SIX-PITCH RULE ALREADY BEING USED; JASON LANE, JAKE FOX SWINGING HOT BATS

It turns out one of the speed-up rules adopted by the Atlantic League has been in play in the Can-Am League and American Association for some time. That is the rule which limits pitches between innings (except in cold weather) to six instead of the normal eight.

Miles Wolff, commissioner of those leagues, believes this single step, which does not apply when a pitcher is first entering a game, could be saving seven or eight minutes a game. The veteran executive points out the Carolina League at one time allowed only five pitches.

Wolff says when the American Association All-Star Game is played in Winnipeg Tuesday the Can-Am League rule instituted this year whereby when a game gets to the 11th inning each team will start the inning with a runner on second base. That rule will apply if the All-Star contest gets to a 10th inning since the teams will have a limited number of relievers, and most or all of them will be in the game by that time.

JASON LANE’S AVERAGE UP TO .419; FOX DRIVING RUNS IN

Jason Lane, who had a brief recall to the parent San Diego Padres as a pitcher earlier this season, is 5-8, 4.76 after 18 starts for Triple-A El Paso, TX, but the real news may be what this onetime major league outfielder is doing at the plate. He has appeared in 32 games, and after a 3-for-3 performance earlier this week is hitting .419 (18-for-43) with three homers and 10 runs batted in. His OPS (on-base plus slugging) is off the charts at 1.211.

2013 Atlantic League Player of the Year Jake Fox, who we probably will pay attention to in next week’s Independent Baseball Insider column, has 42 RBI in 38 games (.343) since joining the Class AA Reading (PA) Fightin Phils from Mexico.

TRACKING PLAYER RELEASES

As always, there have been a few former Indy players released in recent days by major league organizations.

One such release was handed to Frank Viola III, trying to make it as a knuckleball pitcher. Toronto dropped the former St. Paul (MN) Saints (American Association) right-hander. Other releases have been felt by RHP Brett Brach (Somerset, NJ, Atlantic League) from Washington, SS Jaime Pedroza (Lancaster, PA, Atlantic) from the Chicago White Sox and 3B Rusty Ryal (Sugar Land, TX, Atlantic) by Philadelphia. Pedroza is already back with Lancaster.

RHP Mitch Lively, a major league spring training invitee by San Francisco again this year, was released by the Giants, then quickly signed by Washington and sent to Triple-A Syracuse, NY.

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