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Independent Baseball has had more superb feats by its graduates already this week to give this typist plenty of ammunition for Thursday's Independent Baseball Insider, but all of our thoughts at the moment need to be sent in the direction of the flood-drenched Texas coast. It probably would not register with every baseball fan because of the geography, but both the United and Continental Leagues have had their schedules disrupted by the hurricane. We can only hope they escape long-term damage. Both Laredo and Harlingen in the Lone Star State had enough advance warning that they actually played games ahead of when they were scheduled. Harlingen moved a Wednesday game up to be part of a Monday doubleheader and Laredo moved its Wednesday contest to be half of a Tuesday twin bill. The Continental called off a series between Texarkana and Corpus Christi. Some games on the East Coast also will no doubt be lost because of heavy rain expected over a wide swath of real estate tonight (Wednesday). As for the most recent feats by onetime Indy players in the majors, add Yankees outfielder Justin Christian to the headliners. His two-run double broke up a scoreless battle between New York and Minnesota this afternoon, jump-starting the suddenly hot New Yorkers as they reeled off still another Yankee Stadium victory. Christian, one of four players who started their pro career in Independent Baseball (River City, Frontier League) and broke into the majors this season, went 2-for-3 and stole a base in a rare start. Tuesday night, the unbelieveable scoreless streak of onetime Schaumburg, IL (Northern League) hurler Brad Ziegler continued with the Oakland Athletics. With two scoreless innings in a win at Tampa Bay, the submariner now owns the American League record for most zeroes to start a career (23.2) and is only four outs shy of tying the major league record. George McQuillan had his 25 innings for Philadelphia a short 101 years ago. Little old Indy strikes again.
Some leftovers from a busy week along the Independent Baseball trail, heightened by a heavy schedule of affiliated and Indy All-Star Games. Mike Cervenak must have felt like he was having one of those wild dreams where nothing was going right and everything was getting extremely complicated as he got called up to the major leagues for the first time in his 10-year professional career. (We discussed the call-up and Cervenak's great credentials in this week's subscriber-only Independent Baseball Insider, including his current No. 2 ranking in the International League batting race--.310 with 7 homers and 52 runs batted in--but did not have the space to tell the rest of the story about his initial major league experience.) It was not a dream however, as the most recent player who started in an Independent and now has a major league resume explained on the telephone Thursday as he was preparing to leave with his Philadelphia Phillies teammates for an important weekend trip to Florida to square off against the Marlins. As the 31-year-old former Chillicothe (OH) Paints (Frontier League) star explained, his Lehigh Valley team had just finished a homestand with a night game (July 9) and had bussed to Syracuse, NY, where a road trip would start. It is roughly 200-225 miles from Allentown, PA to Syracuse so it is a reasonable assumption the IronPigs (sorry, that is their nickname) arrived no earlier than 2 a.m. Cervenak and roommate John Ennis turned off their cell phones and went to bed. (I will paraphrase Mike's words from this point.) Wouldn't you know it, the hotel alarm clock kept going off, shortening the night of sleep even more. And, little did Mike know he was being called on the hotel telephone. It turned out it was broken. The next sound was a pounding on the door about 7:30 a.m. It was Manager Dave Huppert. "Is Mike in there", he called. "They need you in Philadelphia." Those are the magic words for every minor leaguer, of course, and even moreso if you played four seasons in Double-A after leaving the Independent world and were in your fifth year in Triple-A. I'd have to believe that once Cervenak knew it wasn't a dream he could have gotten to the door in about one long step. It was to be a day game in Philadelphia, too, at 1:05 job against St. Louis. Mike started scrambling, gathering whatever clothes he had and getting his baseball gear from the trainer. An 11:30 flight was the best that could be arranged, and it was due in Philly at 12:30. Would it be on time? No way. It arrived nearly an hour late, with the game underway. By the time Mike got to Citizens Bank Park, signed his MAJOR LEAGUE CONTRACT, suited up in his sparkling Phillies uniform and reached the dugout the fifth inning was starting. Cervenak did not get into the game as the Phillies won, 4-1, but he was there to celebrate with his new teammates, who included two others who labored in Independent Baseball, catcher Chris Coste and pitcher R. J. Swindle, the latter now back with the IronPigs. Cervenak's long-awaited major league debut came the next night against Arizona. He pinch hit against Connor Robertson, shook off some of the nervousness he admitted feeling in the on-deck circle and flied out to the warning track with Ryan Howard on first base and one out in the 11th inning. The Phillies won it in the 12th. What a day! Mike Cervenak is a realist. He knows this major league experience could end any day, especially with the Phillies acquiring Joe Blanton from Oakland Friday. But he will not ever forget those early-morning experiences in Syracuse. WHAT ABOUT THESE ALL-STAR LEFTOVERS? I wonder how many people were curious about the cap Hall of Famer Gary Carter was wearing for the celebrity softball game he was catching in during this week's major league All-Star festivities at Yankee Stadium? Golden League brass recognized it immediately. It was the cap of the Orange County Flyers of Fullerton, CA. Carter is the manager of the first-half champions. The hat also includes the Golden League logo. The home run-hitting contest before the Atlantic League All-Star Game in Somerset, NJ had to be a one-of-a-kind attraction for fans. Several of the blasts by the winning player, the hometown Patriots' Josh Pressley, crashed off the scoreboard in right-center. Bridgeport, CT first baseman Jesse Hoorelbeke may have gone one better when he hit a drive off a moving train. Maybe Donald Trump, a guest in Somerset, will start a reality TV show to highlight such feats.
If you were among those who did not make it through all 15 innings of the thrilling major league All-Star Game then you probably have no idea how major the roles were of the two players who started their professional careers in Independent Baseball. They could not have been more important in the American League's 4-3 triumph in the longest game by time in the history of this classic that started in 1933. And that is not just this typist beating the drum, either, as we have been doing in this space and more extensively in our weekly subscriber-only Independent Baseball Insider column. J. D. Drew, who played with the St. Paul (MN) Saints in 1997 and 1998, was named Most Valuable Player, and rightly so because it was his two-run seventh inning home run off Cincinnati's Edinson Volquez which pulled the A. L. even at 2-2. Drew, the Boston Red Sox rightfielder, also drew a key walk in the bottom of the 15th to move Justin Morneau to third base and load the bases. Michael Young's sacrifice fly scored Morneau with the winning run, ending the dramatic evening at Yankee Stadium. Drew's night also included a single so he was on base three times and officially went 2-for-4. Baltimore closer George Sherrill hurled two and one-third scoreless innings, and was full of dramatics. The former Frontier League and Northern League southpaw, who needed four and a half years in the Indy leagues before Seattle gave him a chance in 2003, came into the game with the National League having a runner at each base and two outs in the top of the 12th. He promptly fanned San Diego's Adrian Gonzalez to get out of that jam. The 31-year-old Sherrill, who has 28 saves this season, allowed only one of the next seven N.L. hitters to reach base. The Mets' David Wright got a soft single to center to lead off the 13th, then Sherrill fielded Cristian Guzman's bunt and got a force on Wright at second. He struck out Corey Hart and got Ryan Ludwick to pop to second. In the 14th, the former Evansville, IN and Winnipeg hurler got Nate McLouth and Russell Martin on flies to Drew and Miguel Tejada on a grounder to short to end his night's work. Sherrill used a tidy 25 pitches, 18 of which were strikes. The only previous player who started in an Independent league and eventually played in the All-Star Game was another Winnipeg reliever, Jeff Zimmerman. He was in the 1999 contest at Fenway Park while a member of the Texas Rangers. UNITED LEAGUE TOPS GOLDEN BEFORE FULL HOUSE IN TEXAS The only All-Star Game between two Independent leagues also took part Tuesday night with the United League besting the Golden League 8-5 before a sellout crowd of 4,421 at Foster Field in San Angelo, TX. Twenty-three-year-old catcher Luany Sanchez of the Laredo (TX) Broncos blasted two home runs and drove in four to earn MVP honors. His three-run clout in the second gave the United League a lead it never surrendered. We will be writing about more All-Star Games, including those in the affiliated minor leagues, in this week's Independent Baseball Insider which comes out on Thursday. I am not certain I can keep up. I wrote in last week's Independent Baseball Insider column about seven former Indy players getting fresh opportunities in major league baseball. Had my deadline been a few hours later it would have been even more impressive in that two more players pulled on big-league uniforms. Catcher-first baseman Robinson Cancel returned to the New York Mets. The other one was a personal favorite--if writers are allowed such admissions--because Mike Cervenak is another 30-plus player (32 next month) who started in Independent Baseball (Chillicothe, OH of the Frontier League in 1999-2000) and was getting his first regular-season promotion to the bigs. Cervenak's story is nearly as good as that of Chris Coste, who debuted at 33 two seasons ago, and now, ironically, is a Philadelphia teammate. Part of one paragraph from my January 17 IBI column when Cervenak was featured can catch the uninitiated up on the third baseman-first baseman: "It is vital you know about some of Cervenak's accomplishments so you do not get the impression this is some chump ballplayer we are discussing. The all-time hits leader at the University of Michigan (293), a former member of Team USA, the runnerup in MVP voting behind Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard (another new teammate) and ahead of third place Curtis Granderson (Detroit) in the Eastern League in 2004 and last summer's International League leader in hits (157, with Baltimore's Norfolk, VA farm club)." Cervenak is now one of a very impressive list of 10 players with Indy playing resumes who have made their major league debut this season. Four of the 10 got their start in an Independent league, including outfielder Justin Christian (River City, Frontier League) and pitcher Scott Patterson (Gateway, Frontier League), both with the New York Yankees, Max Scherzer (Fort Worth, American Association) with Arizona and Cervenak. Patterson and Scherzer are back in the minors, although we suspect not for long. And, with another 70 or so games to go for each major league team we can visualize the list of 10 making their debut and 29 overall with some time in The Show this season continuing to grow. It seems noteworthy only 24 Indy players were in the majors at any time in 2007. If you have been keeping up with our Independent Baseball Insider columns you know that one of this reporter's favorite subjects the last couple of weeks has been speculating about what it would mean for Independent Baseball if Baltimore closer George Sherrill was selected for the American League All-Star team. I should have been speculating on two players who got their professional start in non-major league-affiliated leagues. That's exactly what has come to pass. Both Sherrill and Boston outfielder J. D. Drew made it, doubling the number of times it had happened in the previous 15 seasons of the Indy game. What a milestone it is, and all 62 of today's teams should be trumpeting the story. It is easy to overlook Drew as an Independent player since his appearance with the St. Paul (MN) Saints in 1997 and 1998 came about because he could not reach contract terms with the major league teams drafting him. But the truth is he played in 74 games for the Saints when they were a fixture in the Northern League. (They still are a fixture for Indy baseball even though they helped form the American Association three years ago.) Drew, the No. 2 draft choice in the country in 1997 after being a collegiate standout for Florida State, could not reach agreement with Philadelphia so off he went to St. Paul, where he became Northern League Rookie of the Year for hitting .341 and pounding 18 homers and driving in 50 runs in a mere 44 games. Drew, now 32, went back into the draft pool in '98, but he hit another nine round-trippers and drove in 33 runs in 30 additional games for the Saints before St. Louis could select him fifth overall and reach contract terms. He hit over .300 at two different minor league stops for the Cardinals that season, and finished by hitting .417 in 14 games in the National League with five homers and 13 RBI. The All-Star selection for next Tuesday's heralded show at Yankee Stadium came about because of his prolific June when he carried a big chunk of the World Champion Red Sox's offensive load from the No. 3 hole, where it was expected David Ortiz would be greatly missed. Sherrill's 27 saves in his first season as a major league closer have been a major reason for Baltimore's improved 2008 campaign. His selection climaxes (to this point) his brilliant rise from a starter with Evansville, IN of the Frontier League in 1999-2000 after a college career at Austin Peay to his transition as a left-handed specialist for Sioux Falls, SD in 2001 and the Winnipeg Goldeyes for the next season and a half before his contract was purchased out of the Northern League by Seattle. The only previous time that someone who started in an Independent league was selected for a major league All-Star Game was when Texas reliever Jeff Zimmerman was tabbed in 1999. He had pitched for the Goldeyes in 1997. Brendan Donnelly had pitched for Ohio Valley of the Frontier League (1994) and Nashua, NH when it was in the Atlantic League (1999) prior to becoming the winning pitcher for the A.L. in the 2003 game, but he played in the farm system of both Chicago major league teams before going to Independent Baseball. Donnelly currently is on a rehab assignment with Cleveland's Gulf Coast League team. One can only hope that many a fan will be thinking back to the Independent game when they see Drew and Sherrill being introduced at Yankee Stadium Tuesday night. You can bet every current Indy player will be thinking about where they started and where they are today. Three longtime baseball managers, all with Independent ties, have been in the news lately. Two of them have happy stories; one does not. The first managerial casualty in the Independent ranks in 2008 that I have seen came this week in the United League. That was longtime Indy skipper Al Gallagher with Harlingen, TX. "Dirty Al", his affectionate nickname from his major league playing days, was replaced by his pitching coach, Caleb Balbunea, who also had been the White Wings' closer. On the more pleasant news front, we tip our cap today to Newark (NJ) Bears Manager Wayne Krenchicki and to Frank Verdi, one of the pioneers of the Northern League. Krenchicki picked up his 1000th managerial win last month. Most of those victories have come in Independent leagues, starting with the Texas-Louisiana League and the Northern League, followed by the Atlantic League, where the onetime major league infielder has been a fixture since the circuit started in 1998. Krenchicki led the Bears to the Atlantic League title last season, but to this typist the most notable feat has been in leading Camden, NJ to the league's best record for four consecutive seasons (2002-05). Verdi is one of the Class of 2008 going into the International League Hall of Fame. Known as "Old School", Verdi won 938 games with a total of five IL teams, closing out that run in 1985. He was the manager of the Sioux Falls (SD) Canaries in the Northern League's initial season of 1993 as well as parts of the next two years. His induction will take place at Norfolk, VA July 30, where he led the Tidewater Tides from 1977-80. The Los Angeles Dodgers' weekend victory when they were no hit was not the only unusual game of late. Were you aware that the New Jersey Jackals and Worcester Tornadoes played a 20-inning game in Worcester Saturday? The game lasted six hours and six minutes so if anyone questioned a spouse about their late arrival home, it most likely was valid. The Jackals finally won 5-4, but not before the lead changed or ties were created nine times from the sixth inning on. New Jersey scored the game's first run in the sixth, Worcester tied it in the seventh, went ahead 2-1 in the eighth and the Jackals pulled even again in the top of the ninth. Then it really got fun. Innings 10-15 were scoreless, both teams scored in the 16th and again in the 19th. Tiring, huh? Thirty-three runners were left on base, New Jersey pitchers combined for 21 strikeouts (compared to only eight for Worcester) and the two leadoff hitters--NJ's Marcus Sanders and Worcester's B. J. Weed combined to go 9-for-19. Sanders had four singles and a home run in 10 official at-bats. Sanders and Weed have used the game as a springboard for great offensive runs. Sanders, a 22-year-old second baseman out of Saratota (FL) Community College, has 11 hits in 22 at-bats in the last four games, including the marathon, to jump his rookie professional average from .303 to .333. Weed, who has been roaming Can-Am diamonds for several seasons and Monday was named Player of the Week, has gone 12-for-23 in the same stretch to climb from .328 to .357. He shares fourth in the league batting race while setting the pace in hits (55), doubles (17) and extra base hits (21). Some quick hits while leading up to this week's Independent Baseball Insider column where the current plan is to feature the continuing first half exploits of Indy original and current Baltimore closer George Sherrill. He could be on the brink of another magic milestone. The southpaw, who played in both the Frontier League (Evansville, IN) and the Northern League (Sioux Falls, SD and Winnipeg, CA), did it again Tuesday night when he got the final out in the eighth, then gave up two hits and a walk to start the bottom of the ninth at Wrigley Field. He stunned the Cubs, though, when he struck out Ronny Cedeno, Kosuke Fukudome and Henry Blanco to leave the bases loaded and give the Orioles a 7-5 victory.. His 26th save of the season, which is second best in the majors, ended the Cubs' home winning streak at 14, a mark they have not bested since 1890. This is not a typo, friends. It really is 1890. STILL ANOTHER FRONTIER LEAGUER DEBUTS IN BIGS The major league debut of outfielder Justin Christian was one of the few bright spots in the New York Yankees' 12-5 drubbing in Pittsburgh Tuesday. Christian, who follows pitchers Josh Kinney and Joe Thatcher as players who started their pro career at River City (O'Fallon, MO) and made it all the way to the major leagues, played leftfield and had a single, double and drove in two runs. "He can create some havoc on the base paths, he plays very good defense, he had some important hits in the later innings (in spring training)," praised Yankees Manager Joe Girardi. With the Yankees scheduled to face five lefthanders in six games and regulars Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui hobbled the right-handed-hitting 28-year-old figures to get more at bats over the next few days. FORT WORTH CATS WIN ANOTHER TITLE Fort Worth, TX has become the first Independent league team to nail down a first-half championship. Congratulations to the Cats, who already are three-peat winners, having won the last championship in the Central League (2005) and the first two in the American Association. Fort Worth won the Southern Division title this time, with Sioux Falls, SD on the brink of doing the same thing in the North. Anyone who reads this blog or my expanded Independent Baseball Insider column on a weekly basis knows that it isn't my nature to rap many people on the knuckles. There are too many positive things that can be said about baseball, and especially the Indy game, to be taking time to throw darts. That doesn't mean I cannot try to have a little fun now and then. The first year Grand Prairie AirHogs have come alive in the American Association of late, climbing above .500 by winning eight of their last 10 and gaining second place behind their fellow Metroplex residents, the Fort Worth Cats. Maybe they were just twitting Jessica Simpson's earlier misstatements with their media release today about planning a Jessica Simpson Night July 6 at their handsome QuikTrip Park although I am not convinced that was the case. Three times the AirHogs referred to the promotion being at night. A word to the wise, however, in that they said game time is 2:05. COLABELLO LETS LOOSE WITH ANOTHER THREE-HOMER BARRAGE Can-Am League first baseman Chris Colabello isn't exactly what one would call a home run hitter in that his previous high in round-trippers was 13 in 91 games last season when he split the year with Worcester, MA and Nashua, NH. But the 6-foot-4 Colabello seems to like to splurge. He homered three times last May 29 in a 10-RBI game against New Haven (CT) County. And Saturday night he repeated the feat, this time driving in eight, as Worcester put it to Atlantic City, NJ, 16-6. He had a 4-for-6 game, scored four times and raised his average to .333. The three homers at Atlantic City represent half of the 24-year-old's home run output so far this season, although he is having another highly productive summer. Colabello has hit safely in 17 of his last 19 games, and has 29 runs batted in in his first 28 appearances of the season. CHARITY, CHARITY AND MORE CHARITY If anyone questions Independent Baseball's commitment to charitable endeavors I suggest that person visit the Frontier League website. I found stories only covering the first two thirds of June which talked of River City Rascals volunteers helping fill sandbags to fight off the Midwestern floods, Men's Health Week in Illinois, the (Washington, PA) Wild Things assisting a hospital, Traverse City, MI's gas protest, and the Florence (KY) Freedom aiding a polio campaign and kicking off a reading program. Subscribe now to 2008 Independent Baseball Insider columns It did not save Willie Randolph's job as manager of the New York Mets, but Robinson Cancel helped his own chances of more major league time when he slapped a two-run, pinch-hit single to help the struggling team salvage a doubleheader split against Texas Sunday. Cancel had batted only once in the major leagues since 1999 until he broke a 2-2 tie in the sixth inning with an 0-2 single to center at Shea Stadium. The Mets won by that 4-2 margin. Coming on the heels of a solid spring training showing and being brought up from New Orleans twice in recent weeks, it is obvious some people in the Mets' heirarchy like the 32-year-old catcher-first baseman's bat. "Cancel made me look good for a minute," the beleaguered Randolph told The Associated Press. Cancel got 44 at-bats with Milwaukee in '99, and since then has traveled the AA-AAA-Independent world in search of another big-league opportunity. The right-handed hitter made Indy stops at Somerset, NJ of the Atlantic League in '03 and '04, and also was with the traveling Road Warriors for a time in that league in '03. Then he was a .297-10-52 performer on a fulltime basis with the Edinburg (TX) Roadrunners of the United League in 2006. Have you visited www.IndependentBaseballClassifieds.com today? HOW ABOUT THESE EARNED RUN AVERAGES? Anyone wanting some bragging points about Independent Baseball need look no further than several major league ERAs. Independent teams are in parenthesis. Brad Ziegler of Oakland (Schaumburg, IL, Northern League) 0.00 for eight innings, Craig Breslow of Minnesota (New Jersey Jackals, now in Can-Am League) 1.69 for 16 innings, Tim Byrdak, Houston (Gary, IN and Joliet, IL of Northern League) 1.31 for 20.2 innings, Edwar Ramirez of New York Yankees (Pensacola, FL, now in American Association and Edinburg) 2.25 for 20 innings, George Sherrill of Baltimore (Evansville, IN, Frontier League; Winnipeg, Canada, Northern; and Sioux Falls, SD, now in American Association) 3.48 plus 22 saves in 31 innings. We all know earned run averages for starting pitchers normally are higher, but Luke Hochevar is looking better with most every start for Kansas City. The onetime Fort Worth (TX) Cats (American Association) hurler is holding his own with a 4-5 record and a 4.66 ERA for 65.2 innings. He ranks fourth on the team in innings, and has the second best ERA among the four. After writing in this week's Independent Baseball Insider column about the evolution of promotions for the wacky--and successful--St. Paul (MN) Saints of the American Association, arguably the franchise that has meant the most in the 16-year development of modern day Independent Baseball, we thought readers might enjoy knowing more about their thinking. This is in their own words: The Saints Experience: Our fans feel appreciated (we thank them a lot, keep the prices in check and even in an older ballpark attempt to make continual improvements for their enjoyment of the game) Since day one, we have a real nun giving therapeutic chair massages in the stands, Sister Rosalind Gefre. Our 2007 live pig mascot (it is a new one every year) Garrison Squeallor weighed in at 530 lbs last week; this year’s pig is Boarack Ohama.
Our Mother’s Day/Dawn Game in May of 2005 as the earliest start of a professional baseball game… with a live rooster crowing to start the game.
Some leftovers from our weekly Independent Baseball Insider column as well as developments that have caught our eye early this weekend: Jason Jarvis, who was raved about in our May 29 column, did get drafted, likely bringing his time with the Lincoln (NE) Saltdogs of the American Association to closure soon. But he will only enter the San Francisco Giants' farm system as a 23rd round choice. Two terrific outings against division-leading St. Paul, MN probably came too late to boost him into a higher round. Jarvis, who hopes to follow Luke Hochevar and Max Scherzer and give the American Association three right-handers in the majors in the not-too-distant future, struck out the Saints in order in two consecutive appearances Wednesday and Thursday. He has a 1.64 earned run average with 12 strikeouts in 11 innings while posting an 0-1 record with one save for Lincoln. "His fastball is already major-league quality, and (pitching coach) Jim Haller has really helped him to develop an outstanding changeup," praised Saltdogs skipper Tim Johnson. Jarvis had last pitched for Arizona State. ANTON FRENCH RESUMES HIS PLAYING CAREER What a surprise to see that Anton French resumed his playing career this week with Sioux City, IA of the American Association. It was only in mid-March when the 32-year-old speedster gave me the impression he was totally happy in his new life as Philadelphia's organizational bunting and baserunning instructor after 15 seasons in which French stole 476 bases and did everything but reach the major leagues. The 5-foot-11, left-handed hitter has started off by reaching base six times in his first 16 plate appearances. He is 3-for-13 (.231) with two singles, a double and three walks. This is French's sixth Independent league, following the Northeast (Massachusetts Mad Dogs, Lynn, Allentown, PA and Quebec), Atlantic (Long Island, NY and Somerset, NJ), Western (Sonoma County), Can-Am (North Shore Spirit, Lynn) and Northern (Winnipeg, Canada). It is obvious French still likes the Independent leagues, which he told me this spring, is where he learned "I could take control of the game." WILL MINOR LEAGUES REGRET LOSING MIKE VEECK? Independent Baseball would seem to be the winner and Minor League Baseball the loser with innovative Mike Veeck indicating he is walking away from the affiliated ranks, presumably because of their continued hassles to keep entrepreneurs from having ownership roles on both sides of the ledger. Veeck, who also carries on the family name in the sport following his Hall of Fame father Bill, is getting deeper into the Indy ranks. His latest involvement is to lead a group of investors who will build a ballpark for a Frontier League team in Normal, IL. The group already has City Council approval. Veeck already has Independent links through the St. Paul Saints and Sioux Falls (SD) Canaries in the American Association as well as the Brockton (MA) Rox of the Can-Am League. He had been heavily involved with three affiliated team. What a terrific weekend for Independent Baseball players in the major leagues. For starters, Scott Patterson, who needed four and a half years in the Indy game before even getting to a major league organization, and Brad Ziegler, who also owes a debt to the non-affiliated ranks, both made their major league debut. And Craig Breslow, the only lefty among the three hurlers, made an exceptional debut with Minnesota, his fourth major league team since leaving the Independent ranks. Patterson, who we wrote about in this space and heavily in our Independent Baseball Insider column during spring training when he was a late cut by the New York Yankees, left his Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Triple-A teammates in Rochester, NY early Sunday morning, flew through Chicago and got to Minneapolis in time to pitch in the sixth and seventh innings of the Yankees' 5-1 loss to the Twins. Known for terrific control, Patterson, probably with his nerves not yet under control, walked two, gave up a hit and a run in 1.1 innings. "I was thinking, man, is this really real," Patterson told The New York Times. Patterson went 28-8 during his extensive Independent career which started with three full seasons (2002-4) with the Gateway Grizzlies in Sauget, IL of the Frontier League, then split '05 between Gateway and the Atlantic League's Lancaster (Pa) Barnstormers as he started learning how to close games. His tremendous run with Lancaster at the start of 2006 (20 games, 2-0, 14 saves, 0.78 ERA, five walks, 31 strikeouts) led the Yankees to come calling. Ziegler only pitched four times in Indy baseball (3-1, 1.50, 12 hits in 24 innings, one walk, 26 strikeouts for Schaumburg, IL of the Northern League in 2004), but that represented a second chance since Philadelphia drafted him in the 20th round in 2003, pitched him in relief three times and released the Southwest Missouri State product less than a year later. He climbed the Oakland ladder in just under four seasons before debuting with a one-out, one-hit stint against the Texas Rangers Saturday. Both Patterson and Ziegler turn 29 later this year. Breslow, 27, has been in and out of the major leagues since 2005 (San Diego, Boston, Cleveland), but his debut with Minnesota Saturday had to be special. Not only was he facing the Yankees, who are based only about 50 miles from his Trumbull, CT home, but he faced--and struck out--the heart of New York's lineup, Bobby Abreu, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi. Only three of the 23 pitches Breslow threw were balls as he got five outs in the eventual 12-inning Twins home loss. Breslow has gone from Boston's Triple-A roster to a seldom-used role with Cleveland to this high note with the contending Twins already this season. The Yale University graduate was released by Milwaukee two and a half years after drafting him, and he signed with the New Jersey Jackals (Little Falls) midway in 2004. He signed with San Diego the next spring, and was with the parent Padres before the year was over. In one down note, Minnesota designated for assignment infielder Howie Clark, who once played for Chico, CA in Independent Baseball.
We all hear people say “you see something new at the ballpark every day”. Continental League fans certainly can say they saw something rare in Corpus Christi, TX Monday night when 4-foot-6 midget wrestler Chris Dube took a turn at bat for the Beach Dawgs. We will tell you more in a few paragraphs. And I definitely tip my fedora to the decent sized crowd that turned out and stayed around with the wind blowing in toward home plate. Veteran Felix Jose had been signed by Lincoln to help the offense, but the Saltdogs did not see enough in nine starts (1-6-.282) so the 43-year-old was released, then re-signed as a coach. It turns out the coaching role was short-lived. We learned Wednesday the Golden League's Calgary Vipers have signed Jose so he can keep adding to his hit total which already is above 2,100, including 747 in the major leagues, in a pro career that started in 1984. Jose's other Independent stops have been in Nashua, NH when the Pride were in the Atlantic League, and at Lancaster, PA of the same league for a time last season. LITTLE KATO NOT AS SUCCESSFUL AS EDDIE GAEDEL When Bill Veeck signed Eddie Gaedel in a highly-publicized stunt between games of a doubleheader for his St. Louis Browns in 1951, the 3-foot-7 pinch-hitter walked in his only appearance. Chris Dube, knowning in wrestling circles as Little Kato, did not do as well in his brief Continental League "career". He led off the bottom of the first inning Monday against Bay Area Toros righthander Brandon Sisk. The 114-pound Dube got the count to 1-2 before swinging and missing strike three. "My goal was to get on base and score a run, and I was hoping the next batter would hit a homer so I wouldn't have to run that hard around the bases," Little Kato told the CBL's Director of Baseball Operations, Bob Ibach. "It was a gas having Kato play in our league," Ibach and Commissioner/Owner Ron Baron said in a joint statement, and as a result the Beach Dawgs are acknowledging the country's high fuel prices by announcing three full tanks of gas will be given away at every Wednesday home game this season. Fittingly, the nights will be called "It's A Gas" Wednesday. As a postscript to his baseball appearance, Kato wrestled his brother Bobby in a post-game Midget Wrestling match. Bobby pinned Kato. I guess that means Kato was 0-for-2 for the night. Subscribe now to 2008 Independent Baseball Insider columns We missed being able to share joyous news of a first time major league call in our weekly Independent Baseball Insider by mere minutes Thursday night, but this gives us all an added reason to smile as we kick off this May weekend. With his 30th birthday 21 months in the rear view mirror, it was no wonder Mark DiFelice had tears when he learned he was going to the major leagues for the very first time. It seems likely there may be more of the same tonight (Friday) when the National Anthem is playing at Fenway Park in Boston and DiFelice is standing across from the World Champion Red Sox in his new Milwaukee Brewers uniform. You never know when that call is coming, but it happened Thursday for the 11-year veteran right-hander only hours before he was supposed to start for Triple-A Nashville in an attempt to improve on his 3-0 record for the young season. "It's unbelievable," The Tennessean's Joshua Taylor heard DiFelice say. "I was talking to my father and I kinda broke down a little bit." For now, the 6-foot-2 DiFelice is ticketed for middle innings work for the Brewers, who signed him in January of 2007 after more than a year and a half in the Atlantic League. DiFelice was a bulldog in helping Somerset, NJ win the Atlantic League championship in 2005 when he hurled two complete game victories and picked up a save in a six-day period. The onetime Western Carolina University product, who was in the Colorado farm system for his first six professional seasons, was an Atlantic League All-Star in '06 when he had a career-high 12 wins as a starter for Camden, NJ. DiFelice had a 3.91 ERA with 28 strikeouts in 23 innings at Nashville this spring. WALLY BACKMAN'S NORTHERN LEAGUE DEBUT A SUCCESS The Northern League became the fourth of the eight Independent Leagues to open the 2008 season Thursday, and Wally Backman's Joliet (IL) Jackhammers played the spoiler against defending champion and homestanding Gary, IN, winning 3-0 to give the onetime major league second baseman a victorious debut in the league. Backman led the South Georgia Peanuts (Albany) to the South Coast League title last season. Perennial power Fargo, ND and the Kansas City (KS) T-Bones were the other opening night victors. Next up, the Frontier League opens Wednesday, followed within 48 hours by the Can-Am, Golden and Continental Leagues.
Chris Coste's book sales may take another jump today after a 4-for-4 night on national television Wednesday which jumped his season average to .339. The Philadelphia catcher and longtime Independent Baseball favorite (Fargo, ND, Northern League) would be well up the ladder among the National League's top ten hitters if he had enough plate appearances to qualify for that list we see every day in newspapers. The four consecutive singles weren't enough for the Phillies to keep pace with Atlanta, which prevailed 8-6, but Coste did his part by scoring two of the runs. For those who have not caught up with the news, Coste's "The 33-Year-Old Rookie" was published by Random House during spring training. It is an enjoyable read as he describes his lengthy minor league meanderings, with a considerable amount of the book devoted to the North Dakotan's five Independent seasons. DNPs ON THE RISE?--I don't have all the numbers immediately at hand to compare to other years, but as I track things for my weekly Independent Baseball Insider it sure seems more players are getting purchased off Indy rosters by the major leagues before they ever set foot on the diamond in one of the eight non-affiliated leagues. What happens is an Independent team signs a player--usually from the tryout camp or on reputation--then a major league organization steps up and buys his contract before the Independent season starts. I can count 15 such cases among the approximately 175 players currently with one of the 30 major league organizations after being under contract to an Independent team. The Indy team gives up the player to help his career, and gets some compensation from the sale of the contract. THINKING ABOUT THOSE INTER-LEAGUE EXHIBITIONS--It is nice to know the bad blood that spilled out when four teams broke off from the Northern League three years ago to help form the American Association has not kept teams from the two leagues apart during the preseason. It seemed like old times, at least on the surface, to see matchups such as Sioux Falls, SD and Fargo, Lincoln, NE and the Kansas City (KS) T-Bones and Winnipeg and St. Paul, MN. With the Northern League looking to add to its current six-team alignment, maybe some day there can be more than exhibition games involving some of these dynamic franchises. We could not fit everything into Thursday's Independent Baseball Insider, our primary weekly outlet, so this is a potpourri of other thoughts heading into Mother's Day weekend. What a delight to pick up the telephone this week, and hear the southern voice of Matt Miller. I knew the sidearming righthander who started his pro career in Greenville, MS, in the Independent Big South and Texas-Louisiana Leagues (1996-98) and worked his way into Colorado's bullpen when he was 31 in 2003, had been in Boston's minor league camp, but I could not find him on a roster when the season started. I was fearful his professional days might be over, or at least that his major league career might have stopped at exactly 100 appearances even though he has a nifty 2.72 ERA and a 6-1 record. All but four of those appearances were with Cleveland. Miller joyfully caught me up to date with the fact the Red Sox had kept him in extended spring training in Fort Myers, FL, and an appearance precisely one week ago today (May 2) got Pittsburgh interested in the now 36-year-old. Boston gave him a choice of staying in Florida and waiting for a roster spot somewhere or accepting a trade to the Pirates. "I've been healthy," Miller said, with his flexor tendon (elbow) problems resolved. "I feel I've still got something (to offer). If I didn't feel I could get big-league hitters out..." You can finish the sentence yourself. Miller debuted with Pittsburgh's Triple-A Indianapolis Indians Sunday, getting four outs (three of them on strikeouts) before leaving his 33rd and final pitch of the game "out over the plate. I probably went to the well too much with the slider." Bingo, a three-run home run to a right-handed hitter, where the 6-foot-3 hurler normally is at his toughest. He came back with two scoreless innings and two more strikeouts at Richmond (Braves) Tuesday, saving a 3-1 victory. The next step? Maybe it will be in the majors with the Pirates. Wouldn't that be nice. OFFERMAN IN MEXICO In case you have been wondering where longtime major league infielder Jose Offerman is this season, the year after that ugly bat-swinging incident in the Atlantic League, he is hitting .355 for Rojos del Aguila de Veracruz in the Triple-A Mexican League. The 39-year-old switch-hitter has been stuck on six homers and 23 RBI for a while, adding to neither total in at least 10 games although he did single and double in four trips Thusday. THATCHER STRUGGLING Young Joe Thatcher of San Diego, the Indy-bred lefthander out of the Frontier League (River City, O'Fallon, MO), took his fourth loss in as many decisions Thursday at Atlanta. But then it seems virtually all of the Padres are struggling with only 12 wins in 35 games. Thatcher is continuing to get work, but his earned run average is up to 6.75 after surrendering three hits and a walk while facing five hitters in the bottom of the ninth of a tie game. WICHITA OPENS WITH 5,874 One day after its scheduled American Association debut was rained out, the Wichita Wingnuts as well as American Association brass should have big smiles today because the first Independent Baseball game in the former Class AA ballpark in central Kansas saw 5,874 patrons show up. The Wingnuts sent fans home happy with a 7-4 win over Sioux City, IA. It wasn't nearly as glorious for El Paso's opener, spoiled by a record number of runs for the three-year-old league. Visiting Shreveport, LA went into the record books with a 21-5 romp. The other new team, Grand Prairie, TX, was on the short end of a 10-3 decision before 5,092 at St. Paul, MN. One of the things I enjoy most when I attend a baseball game alone is that I can really get into what is unfolding in front of me. I do a little grandstand managing, silently in my case, and I get into some of the personalities on the diamond. I attended my first Independent Baseball game of the season Sunday, the Atlantic League affair between the Somerset (NJ) Patriots and the Bridgeport (CT) Bluefish. It was a delightful day, especially in the sun, which warmed my spirits. And it always is enjoyable to try analyzing what is going through the mind of the two managers, especially when they are Somerset's Sparky Lyle and Bridgeport's Tommy John because both have terrific resumes from their major league playing days. John's 288 victories and Lyle's 99 wins and 222 saves (238, if unofficial saves are included). That is 625 major league victories where they had an important role, my friends. Come to think of it, why wasn't this brought to the crowd's attention, in some respectful way. But the two people I zeroed in on during the nearly three-hour game at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport were the Bluefish's Mutt and Jeff combination of centerfielder Adam Greenberg and DH Calvin Pickering. Both have major league resumes of their own, although not quite up to those of the managers. I enjoyed Greenberg, whose 5-foot-9 frame does not help in his determination to get back to the majors, because his hustle stands out. It does not hurt, of course, when you know something of his story, which includes getting to the majors with the Cubs in 2005 only to be beaned by the first pitch of his first--and as it turned out--only at-bat. The 5-foot-9 stature is something Greenberg must overcome, but then Nathan Haynes (Tampa Bay outfielder, by way of the Northern League) is today's proof it can happen if you keep hustling. Last season, it was Tike Redman, who went from York, PA of the Atlantic League and spent the second half of the season in the Baltimore Orioles outfield. Pickering caught my eye--and everyone else's--because of his size, too. Massive is one word that applies. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds (any of us wanting to lose a few pounds might try his scales), my first thought was what is he doing in a professional baseball uniform. The mammoth home run, which I believe hit off the scoreboard in right-center and provided the game's first run, began to change my thinking. I watched more intently each time he came up. Good focus, it appeared. An eagerness to contribute. Good swing, including the game's final out which he scorched right at the leftfielder. I also glanced through the game program to learn the 31-year-old entered this season with 14 major league home runs (Baltimore, Boston, Kansas City) and 224 in the minors. I would imagine a good portion of the crowd had no idea of Pickering's career stats, but they were into him like no other player because of the fourth-inning blast and because they could pick him out from among all the other Patriots and Bluefish, most of whom were the traditional 6-foot or so and wearing normal-sized baseball uniforms. "Calvin, Calvin," the fans were calling. You do not normally hear such enthusiasm directed to any one player at a minor league game. It was fun to watch. Hey, there is nothing wrong with cheering for someone who adds a little spectacle or whatever you choose to call it as we enjoy the national pastime. He stood out, and the fans were very much into his presence. I suppose, selfishly, we all would like to see the talent nurtured in Independent Baseball stay within the "family". It never will be possible to keep everyone, though, because the talent pool eventually becomes bigger than the job pool. There has been plenty of evidence to prove the point recently. I saw it first hand when Marie Heikkinen Webb, the general manager of the New Haven (CT) County Cutters, left not only the Indy game but the sport. She would have preferred to stay in baseball, I am pretty certain, and there was no shortage of offers when the Cutters dropped out of the Can-Am League. Both affiliated and non-affiliated jobs were in the offing. But Marie, New Haven's first employee when the team started in 2004, got what easily was her best opportunity to coordinate all advertising for the Orlando Magic. Who wants to turn down the major leagues, even if it is in another sport. The Maine native had spent 11 seasons in baseball, and now she is no doubt celebrating--if she has time--the Magic's first-round win in the NBA playoffs. Baseball's loss is basketball's gain. I just heard from another New Haven employee today when PR man Ted Leshinski, who actually moved on to a New York City job during the '07 season, let it be known he will be PR Manager at the Sports Museum of America. He said SMA opens next week in the Big Apple, and is partnering with more than 50 Halls of Fame. Another Independent voice, literally, has seemingly moved up the sports ladder by joining the Mountain West Sports Network as a studio anchor. Bill Doleman, who handled PR and play-by-play for the Lincoln (NE) Saltdogs of the American Association, reports Mountain West's potential audience will jump from two million to more than 20 million homes by fall when the operation will be located in Denver. "I will dearly miss the Saltdogs...first class people with a first class product" as well as delivering the word picture of baseball, he said in an email, "but my new job is too good to pass up." Jason Van Arkel, who had produced games and filled in on occasion behind the microphone, has taken Doleman's place in Lincoln. All of these stories reinforce one more time what a great proving grounds the Independent game is. And, it is not just for the Kevin Millar's and Chris Coste's of the world, whose names we read every day in major league box scores. The behind-the-scene family also learns, then moves on to greater opportunities. Death is such a difficult subject to address under almost any circumstance, and in a close knit family like professional baseball we hear about many who are lost. Everyone undoubtedly read about 10-year major league vet John Marzano passing away days ago after an at-home accident at the terribly young age of 45. Two other deaths related to the Independent Baseball family probably have not been so widely reported, except in their immediate hometown or baseball circles. I was touched by the passing of Fort Worth Cats President John Dittrich's dad, Bob, who was 83. John, who has a wide circle of friends in both the affiliated and unaffiliated baseball worlds, including this writer, found words while grieving to heap such deep praise on his father, who will be laid to rest in his hometown of Kankakee, IL Wednesday. "He was a great man and a true American hero in every sense of the word," John wrote on his blog the day after his father died, pointing out that Bob and his wife of nearly 60 years, Margaret, raised four children "all who love and admire our parents to the degree that we would never want to disappoint them in even the smallest way...we were raised in a small town by people who presented us with strong, yet simple, clear values." Well said, John. Out in Rockford, IL, the RiverHawks of the Frontier League are trying to deal with the death of Jake Bowen, who was only 27 and had played the infield for their 2006 divisional championship team. Bowen died in a traffic accident in his hometown of Cedar Park, TX. "The enduring memory I would have of Jake is of his exuberance, his outgoing personality every day, regardless of the situation," said hitting coach J. D. Arndt, who was the manager in '06. "...You just couldn't be in a bad mood around him." That summer was young Bowen's only professional season, one in which Rockford drafted him from a Frontier League tryout camp. The RiverHawks will wear a patch on their home jerseys all season as well as establishing a permanent memorial at Road Ranger Stadium. Kevin Winn is one of the delightful people I interview in covering Independent Baseball. The Director of Umpires for the American Association and Can-Am League is prompt about returning calls and never asks for a thing, but more than that he is a solid interview. He has information, seems to always have his details straight and can articulate them. I called Kevin this week in order to discuss his busy job (understatement on my part) in Thursday's Independent Baseball Insider column. I also got an education on a point to which I had not given much thought. Why can umpiring in an Independent league be more demanding than in some affiliated minor leagues for the young balls and strikes guys coming out of the two major league-supported umpiring schools? It was a simple answer, once Winn explained. "A (young) umpire goes to the (rookie) Gulf Coast League to learn how to umpire", Winn said, in much the same manner as a recent high school graduate goes to that youthful Florida league to learn how to be a professional player. In Independent leagues such as those he supervises "the level of play is too high". The umpires just getting a start would be overmatched. In the course of any given week as I prepare for my Independent Baseball Insider column, I get an opportunity to see many innovative ways teams are hustling to promote their product. As a "baseball guy", I am naturally drawn to stories about player signings. But I know it is not all about the players; not by a long shot in the minor leagues. I wrote two weeks ago about the statue that was about to be unveiled honoring Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson at Sovereign Bank Stadium in York, PA. In the process of developing that story, I learned that another feature during the Revolution's Fan Fest was that lawn signs were being given out. There were 1,000 of them, I believe. The signs had the Atlantic League team's logo, but probably more importantly they had the slogan "Rev It Up". Get it, Rev It Up for the York Revolution? Pretty clever. Think about the marketing strength of those signs as they are stuck in lawns around town and become constant reminders that the Revolution will soon be playing. Other teams can certainly replicate what York is doing. If you are willing to have a sign in your yard, it beats the heck out of promoting a politician. Right? I'm also impressed with the success the Camden Riversharks had with their annual reading contest. A lot of Independent teams have reading contests in which students read so many books, usually in addition to their school work. This is a major aid to the schools and to Moms and Dads in getting children to read. Camden added a design element whereby students would make home-designed bookmarks. Well, more than 200 schools participated with more than 60,000 entries. Those are mighty impressive numbers. This is a tough one to write. While it was not unexpected, more than 40 Independent Baseball players whose contracts had been picked up by major league organizations have been released in recent days out of minor league camps. It happens every spring--and not merely to Independent players--as the minor league operations departments put together the rosters of their full-season affiliates. More cuts will have to come, but the number should not be nearly as hefty. Some of these players will land jobs in other organizations, but the vast majority probably will be back in tryout camps, showing up on 2008 Independent rosters or will give up on everyone's goal of playing in the major leagues and find a new career path. The recent releases include two outfielders who were non-roster invitees to major league camps, Jorge Piedra (Long Island, NY, Atlantic League) with Florida and Chad Hermansen (Sioux Falls, SD, American Association) with the Los Angeles Angels. Hermansen saw only limited major league action in the Cactus League while Piedra, a left-handed hitter who turns 29 later this month, had a solid showing, hitting .400 (4-for-10) with a home run and a .455 on-base percentage. Former major leaguer Junior Spivey, who played briefly for the World Champion Red Sox this spring, also has been released. Other players released include John Anderson, Chadd Blasko, Steve Boggs, Tim Brown, Ken Chenard, Ian Church, Derrick Ellison, Branden Florence, Sheldon Fulse, Chris Fussell, Lino Garcia, Chris Grossman, Lee Gwaltney, Gerald Haran, Joe Hulett, Mike Just, Jared Locke, Brian Logan, Sam Marsonek, Luke Massetti, Charles Merricks, Brent Metheny, Jeff Nettles, Franklin Nunez, Dustin Pease, Eddie Pena, Brian Peterson, Josh Pressley, Scott Richmond, Chris Rivera, Jim Rushford, Luany Sanchez, Gary Schneidmiller, Dan Schwartz, Juan Senreiso, Mike Thompson, Steve Torrealba, J. J. Trujillo, Mike Vicaro, Cory Willey, James Wladyka, and Jeremy Zick. Subscribe now to 2008 Independent Baseball Insider columns Last of a series. Today's posting finishes our extended blogging on former Independent Baseball players in major league spring training camps. We will continue blogging, of course, on this general subject as well as writing our more extensive Independent Baseball Insider column, which is delivered to subscribers every Thursday. Bob Wirz Patterson Sent Down With Girardi's Praise; Haynes Catches a Break, Weber Does Not The final weekend of roster shuffling to meet the 25-man Opening Day major league limit predictably affected several onetime Independent Baseball players. The net result for the busy schedule of Monday openers is that 11 players who have worn Independent uniforms are active in the major leagues, not including St. Louis reliever Josh Kinney, who is on the 15-day disabled list. The biggest winner in the final days seems to be one of the smallest of players as 5-foot-9 outfielder Nathan Haynes went from the Los Angeles Angels to Tampa Bay in a waiver deal. While Haynes had been in jeopardy all spring because of the Angels' outfield depth, the 28-year-old becomes one of six outfielders for the Rays. Haynes's addition to the Tampa Bay picture helped spell the end of another Northern League grad's hopes of playing in the majors for the first time. Jon Weber, who was a possibility right up to the end, was reassigned to the Rays' minor league camp. Weber, two years older (30) and an inch taller (5-foot-10) than Haynes, started his time in Independent Baseball at Canton, OH of the Frontier League in 2001, then moved on to Fargo, ND of the Northern League the next two seasons. Haynes got to the majors for the first time last May when his Pacific Coast League-leading .391 average prompted the Angels to bring him up. He hit .267 in 45 at bats spread over his 40 games, then appeared in one postseason game. Haynes, who hits and throws left-handed, is a feel-good story in that he endured surgery eight times before starting over at Gary, IN of the Northern League in 2006. "Everyone roots for him almost as much as if they got the call (to the major leagues)," Gary Manager Greg Tagert said at the time. PATTERSON TO "WAIT FOR THE CALL"--On Friday, we said the Yankees would have a difficult time keeping longtime Independent Baseball hurler Scott Patterson off their Opening Day roster because of his brilliant spring in which he allowed only one hit and no walks in 7.2 scoreless innings. Well, he did not make it, with Manager Joe Girardi citing his relative inexperience, in that the 6-foot-6 right-hander had pitched only one time above Class AA. Girardi told The New York Times his message to Patterson when he delivered the news he was going to open the season in the minor leagues included him stressing that the hardest part is staying focused on the job facing him. "He (Patterson) said, 'All I'm going to do is get people out down there and wait for The Call (to the majors)' ", Girardi told Times reporter Tyler Kepner. "I'm very proud of his attitude and the way he pitched. I told him I believe we'll see him (on the Yankees)." Patterson is one of the most experienced of Independent grads, having spent more than four years with the Gateway Grizzlies (Sauget, IL) of the Frontier League and Lancaster, PA of the Atlantic League. WANT TO FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PLAYERS ALL SEASON? The best source is the weekly Independent Baseball Insider. Subscriptions are available for only $39 at www.WirzandAssociates.com. OTHERS FEEL STING OF LAST MINUTE CUTS--Scott Patterson's New York Yankees bullpen mate Edwar Ramirez (Pensacola, FL and Edinburg, TX) also came up short in his effort to retain a major league job despite 13 strikeouts in 8.1 innings and a 4.32 spring training ERA. Baltimore outrighted outfielder Tike Redman, who hit .318 in 40 games late last season, after earlier spending a brief time with York, PA of the Atlantic League. And catcher Eliezer Alfonzo, fresh off an MVP season in the Venezuelan League but in a slump throughout spring training, was optioned by the San Francisco Giants. The onetime St. Paul (MN) Saints catcher will start the year at Triple-A Fresno, CA. Our series of reports on how Independent Baseball players have been doing in major league spring training camps will wrap up on Monday (March 31). This is the Friday post. Websites may reproduce this story by giving credit to http://www.indybaseballchatter.com/. Patterson Keeping Pressure on Yankees; Rivera's Bat Hot, Redman Continues in Roster Battle The only things that can possibly keep Scott Patterson from winning one of the remaining slots in the New York Yankees' bullpen is if someone else is out of options or if reputation comes into play. Pretty strong statement, right? What else could keep this veteran of more than four season in Independent Baseball from being on the 25-man roster after the 28-year-old right-hander extended his string of scoreless pitching in spring training to 7.2 innings Friday. That tells only a piece of the story in that Patterson has given up only one hit in his eight appearances and has not walked anyone. He has seven strikeouts, the last one in the 5-2 loss to Pittsburgh when Patterson picked up the final out of the fifth inning and worked the entire sixth. It seems worth repeating the quote we used from Manager Joe Girardi in yesterday's Independent Baseball Insider column: "He's been as good as anybody in camp," the new skipper told Newsday. Patterson, who started his career pitching for the Gateway Grizzlies at Sauget, IL in the Frontier League and eventually moved on to the Atlantic League's Lancaster (PA) Barnstormers, had only one day in a major league camp coming into this spring. He has not yet debuted in the majors in the regular season. Edwar Ramirez, the other Indy grad trying to nail down one of the last three spots in New York's bullpen, got into 21 games in the majors in 2007. Ramirez, who did his Independent pitching with Pensacola, FL (now in the American Association) and the United League's Edinburg (TX) Coyotes, has worked 7.1 innings in eight games with an impressive 12 strikeouts and a 4.91 earned run average. BREWERS' RIVERA AT .317--Maybe we are getting ahead of ourselves, but the way Mike Rivera seems to be swinging the bat perhaps this will be the season when the 31-year-old Puerto Rican gets a full season in the majors. He had two doubles and a single in five at bats, scoring once and driving in two runs in the Brewers' 10-10 tie with the Chicago Cubs Thursday. The catcher-first baseman, who spent part of 2005 with Atlantic City, NJ, when the Surf still were in the Atlantic League (they now are in the Can-Am League), is hitting .317 in a busy spring in which he has been in 20 games (13-for-41) with four doubles and seven RBI. Rivera has 119 major league games to his credit, but only 11 of them came last season. Have you visited http://www.independentbaseballclassifieds.com/ yet today? Everything from books to tryouts to jobs to the sale of an Independent team is being advertised. REDMAN STILL BATTLING FOR SPOT WITH O'S--Outfielder Tike Redman's effort to retain a job in Baltimore is going right down to the wire, although his chances may have taken a hit Friday with Major League Baseball's announcement that it was staying the drug-related suspension of outfielder Jay Gibbons for 10 days. It had appeared either the 31-year-0ld Redman or 24-year-old infielder Scott Moore would win the last bench job. "...it comes down to those two guys, I would think," Manager Dave Trembley told MLB.com this week. Both hit left-handed. Redman, who played briefly at York, PA in the Atlantic League last season, has done about all the Orioles could ask. He hit .318 in 40 games for them the last two months of 2007, and has hit .268 (11-for-41) this spring, including two doubles, a homer and four runs batted in. THIS 'N THAT--It may be a good thing Cleveland had already decided newly-acquired Craig Breslow would be part of its season-opening bullpen. The lefty, who got his second affiliated opportunity after part of a season with the New Jersey Jackals (Little Falls) in 2004, was touched up for three runs (two hits, two walks) in two innings Thursday. It was his second outing since being picked up on waivers from Boston...veteran major leaguer Tim Byrdak, lost his job in Detroit's bullpen and was released one day after a bad outing this week. Byrdak, who played for both Gary, IN and Joliet, IL in the Northern League, was hit hard this spring, finishing with a 13.50 ERA for 10 innings in which he surrendered 21 hits and nine walks...Another release is that of former major league all-star infielder Edgardo Alfonzo. He was trying to make it back to the majors with Texas after spending last summer in the Atlantic League. He hit .266 with 23 doubles, five homers and 56 RBI in 384 at-bats for the Long Island (NY) Ducks...two-time American League MVP Juan Gonzalez, continuing to be plagued by injury woes, has been placed on the temporarily inactive list by St. Louis. He showed some renewed ability with the Cardinals, if only he could get healthy. Gonzalez last played with Long Island in 2006.
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