league spring training camps. While I am gearing up for the start of Year 12 with my subscription publication, the Independent Baseball Insider, next Thursday (March 6), I have been pouring over the early Grapefruit and Cactus League box scores.

The most interesting finding took place in Thursday’s San Diego-Seattle game where recent Mariners signee and camp invitee Burt Reynolds (Newark, NJ, Can-Am League, and Camden, NJ, Atlantic League) entered as a pinch runner and ended up with a double in his only at-bat plus a run scored, slightly bettering the performance of his better known–and richer–cousin Robinson Cano, who singled and scored in his only time up. Reynolds seems to show up wherever Cano is, once being a Yankees farmhand for a brief time.

The 25-year-old Dominican product, a third baseman-outfielder, has never played above Class A, but he does have 36 minor league home runs, including 20 for Newark in the ’11-12 seasons and six in 71 games for Camden last year.

Logan Kensing (Bridgeport, CT, Atlantic) and Tom Wilhelmsen (Tucson, AZ, Golden League) each pitched a scoreless inning in Seattle’s 7-1 win. Catcher Rene Rivera (Camden), who has a decent chance of returning to San Diego, went 1-for-2 for the Padres.

WATCHING MARTE, FEIERABEND, MATTY JOHNSON AND OTHERS

Among others trying to get to the major league level:

–Andy Marte, who starred at first and third while playing for York, PA (Atlantic), has been in a game for Arizona each of the first two days, going 1-for-2 with a run so far.

–Lefty Ryan Feierabend, signed by Texas from York last summer, got a bonus not often accorded up-and-comers of two innings Thursday. He allowed two hits and a run while fanning three.

–Outfielder Matty Johnson (Gateway, Sauget, IL., Frontier League), was brought over from Boston’s minor league camp Thursday because the Red Sox were playing two games against Massachusetts college teams, and he went 1-for-2 with a run in a 5-2 win over Boston College. That had to be a thrill since Johnson is only on a Class A roster.

–Jose Gil, who played seven games in the American Association (Lincoln, NE) last season before returning to the New York Yankees farm system, has been used at first base in the first two Yankees exhibitions. Normally a catcher, the 27-year-old non-roster invitee has gone 0-for-2 with a walk. Robert Coello (Edmonton and Calgary, Canada, Golden League) had a rough outing for the Yankees, giving up five runs and being charged with the loss in only one-third of an inning

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BEING HAPPY FOR SCOTT RICE AND TODD LINDEN FOR DIFFERENT REASONS

I cannot imagine how good it must feel for Scott Rice this spring training, knowing (even though he won’t openly admit it) he is a virtual lock to be back for a second season with the New York Mets.

“I’m 100 per cent healthy and ready to go,” the 32-year-old left-handed reliever told NJ.com shortly after spring training opened in Port St. Lucie, FL. Health was the only possible hang-up after Rice led the team in mound appearances (73) in his rookie season before season-ending sports hernia surgery sidelined him from September 3 through the end of the season.

Should anyone forget Rice’s story prior to 2013, he had put in 14 seasons in the minor leagues, getting only as close as being a late cut more than once out of major league spring training. The California native was with three different Atlantic League teams (Long Island, NY and Newark, NJ in ’08-09), then after looks from two more major league organizations with York, PA for 15 bullpen outings (1-0, 1 save, 2.45) in 2011 before the Los Angeles Dodgers became his fifth major league organization.

ON THE BYRDAK, ROBERTSON TRAIL

It seems almost universally believed that left-handed relief pitchers can hang around forever if they are healthy. Tim Byrdak and Nate Robertson might be having their doubts about now.

Byrdak (Gary, IN and Joliet, IL, Northern League in 2003) has let it be known he feels 100 per cent after shoulder surgery limited him to eight major league appearances last season (Mets), but so far we have not seen anything concrete develop for the 40-year-old who has made 479 major league appearances in his career. Robertson, a former hurler and part owner of the Wichita (KS) Wingnuts of the American Association, went 4-4 with a 3.04 ERA for Texas’s top farm club at Round Rock last season. Fox Sports has reported the 36-year-old “has spoken with several clubs”, but, he, too, remains a free agent.

ANOTHER PLAYER TURNS TO COACHING

Todd Linden was a major league outfielder of some note, hitting .231 in 270 games (San Francisco, Florida), and when he lost out at that level at a relatively young age did what so many others have done. He turned to the Independent game, in his case in Canada (Edmonton of the North American League) in 2011 where he still had the talent to hit 14 homers, drive in 79 runs and hit .355. Linden returned to the Giants for two seasons in Triple-A, and he recently accepted an offer, at the age of 33, to become their hitting coach at Augusta, GA in the South Atlantic League.

His case is one more of proving there can be life after a playing career for those so inclined, especially if the player has proven enough that he can be the type of asset an organization treasures. Independent Baseball has been a stepping stone in this direction for so many.

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INDY STARS PLAY MAJOR ROLES IN HELPING MEXICO WIN CARIBBEAN SERIES

Chris Roberson and Jon Weber are a pair of former American Association outfielders who have never gotten much opportunity to shine in the major leagues, but they certainly do not have trouble filling up trophy cases.

The duo, who both played at Winnipeg as recently as two summers ago, now have a combined 16 championships to their credit after helping Mexico repeat as Caribbean Series champion, taking the final step in a 7-1 win against Puerto Rico. Roberson was named Most Valuable Player after his sixth inning home run broke a scoreless tie and ignited a six-run inning. “This is a big league environment, and these teams bring their best every time out,” the 34-year-old told MLB.com.

This was the sixth time Roberson has been part of a championship team although he still lags four behind Weber. They were strong contributors in ’12 when Winnipeg swept six consecutive playoff games on its way to the American Association title. Roberson got into 85 major league games with Philadelphia in ’06-07, but only had 69 at-bats (.232) while the closest Weber has come to the majors was in 2010 when he was voted the top rookie in the New York Yankees spring training camp because of his .483 batting average. No other player was within 100 points, but he was sent to Triple-A anyway.

Roberson hit .370 with two homers and six RBI in the six games of the Caribbean Series while Weber, who also has played Independent Baseball for Fargo, ND (now an American Association team) and Camden, NJ (Atlantic League), hit .333 and was 2-for-4 with a run in the finale. A trio of 2013 Indy players also had strong series for Mexico with third baseman Yunesky Sanchez (Somerset, NJ, Atlantic) hitting .384, first baseman Daryle Ward (Lancaster, PA, Atlantic) hitting .333 and right-hander Jason Urquidez (Lancaster) handling eighth inning pitching chores.

JEROME WILLIAMS COULD MAKE $3.1 MILLION

Jerome Williams’s willingness to pitch in the Atlantic League (Lancaster, 2011) while trying to get back to the major leagues, continues to pay rich dividends. When the free agent signed with Houston recently it was for a guaranteed $2.1 million with another $1 million a possibility in incentives. His 4-0 record last September with the Angels could easily put the right-hander into starting rotation plans with the talent-starved Astros.

Chaz Roe’s stepping stone to the majors was through the American Association team in Laredo, TX, and the 27-year-old righty will get a fresh opportunity with the Miami Marlins as a non-roster pitcher in the major league spring training camp. Roe was in 21 games with Arizona last season (1-0, 4.03), found himself with Texas briefly during the offseason and when the Rangers designated him for assignment he declared for free agency and became a member of the Marlins almost instantly.

TEXAS STYLE, THE “Y’ALL-STAR GAME”

The Atlantic League plans to be more innovative once new President Rick White has time to get his feet on the ground, with the All-Star Game at Sugar Land, TX being one of the opportunities.

Someone has been grinding out ideas already. During his introductory news conference, conducted on Facebook, White said the working title for the event is the “Y’All-Star Game”. Very clever. I would run with it.

In another Atlantic League tidbit, multiple team owner Peter Kirk told Baseball America Virginia Beach, VA is making progress as a possible expansion site.

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ATLANTIC LEAGUE HIRES FORMER MLB EXEC AS PRESIDENT; VARIOUS INDY PLAYERS PART OF CARIBBEAN SERIES

The Atlantic League, continually searching for ways to build its national resume and hoping to expand from eight to 12 teams in the near future, announced a strong hire Tuesday in naming longtime marketing and branding executive Rick White as its new president.

White, who started in the American League office shortly out of college and went on to become president and chief executive officer of Major League Baseball Properties, will be the new face and voice of the Atlantic League, which will begin its 17th season in April. He is credited with starting the annual All-Star FanFest and launched MLB Clubhouse Shops. White also had a leadership role for Nike and in recent times has been associated with ForewardDirection.com, a consulting firm.

He lives in Denver.

VENEZUELA GETS BOOST FROM INDEPENDENT PLAYERS

Outfielders Cory Aldridge (Somerset, NJ, ’13, and Newark, NJ, ’08, both Atlantic League) and Lew Ford (Long Island, NY, Atlantic) and catcher-first baseman Eliezer Alfonzo (St. Paul, MN, then in the Northern League and now in the American Association) are providing some of the offensive firepower that has lifted Venezuela into the lead with a 2-0 record in the Caribbean Series heading into a Tuesday night showdown with the Dominican Republic (1-1). Daryl Thompson (Southern Maryland, Atlantic) is on the Venezuelan pitching staff.

I have not identified any former Independent players with the Dominican Republic although the team is managed by controversial Jose Offerman, who is most known for a bat-wielding incident when he was with Bridgeport, CT (Atlantic) in ’03. He later played for Long Island. Mexico (2-1) and Puerto Rico (1-1) also have former Indy players on their roster with onetime Long Island Ducks infielder Carlos Baerga as manager for Puerto Rico.

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