Indy Baseball Chatter: INDEPENDENT LEAGUES CONTRIBUTE 49 PLAYERS TO MAJOR LEAGUE CAMPS

Friday, February 15, 2019

INDEPENDENT LEAGUES CONTRIBUTE 49 PLAYERS TO MAJOR LEAGUE CAMPS

The contributions of Independent leagues to major league organizations is never more evident than the annual compilation by IndyBaseballChatter.com of the players who have had experience in these leagues and are in major league spring training camps

That total is 49 as of today although it still could grow.

Twenty-three of the players are on 40-man major league rosters while the other 26 are non-roster invitees. Both totals are down slightly from one year ago when 26 players were on rosters and 32 players received special invitations.

Pitchers continue to dominate, with 39 hurlers in the 30 camps compared to 10 position players.

Nine players received their initial professional experience in an Indy league although many of the others would not be wearing major league uniforms without the experience gained outside of the 30 big-league organizations, often taking advantage of a second-chance opportunity after being drafted but failing to advance with their original team. Approximately another 165 former Independent players are currently in major league farm systems.

Those in major league camps with their current organization followed by their stop(s) in Independent leagues:

Pitchers (39)--NR-Tyler Alexander, Oakland (Fargo-Moorhead, American Association, and Sussex, Can-Am League); *Nick Anderson, Miami (Frontier Greys and Rockford, Frontier League); NR*Ryan Atkinson, Arizona (Evansville, Frontier); NR-Jeremy Bleich, Philadelphia (Somerset, Atlantic League); NR-Ryan Bollinger, San Diego (Windy City, Frontier; Trois-Rivieres, Can-Am; St. Paul and Winnipeg, American Association); NR-Buddy Boshers, Cincinnati (Somerset); John Brebbia, St. Louis (Sioux Falls and Laredo, American Association); NR-Hunter Cervenka, St. Louis (Sugar Land, Atlantic); NR-Tim Dillard, Texas (Lancaster, Atlantic); Jon Edwards, Cleveland (Alpine, Pecos League, and San Angelo, North American League); Wilmer Font, Tampa Bay (Ottawa, Can-Am); Luis Garcia, Los Angeles-AL (Newark, Can-Am); Junior Guerra, Milwaukee (Wichita, American Association); NR-Ariel Hernandez, Texas (Frontier Greys); NR-Tyler Higgins, San Diego (New Britain, Atlantic); Rich Hill, Los Angeles-NL (Long Island, Atlantic); NR*James Hoyt, Cleveland (Wichita; Edinburg and Yuma, North American League); D. J. Johnson, Colorado (Traverse City, Frontier); NR-Mike Kickham, Miami (Kansas City, American Association); Brandon Kintzler, Chicago-NL (St. Paul and Winnipeg, then Northern League); *Chris Martin, Texas (Grand Prairie, American Association); NR-Brian Moran, Miami (Bridgeport, Atlantic); NR-Vidal Nuno, Washington (Washington, Frontier); NR-Edward Paredes, Philadelphia (York, Atlantic); *James Paxton, New York-AL (Grand Prairie); NR-Alex Powers, Cincinnati (New Jersey, Can-Am); *Trevor Richards, Miami (Gateway, Frontier); *Tanner Roark, Cincinnati (Southern Illinois, Frontier); Chaz Roe, Tampa Bay (Laredo); *Max Scherzer, Washington (Fort Worth, American Association); NR-Bo Schultz, Baltimore (Grand Prairie); Robby Scott, Arizona (Yuma, North American); NR-Tayler Scott, Seattle (Sioux City, American Association); NR*Chris Smith, Detroit (Lake Erie, Traverse City and Washington, Frontier; White Sands, Pecos League); NR-Josh Smoker, Los Angeles-NL (Rockford); Robert Stock, San Diego (New Jersey); Marcus Walden, Boston (Lancaster); *Aaron Wilkerson, Milwaukee (Grand Prairie; Florence, Frontier; and Fort Worth, United League); NR-Eric Yardley, San Diego (Trinidad and Taos, Pecos).

Catchers (3)--Rafael Lopez, Atlanta (Bridgeport); NR-Rene Rivera, San Francisco (Camden, Atlantic); NR-Josh Thole, Los Angeles-NL (New Britain).

Infielders (5)--NR-Emilio Bonifacio, Tampa Bay (Long Island); NR-Ryan Court, Chicago-NL (Sioux City); NR-Peter Mooney, Colorado (New Jersey); NR-Brandon Snyder, Washington (Southern Maryland, Atlantic); Ildemaro Vargas, Arizona (Bridgeport).

Outfielders (2)--Jose Martinez, St. Louis (Rockford); David Peralta, Arizona (Amarillo and Wichita, American Association; Rio Grande Valley, North American).

*First professional game was in an Independent league.

NR-Non-roster invitee.

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

Bob Wirz

Former chief spokesman for Major League Baseball Commissioners Bowie Kuhn and Peter Ueberroth. Six years as publicity director for the Kansas City Royals, and a background in newspaper, radio and television. Started Wirz & Associates, a sports PR and consulting firm, in 1985. Has written extensively on Independent Baseball since 2003.

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About 'My Nebraska'

It seems almost universally accepted that Nebraskans are friendly, hard-working people.

A native son, who eventually transitioned to the East Coast because it was the best avenue to follow his passion of continuing to work in major league baseball, has published a book to share a lifetime of memories of growing up in the Cornhusker state.

You may have guessed it when you saw the title: My Nebraska. Yes, Bob Wirz, now a youthful 85, is sharing his "rich memories of growing up in rural Nebraska" in the 1940s and 1950s in a delightful 136 pages in the book produced by Dorrance Publishing in Pittsburgh, PA.

Wirz, who got to live his passion of working at the highest levels of baseball and later developing his own sports public relations and marketing company, lovingly empties out his memories of everything from counting millions of tiny trees to playing grass-roots baseball where the age of teammates might run from the early teens to the 50s.

The colorful cover of My Nebraska, which features two paintings from Dunning, NE rancher/artist Laron McGinn that depict the beautiful landscape of rural Nebraska and the ranching lifestyle, sets the tone for the 5 x 8 book also filled with meaningful pictures.

It is "a wistful and endearing love letter to Nebraska filled with memories shared by generations raised in small towns throughout the Midwest", praises Shari Veil, who heads up the journalism and mass communications department at the University of Nebraska.

My Nebraska, a 5x8 paperback, is priced at $19.95 plus $4.00 for handling and shipping. Autographed copies may be ordered at www.WirzandAssociates.com