HOT-HITTING COREY SMITH MUST BE ON DODGERS RADAR; SWEENEY GETS INITIAL AAA WIN

Corey Smith has to be high up on any list of former Independent Baseball players who could debut in the major leagues before long.

The Plainfield, NJ native, who played third base when the Newark Bears won the Atlantic League title in 2007, is now in Triple-A for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and his offensive production has not slowed down. The 29-year-old was a Southern League all-star last season and returned to the Double-A league at the start of 2011 before quickly being promoted to Albuquerque.

Despite a week on the disabled list, the right-handed-hitting Smith has four homers, 14 RBI and a .321 average for his first 21 games with the Isotopes. We have said it before, but the Dodgers also have to remember what Smith did in the major league spring training camp. Although there on only a part-time basis, the first baseman-third baseman went 7-for-12 (.583) with three round-trippers, two doubles and nine RBI in just 10 games.

The Dodgers must surely be thinking of how he could help, if only as a pinch-hitter, just as they did with John Lindsey last season. Lindsey, five years older than Smith, is hitting .227 in 23 games this year with only one home run.

SWEENEY, PASCUCCI ALSO IMPRESSIVE

The New York Mets must be pleased today to have their first reward for signing veteran Brian Sweeney out of the Atlantic League (Somerset) earlier this season. After two losses, the right-hander turned in six shutout innings in a 5-1 matinee win at Indianapolis Thursday. Sweeney is now at 1-2, 6.35 for his first 17 innings.

Another Atlantic League grad, first baseman Valentino Pascucci, got the Bisons started with a two-run double in the opening inning. Pascucci took over the team lead in RBI with three for the game in which he was 2-for-2 with three walks. The former Camden (NJ) Rivershark has 19 RBI and is hitting .259.

Sweeney and Pascucci may get still another another teammate from the same league. Jason Botts had his contract purchased by the Mets from defending champion York Thursday. Botts had hit safely in 13 of the first 14 games with a .370 average along with a team-leading four home runs and 13 RBI. If Botts is sent to Buffalo, he might cut into Pascucci's playing time, since both are basically first basemen and designated hitters.

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