Tuesday, August 31, 2010

LONG ISLAND TAKES A BIG HIT WITH THE LOSS OF LAST SEASON'S TOP PLAYER

Long Island has taken a hit with the loss of 2009 Player of the Year Ray Navarrete. We offer the details, plus Navarrete's post playing-career plans in the Tuesday version of the Atlantic League Notebook. Other highlights of the Notebook Tuesday include:

--Attention to the Freedom Division race between Somerset and Lancaster, including players who are driving their success

--This player went from spring training with the Chicago Cubs to being a true believer in the quality of the Atlantic League

--Can you identify the former Atlantic Leaguers hitting numerous home runs in other Independent leagues? We can.

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Friday, August 27, 2010

FROM CLOSERS TO MEXICAN LEAGUE STARS TO JOSE CANSECO IN TODAY'S NOTEBOOK

Since closers almost always play a major role in important series, we took an extensive look at those who finish games for contending teams in the Atlantic League Notebook for Friday.

Subscribers also learned about various key acquisitions from the Mexican League for the stretch run, we talked about why York is not as consistent as earlier in the year, and we touched on what Jose Canseco is doing with the bat these days. It may surprise many fans that he is enjoying success at age 46.

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Tuesday, August 24, 2010

ILLNESS DOES NOT KEEP THIS PAIR FROM STANDOUT SEASONS

As the Atlantic League playoffs draw closer, the Tuesday Atlantic League Notebook zoomed in on two players having outstanding seasons who may well oppose each other. There is a sub-plot for the pair.

The Notebook also features, among other items:

--Two no-hit games which were overlooked earlier

--The newest player sale to a major league organization

--Who is the 2010 Mexican League batting champion playing with now?

Subscriptions to the twice-a-week Notebook are available at www.AtlanticLeagueBaseball.com.

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Friday, August 20, 2010

HE'S WELL TRAVELED, ALWAYS SMILING AND RECALLS ALL OF HIS ATLANTIC LEAGUE STOPS

Today's Atlantic League Notebook included a profile on the player who has perhaps played for more league franchises than anyone else. He talked about one key thing he remembers from each city. We also talked about:

--Somerset's prospects of making the playoffs

--Bridgeport's latest key acquisition

--Jose Canseco and several moves for Atlantic League alumni.

Subscriptions to the Notebookare only $19.95 for the balance of the season and are available here at www.AtlanticLeagueBaseball.com.

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Tuesday, August 17, 2010

WILD CARD UPDATE AND AN INSIDE LOOK AT VARIOUS ELEMENTS OF THE ATLANTIC LEAGUE

The Tuesday issue of the Atlantic League Notebook attempts to give a reporter's inside view of the jobs of managers and players. This subscriber-only publication also featured:

--How the postseason is shaping up, especially from the perspective of the wild card races

--What may be in store for this former Atlantic League infielder once his playing days are complete?

--Butch Hobson's son is climbing the ladder

Subscriptions are only $19.95 for the balance of the season, and are available elsewhere on this page.

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Friday, August 13, 2010

WHAT TO DO IF YOU LOSE YOUR NO. 3 HITTER WITH DIVISIONAL RACES IN BALANCE

What can be done when you lose your No. 3 hitter, who also is the league home run leader? We examine possibilities facing Lancaster's dilemma in the Friday Atlantic League Notebook, which has been distributed to subscribers.

The Notebook also looks at some former Atlantic League players who may have the opportunity to help out in major league pennant races, discusses Newark's 60th player of the year and updates the fortunes of former league pitchers in affiliated organizations.

The subscription price for the twice-a-week Notebook has been reduced to $19.95 for the balance of this season.

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Tuesday, August 10, 2010

IT IS DOUBLE DUTY FOR CAMDEN PAIR WITH PLAYOFFS LOOMING

Camden Manager Von Hayes and first baseman-DH Vito Chiaravalloti were key subjects in today's Atlantic League Notebook because of their double duty these days. We also:

--Updated the wild card race
--Discussed Matt Watson's trip to the disabled list with Oakland
--Offered quotes from Jay Gibbons, now with the Dodgers
--Talked about the comings and goings of players in our This 'n That section

Subscriptions to the Notebookare being offered at a reduced rate for the balance of the season. Signup can be established elsewhere on this page.

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Monday, August 9, 2010

FORMER ATLANTIC LEAGUERS GIBBONS, WATSON MAKING NEWS IN MAJORS

Two recent players gave some Atlantic League buzz to the major leagues over the weekend.

Jay Gibbons, who got prominent time with both Long Island and Newark as he resurrected his reputation after being named in the Mitchell Report on performance-enhancing drugs, is being given a chance to produce as the top left-handed pinch hitter for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Now 33 and out of the majors since 2007, Gibbons's contract was purchassed from Albuquerque Sunday to replace Garret Anderson (designated for assignment), and he produced immediately with a run-scoring pinch single in the bottom of the sixth inning to increase the Dodgers' lead to 6-3 over Washington. LA won, 8-3.

Gibbons played 27 games for Long Island in 2008 (.280-5-19) and 40 for Newark last season (.233-4-19), and the Dodgers signed him during the winter although they did not issue the Lakewood, CA resident an invitation to the major league spring training camp. The outfielder-first baseman went to Triple-A and hit .347 with 19 homers and 83 RBI for the Isotopes.

Meanwhile, outfielder Matt Watson, who played at Lancaster until May 28 of this season and was getting increasing playing time with the parent Oakland Athletics, was taken to the hospital prior to Sunday's game when he complained of pain in his side and back. The team said later the issue was not baseball related. Watson had started five of the previous six games in left field, and while his season average was only .200 (6-for-30) he had gone 4-for-14 (.286) with three runs batted in the five games.

We expect to cover these developments in greater detail, including some of their own comments, in Tuesday's Atlantic League Notebook, a subscriber-only publication. The price has been reduced to $19.95 for the last two months of the season, with subscriptions available elsewhere on this page.

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Friday, August 6, 2010

ANALYZING THIS WEEK'S NO-HITTER AND PRICES LOWERED FOR NEXT TWO MONTHS

The Friday issue of the Atlantic League Notebook, which was delivered to subscribers earlier, dug into this week's no-hitter along with the history of no-no games in the league. We also analyzed the success of the York Revolution and offered updates on several new faces and a few former players now playing in affiliated baseball

The price for subscribing to the Notebook has been dropped to $19.95 for the final two months of the season with subscribing made easy elsewhere on this page or via www.WirzandAssociates.com.

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Tuesday, August 3, 2010

ONE OR MORE WILD CARDS LIKELY TO MAKE PLAYOFFS

We started talking playoffs in today's (Tuesday) Atlantic League Notebook, which went out to subscribers some time ago. This is the premise we presented.

Some newspapers have been listing the major league wild card data in their standings for weeks now, but this subject also carries importance in the Atlantic League since it seems very real that Southern Maryland and York could capture both first and second half divisional titles.

The Blue Crabs had a two and one half-game lead in the Liberty Division after a daytime win Tuesday, and the Revolution were a mere half-game behind pacesetting Lancaster in the Freedom bracket. It is key to remember that whenever a team wins both halves the wild card or possibly two such playoff teams will be those with the best full-season records, which means both teams could come from the same division.

If Southern Maryland and York win both halves, this is what the wild card race looked like entering Tuesday evening:

Team W L Pct. GB
Bridgeport 50 44 .532 ----
Camden 48 46 .511 2.0
Long Island 47 47 .500 3.0
Lancaster 44 48 .478 5.0
Somerset 45 50 .474 5.5
Newark 31 64 .326 19.5

The Notebook also had stories on the following:

--Which teams have sold the most players to major league organizations through the years? You may find some surprises.

--Why is Butch Hobson popular once more in New England?

--From the baseball diamond to a key university position for this player

--Notes and quotes from around the Atlantic League

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