Wednesday, December 28, 2011

SOMERSET HURLER BARELY MISSES PERFECT GAME IN AUSTRALIA; OTHERS AMONG LEAGUE LEADERS

As difficult it is for this writer to believe the Australian Baseball League's depth can match up with the Atlantic League, to get within two strikes of a perfect game is a wonderful feat.

That is exactly what happened recently for Nic Ungs (2-1, 3.25), who has reached Triple-A and went 4-7, 5.45 as a starter for the Somerset this past summer.

Ungs, a 32-year-old right-hander from Alpharetta, GA, missed out on the perfect game when Brisbane's Brad Dutton shot a drive into rightfield. It was barely out of the reach of Melbourne first baseman Justin Huber, ironically, a teammate of the pitcher at Somerset.

Ungs is said to have already pitched one no-hitter in his career, which includes more than 70 professional victories.

ATLANTIC LEAGUE HURLERS RANK 1-2 IN VENEZUELA

Former Atlantic League pitchers Eric Junge and Mike Parisi hold down the top two spots in the earned run average race in Venezuela this winter. Junge, at last report a free agent after working in the Los Angeles Angels farm system last summer, has a fancy 1.78 ERA and has won three of four decisions. He has played at both Lancaster and Bridgeport. Parisi, signed last season by the Los Angeles Dodgers after a stint at Long Island, is 1-3, 2.09.

John Rodriguez, who has been with Long Island the last two seasons, leads the Puerto Rican League with seven home runs, and shares fifth in RBI (17) with onetime Ducks catcher Robinson Cancel. The hefty Cancel, who has had several trips to the major leagues including a couple of games with Houston last season, also has played for Somerset and the traveling Road Warriors. Rodriguez banged 18 home runs and drove in 81 runs in only 82 games for the Ducks last season.

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Tuesday, December 20, 2011

MAJOR LEAGUE SPRING TRAINING INVITATIONS GIVEN TO SEVEN ATLANTIC LEAGUERS

The holidays arrived early for at least seven players who previously were in the Atlantic League.

Their gift is an invitation to a major league spring training camp. The seven we know of so far with their Atlantic League affiliation:

Cleveland--C Michel Hernandez (Somerset).
Los Angeles Dodgers--LHP Alberto Castillo (Newark, Road Warriors, Camden) and RHP Will Savage (Lancaster).
Milwaukee--UTIL Erick Almonte (Long Island), who made last year's opening day roster, and C Mike Rivera (Atlantic City).
Seattle--RHP Jarrett Grube (Southern Maryland) and RHP Scott Patterson (Lancaster).

Honors are passed around with eight different Atlantic League franchises involved, including three that are no longer in the league (Atlantic City, Newark, Road Warriors).

More invitations seem certain between now and mid-February.

Savage and Grube are trying to reach the major leagues for the first time.

Four other former Atlantic Leaguers have automatic major league invitations in that they are on 40-man rosters. The fortunate foursome: OF Justin Christian (Southern Maryland) with San Francisco, RHP Dane De La Rosa (Southern Maryland) with Tampa Bay, SS Stephen Drew (Camden) with Arizona and RHP Jerome Williams (Lancaster) with the Los Angeles Angels.

RENE RIVERA BACK WITH TWINS

Catcher Rene Rivera (Camden) has re-signed with Minnesota after being a free agent. Rivera got considerable time with the parent Twins in 2011, but the solid defender only hit .144, and he likely will face a more difficult challenge to return to the American League with Minnesota bringing in a stronger hitter in veteran Ryan Doumit to back up Joe Mauer. The Twins also still have another defensive minded backstop on the 40-man roster in Drew Butera.

We presume Rivera will be invited to the major league training camp.



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Thursday, December 8, 2011

MIKE RIVERA, ERICK ALMONTE BACK IN THE NEWS

The Atlantic League did not have any of its former players taken in Thursday's Rule 5Draft as part of the Winter Meetings in Dallas, but chalk up one more player who has been given a new contract by his major league organization.

The mutual admiration society that has existed between catcher Mike Rivera (Atlantic City)and Milwaukee for several seasons obviously still breathes because the Brewers have brought back the free agent. He is under contract to Triple-A Nashville. Rivera was 2-for-6 in his latest stint with the parent club in 2011.

COULD MAGIC STRIKE A SECOND TIME FOR ERICK ALMONTE?

Shortstop/utilityman Erick Almonte, who had such a strong spring training this year that he opened the season with the parent Milwaukee Brewers, is an early invitee to the National League team's Arizona camp for 2012.

The veteran, who played for Long Island at one time, has had a hot bat in the Dominican Republic so far this offseason.


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Wednesday, December 7, 2011

MORE PLAYER SHUFFLING AS WE AWAIT THURSDAY'S RULE 5 DRAFT

With five former Independent players drafted to the Triple-A level (teams paid $12,500 apiece) last December, it will be interesting to see if more players are taken when the next Rule 5 selections are made on Thursday as part of the Winter Meetings under way in Dallas. We plan to report on the draft as quickly as possible on our other blog, www.IndyBaseballChatter.com.

PHILS NOT AT HOME WHEN CAMDEN HOSTS ATLANTIC LEAGUE STARS

I was hoping to suggest a great road trip for next July to see the Atlantic League All-Star Game in Camden (July 11) and the next door neighbors in Philadelphia but the Phillies are not home either right before or after, in part because of the Major League All-Star Game that will be played in Kansas City.

PADRES RE-SIGN, PROMOTE ROAD WARRIORS STANDOUT

San Diego re-signed and promoted to Tucson (Triple-A) free agent outfielder Carlos Sosa, who was hitting .330 with 17 homers and 55 RBI for the Road Warriors this summer before the Padres purchased his contract.

The 30-year-old Dominican hit .312 (two homers, 13 RBI) in 28 games in Class AA after leaving the Atlantic League.

Third baseman Mike Costanzo (Camden) inked a new pact to stay in the Cincinnati organization. If he stays in Double-A next season, he will have a new home since the Reds' Southern League team is moving to a new stadium in Pensacola, FL.

In other moves by San Diego, southpaw Dustin Pease (York) and infielder Amadeo Zazueta (Road Warriors and Lancaster) were bumped up to Triple-A (Tucson) and righty John Van Benschoten (York) dropped down one level to San Antonio. This does not necessarily mean these will be their level of play when spring training camps end.

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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

IT IS PAYBACK TIME--PLEASANTLY SO--FOR SOMERSET PA MAN

Kevin MacConnell's long-term memory has paid off for a popular voice heard nightly when the Somerset Patriots are home.

Back in the late '70s, as MyCentralJersey.com tells the story, MacConnell was a neophyte broadcaster for women's basketball on the Rutgers student radio station. His partner, with some experience, was upperclassman Paul Spychala.

MacConnell has moved on to become the Scarlet Knights' deputy director of athletes, and when he was looking for a new public address announcer for this season's basketball games he reached out to Spychala, who has been Somerset's public address announcer ever since 1999.

"As a longtime Rutgers fans and a Rutgers grad, I couldn't ask for anything more," he told the website.

THIS LANCASTER PLAYER REMEMBERS A SPOTLIGHT MOMENT IN MAJORS

Standout minor league outfielder Jason Cooper, who had a stint trying to help Lancaster reach the playoffs late in 2009 and is moving to a front office opportunity with the Pittsburgh Pirates, only got into a few major league games and all of those were in exhibitions. But Cooper, who I will feature in Thursday's Independent Baseball Insider column, has one really good memory.

He traveled to Philadelphia with the Cleveland Indians for the very first game to be played at Citizens Bank Park in 2004.

It was a cool, rainy day, he remembers, but there was the predictable full house. The lefty swinging Cooper was on the bench until he was called on to lead off in the ninth inning, and who should the Phils bring in but southpaw flame-thrower Billy Wagner.

After fouling off some of Wagner's pitches, Cooper, then only 23 and less than two years removed from signing out of Stanford, was able to single to right field.

What a nice moment for any baseball player to experience.

ATLANTIC LEAGUE GRAD NOW A PITCHING COACH FOR PHILS

Aaron Fultz won 25 major league games, including seven with Philadelphia in 2005 and 2006. The southpaw had stints later on with Somerset (2008) and Newark (2009). Now 38, the Memphis, TN native, is back with Philadelphia, this time as a minor league pitching coach.


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Friday, November 18, 2011

FOUR ATLANTIC LEAGUERS GET PLAYER-COACH DEALS WITH PIRATES; PASCUCCI, SAVAGE BACK IN FOLD

I was able to confirm today that the four former Atlantic League players I identified in yesterday's Independent Baseball Insider column have indeed been signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as player-coaches, enabling them to begin transitioning from being fulltime players to coaching opportunities.

This would seem to represent nice career steps.

The four are standout York third baseman Vince Harrison, who hit .327 for the league champion Revolution this past season; outfielder Jason Cooper, who had a brief stint at Lancaster; popular former York infielder Keoni DeRenne, who already has some two-way experience in the Philadelphia farm system; and onetime Somerset outfielder Michael Ryan, who has considerable major league experience including 2010 with the Los Angeles Angels after leaving the Atlantic League. Ryan is the only one of the quartet who has played in the majors or has been in the Pittsburgh system (Indianapolis, 2007).

PASCUCCI, SAVAGE SIGN NEW PACTS

First baseman-outfielder-DH Valentino Pascucci (Camden) and right-hander Will Savage (Lancaster) have signed contracts to remain with their 2011 organizations.

Pascucci was primarily with the New York Mets' Triple-A club in Buffalo in '11 although he got 11 at-bats (three hits, one homer) with the parent club in September. The 6-foot-6 slugger had 29 doubles, 21 homers and 91 RBI while hitting
.264 at Buffalo. He turned 33 yesterday.

The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Savage to Triple-A Albuquerque, which is one classification above Chattanooga, where he was a mid-season Southern League All-Star this season. The 27-year-old Savage was 12-6 with a 3.95 ERA in 25 games, including 23 starts. He was in two games with Lancaster (1-0) in 2009 although he spent most of that year in another Independent league, pitching for Wichita, KS in the American Association.

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Sunday, November 13, 2011

MICHEL HERNANDEZ GETS NEW CONTRACT; FIGUEROA, FELIZ, PATTERSON AMONG FREE AGENTS

My, how easy it is to fall behind when one takes a few days of vacation. But it will be back in gear this week with another Independent Baseball Insider column due for subscribers on Thursday.

This one is going to introduce a really novel undertaking for the Independent game, and stands to be a sizeable benefit for players and for major league organizations.

In the meantime, this is a very busy time of year for players who have left the Indy ranks and joined one of the 30 MLB systems. So many players are six-year free agents, as always happens this time of year, and there is the opportunity to try to sign with an organization where the path to the major leagues seems more promising. Of course, it also means the end of the major league dreams (at least for now) if players do not get picked up by their previous farm system or another one.

MICHEL HERNANDEZ GETS NEW DEAL

Catcher Michel Hernandez, whose last major league opportunity was with Tampa Bay, became a free agent for a short time this fall before returning to the Cleveland organization. The onetime Atlantic League backstop (Somerset) is on the Columbus, OH roster.

SIX-YEAR LIST IS LENGTHY

Onetime Chicago Cubs standout Mark Prior is, arguably, the best known of the group of players who became free agents by virtue of their lengthy playing history. The right-hander, who got back on the baseball map after lengthy sidesteps with injuries when he pitched for Orange County (Fullerton, CA) of the Golden League, was in the New York Yankees' farm system this summer.

Other prominent names with major league experience who now are free agents include third baseman Pedro Feliz (Camden) and pitchers Nelson Figueroa (Long Island) and Scott Patterson (Lancaster). The latter just finished a stint with Team USA.

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Friday, October 28, 2011

A PAIR OF BOOKS TRACK EARLY-DAY INDEPENDENT LEAGUES; MORE PLAYER MOVES

I am among those who cannot wait for Game 7 of this compelling World Series, but that is not all I want to get off my chest heading into the weekend.

I received a telephone call this week from Hank Utley (he really is Robert Utley but loved Hank Greenberg so much he now uses the name Hank), an 87-year-young former third baseman at North Carolina State and two-time author.

Knowing about my Independent Baseball Insidercolumn, Utley was reaching out my way because of two interesting sounding books he has co-authored. These are books about early-day Independent leagues and are entitled "The Independent Carolina Baseball League, 1936-38" and "Outlaw Ballplayers".

The Society for American Baseball Research(SABR) liked the first of these two McFarland Press publications so much that Hank Utley tells me the organization voted it one of the top baseball books of 1999.

Both books delve into the good, bad and ugly of the Indy world of those years, but it could not have all been bad news for the players since Crash Davis of "Bull Durham" fame emerged to reach the major leagues as did 10-year big-league pitcher Buck Ross and infielders Dick Culler and Grey (Noisy) Clarke.

I could not recall how much time Crash Davis actually got in the majors until I opened the Baseball Encyclopedia and researched his three seasons ('40-42) when the Philadelphia Athletics finished dead last in the American League. Lawrence (Crash) Davis launched his only two home runs for the '42 A's, who finished 55-99, and he got enough playing time to drive in 43 runs while hitting .230.

Historians--and anyone else intrigued by those times--should pay a visit to Utley's www.baseballoutlaws.com, where it also is possible to purchase the books.

MORE NEW CONTRACTS, MORE FREE AGENTS

Southpaw Scott Rice, who started this season by relieving in 15 games for York (1-0, one save, 2.46), and catcher Eddy Rodriguez are among the latest onetime Independent players to get both new affiliated contracts and promotions to Triple-A. The Dodgers elevated Rice to Albuquerque, NM, where he is only one step from the major leagues. He also has played for Long Island and Newark. Rodriguez is now on the Tucson, AZ roster for San Diego. He played for Bridgeport at one time.

Mike Parisi, purchased from Long Island this year, already was on the Albuquerque roster before inking his new contract. He is a right-handed pitcher.

Meanwhile, a pair of former Atlantic League players who have logged major league time have opted for free agency, presumably in an effort to find better deals. Pitcher Mark DiFelice (Somerset and Camden) quit Milwaukee. Catcher Rene Rivera (Camden) left the Minnesota Twins, with whom he spent a good chunk of this summer.


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Wednesday, October 26, 2011

VAN HEKKEN TOUGH LUCK LOSER IN USA FINALE IN PAN AM, STILL FINISHES WITH 0.96 ERA

Team USA dropped a 2-1 heartbreaker to Canada in the gold medal game of the Pan American Games Tuesday night, but it was virtually a no-lose situation for Independent Baseball.

Both teams started pitchers who were signed by major league organizations out of Independent leagues in the last year and the closer for both was someone who not only emerged from an Indy circuit but got his first professional opportunity at that level.

The raw facts were that Canadian starter Andrew Albers (Quebec, Can-Am League) and closer Scott Richmond (Edmonton, then in the Northern League, now in the North American) shut down the USA on six hits. Albers, property of the Minnesota Twins, gave up a first inning run but also struck out eight (no walks) in 6.2 innings at Lagos de Moreno, Mexico. Richmond, a onetime starter for the Toronto Blue Jays and still in their organization, worked out of a first and third, two-out jam in the seventh and was perfect for the seven batters he faced, striking out three.

USA ace Andy Van Hekken allowed a two-run double in the sixth inning, but gave up only six hits in seven strong innings. The former Somerset hurler, soon to be a free agent after pitching in the Houston chain, finished the World Cup and Pan Am competition with a 0.96 earned run average for 28 innings and won three of his four decisions.

This was Canada's first-ever opportunity in the gold medal game of a major international tournament.

Catcher-first baseman Emerson Frostad, who was signed out of Lancaster of the Atlantic League during 2011, also was a member of Team Canada although he did not play in the title game. Frostad hit .280 with two homers in 15 games for the Barnstormers.

Scott Patterson, whose pro debut was with Gateway (Sauget, IL) in the Frontier League and later became a closer with Lancaster, was the Team USA closer. While he did not pitch in the finale, the right-hander had three saves in eight appearances (1.29 ERA) in the international competition.


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Friday, October 21, 2011

VAN HEKKEN STARRING FOR TEAM USA AND BRANDON SING STARTS STRONG IN MEXICO

We reported on the great success of former Atlantic League hurler Andy Van Hekken (Somerset) as the ace of Team USA in Thursday's Independent Baseball Insider, but he is certainly not the only former Independent player making news on the diamond these autumn days.

Brandon Sing, who annually hits at least 20 home runs, is the early-season leader in the Mexican Pacific League with four round-trippers in his first six games along with seven runs batted in and a .409 average (9-for-22). Sing played in all 100 games for Sioux Falls, SD of the American Association this season, hitting .303 with 24 dingers and 70 RBI. He also had an outstanding year for Bridgeport earlier.

A PAIR OF ATLANTIC LEAGUERS GET NEW AFFILIATED MINOR LEAGUE CONTRACTS

Left-handed pitcher Andrew Dobies has earned both a new contract in the Kansas City organization and a promotion to Triple-A Omaha. He was a reliever at Somerset last season and early this year until his contract was purchased by the Royals.

Another Atlantic Leaguer getting a new contract is catcher Dayton Buller with Milwaukee's Class AA club. He played at Camden.


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Tuesday, October 11, 2011

THIS TRIO OF FORMER ATLANTIC LEAGUERS REACHED MAJORS, BUT NOT FILES FOR FREE AGENCY

We can identify three former Atlantic League players who got some major league playing time this season before going back to the minors and now have opted for free agency where they hope for better opportunities:

C Robinson Cancel (Long Island, Somerset and Road Warriors) from Houston.
OF Jay Gibbons (Long Island and Newark) from the Los Angeles Dodgers. He hit .300 with nine homers and 48 RBI at Albuquerque after starting the season with the parent Dodgers.
LHP Mike O'Connor (Southern Maryland) from the New York Mets even though he struck out 66 Triple-A hitters in 60.1 innings when not in the National League.

YORK'S MIKE DE MARK GETS NEW CONTRACT

Realizing that it will not be long until we see that long list of former Independent players (as well as those in the affiliated minors) who are six-year free agents hoping to land a new contract with their old organization or a new one, it was nice to learn right-hander Mike DeMark of York already has a new contract from Arizona.

HOW THEY FARED IN TRIPLE-A

We were curious how other players who spent some time in the majors this season fared as Class AAA players:

UTIL Erick Almonte (Long Island), who surprised most everyone by starting the year with the parent Milwaukee Brewers, hit .303 with six homers and 42 RBI in 244 at-bats.
RHP Mark DiFelice (Somerset and Camden) had a 2.17 ERA along with a 2-1 record and fanned 29 in 31 innings for the Brewers.
RHP Nelson Figueroa (Long Island) was 7-8, 6.05 in finishing at Indianapolis (Pittsburgh) after starting the year with Houston.


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Thursday, October 6, 2011

NO, TV ANNOUNCERS, MILWAUKEE CLOSER DID NOT PITCH IN AN INDY LEAGUE

A comment during one of the telecasts of a National League Division Series game involving Milwaukee sent me scrambling to various sources. I take pride in being able to identify the former Atlantic League (or other Independent league) players who are anywhere on the major league landscape, as regular readers here or with my subscription-only Independent Baseball Insider column can attest.

The TV voice said Brewers closer John Axford had played in an Independent league. (I also get somewhat annoyed when commentators or writers say "Independent league" instead of saying Atlantic League--or identifying another specific league--but that is a different story.)

Alas, Axford did not pitch in one of the recognized Indy leagues. Back in 2006 before being drafted and signed by the New York Yankees, he pitched for a team called the Melville Millionaires of the Western Major Baseball League. This is a collegiate league in Canada.

The Atlantic League does not have any former players active for the first round of major league playoffs although southpaw reliever Alberto Castillo is on site with Arizona and is on standby for possible inclusion in the League Championship Series or World Series if the D-Backs advance.


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Friday, September 30, 2011

DUCKS FINALLY TAKE A LOSS IN CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

When the York Revolution smacked Long Island 9-0 to square the Atlantic League Championship Series at one win apiece, it marked the first time the host Ducks had ever lost in the title round. They entered the Thursday night contest 4-0, including a three-game sweep of Camden when the Ducks won their only crown in 2004.

York is home now for the rest of the best-of-five series, and is in position to join Somerset (2008-09) as the only back-to-back winners since the league started in '98.

BLUE CRABS RADIO VOICE TAKES ON NEW ROLE

Josh Caray added a big name to the Independent ranks this season. Now the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs radio broadcaster has taken on a new assignment.

Caray, the grandson of legendary radio voice Harry Caray, has returned for a second year as a studio host for IMG College, which airs a great many collegiate football and basketball games. Caray will work out of the Winston-Salem, NC facilities of IMG College.

"It was really interesting," Caray said of his first Atlantic League season. "The play was good, the stadiums are good and guys are fighting to get out of here (when major league organizations come calling). It is pretty close to Triple-A."

Caray, who hopes to add his name to the three generations of his family who have made a name in major league baseball, is the son of the late Skip Caray and half-brother of current Braves broadcaster Chip Caray.

SUDDEN STARDOM

Atlantic League brass does not hesitate to point out that it is not common for a player to excel in the league unless he has made a mark at Class AA or higher.

Stephen Douglas became one of the exceptions during the first round of the playoffs. Douglas, 26, has not played above the low-Class A New York-Penn League in affiliated baseball, but he hit .529 and his nine safeties (9-for-17) for Lancaster were tops for any player in the Freedom Division Series in which York outlasted the Barnstormers in five games. The left-handed-hitting outfielder was a .378 hitter during the summer as he helped Grand Prairie, TX take the American Association title before moving on to Lancaster for the final four games of the regular seasson.


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Monday, September 12, 2011

COUNTING DOWN TO THE PLAYOFFS WHILE ALSO WATCHING FORMER ATLANTIC LEAGUERS IN MAJORS AND AFFILIATED PLAYOFFS

Freedom Division leader York and Bridgeport, which could either win the Liberty Division's second half or become the wild card, have the decided inside track for the final two berths in the Atlantic League playoffs as this final week begins, but it is premature to count wild-card runnerup Southern Maryland out. The Blue Crabs trail Bridgeport by three games with the oddity of the teams being even in the loss column. The Bluefish have won six more games to have an overall record of 67-53 compared to Southern's 61-53.

Camden is almost certainly not going to squeeze its way in since the RiverSharks trail Long Island by five games and Bridgeport by four and a half in the Liberty's second half standings and those two teams will meet three more times. Five-time champion Somerset and the Road Warriors were counted out some time ago.

Teams were to submit possible postseason rosters to the league office today (Monday) and could include players sold to major league organizations or to foreign leagues this year, should they become available. Each team has until the morning of the playoffs to designate their 25-man roster.

SEVEN FROM LEAGUE IN MAJORS NOW

With right-hander Dane DeLaRosa (Southern Maryland) back with Tampa Bay, the Atlantic League has seven of its former players active in the major leagues this month. (Stephen Drew, Camden, is on Arizona's disabled list.)

The others are pitchers Alberto Castillo of Arizona (Camden, Road Warriors, Newark) and Jerome Williams of the Los Angeles Angels (Lancaster), catcher Rene Rivera of Minnesota (Camden), first basemen Val Pascucci of the New York Mets (Camden) and Wily Mo Pena of Seattle (Bridgeport) and outfielder Justin Christian of San Francisco (Southern Maryland).

It is still possible others will be added when the affiliated minor league playoffs end.

DUCKS' DI NARDO BOOSTS OAKLAND FARMHANDS TO PCL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Major league veteran Lenny DiNardo, who won two of three decisions in early-season starts for Long Island (2-1, 5.09), hurled Sacramento into the Pacific Coast League championship series Sunday with seven strong innings (two runs) as the River Cats won their third in a row after falling behind Reno (Arizona) two games to none in the semifinal round.

"He's got a lot of big league time (10-18 in 94 appearances), but if you looked in his eyes after the game, you'd think he just got done pitching in the World Series," third baseman Josh Donaldson (4-for-5, 3 RBI) told MLB.com. "It mattered to him." DiNardo, who last pitched in the majors for Kansas City in '09, was back and forth between Class AA Midland, TX and Sacramento after his contract was purchased from Long Island. He turns 32 in another week.

Former Bridgeport infielder Angel Berroa had gotten Reno off to an early lead in the series when the onetime American League Rookie of the Year blasted two home runs and drove in four runs in the Aces' 7-4 triumph in Game 1. Berroa played shortstop for the Bluefish for a big part of this season, but was at second base when the series against Sacramento ended.

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Thursday, September 8, 2011

THE NEWS KEEPS GETTING BETTER FOR JEROME WILLIAMS AND MIKE PARISI

The season-long story of Jerome Williams keeps getting better and better.

He pitched eight innings of one-hit, one-run baseball Wednesday night in a 3-1 victory for the Los Angeles Angels over Seattle, moving the team within 2 1/2 games of American League West-leading Texas. And he even used the pink glove that was familiar when he was with Lancaster earlier this season, a story we we will share later today with subscribers to our Independent Baseball Insider column. Williams is now 3-0 with the Angels.

LONG ISLAND'S MIKE PARISI STARRING IN DODGERS SYSTEM

Mike Parisi was one of the reasons Long Island was able to secure an Atlantic League playoff berth early this year because he won six of 10 decisions (3.50 ERA) in 13 starts for the first half Liberty Division champions before his contract was purchased by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The right-handed pitcher, 28, just finished an outstanding August with Albuquerque which earned him the team's coveted Dodger Pride Award for a pitcher with the Triple-A team. Parisi tied for the Pacific Coast League lead with five wins in the month, going 5-0, 4.23 in six starts. Overall, he was 6-2 with a 5.20 earned run average for the Isotopes.

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Tuesday, September 6, 2011

BARNSTORMERS GET A SECOND PLAYER BACK FROM TRIPLE-A AND CAMDEN'S PASCUCCI GETS A MAJOR LEAGUE OPPORTUNITY

Perseverance has paid off for another former Atlantic League player who is going to finish the season in the major leagues.

Power-hitting Valentino (Val) Pascucci, a 32-year-old outfielder-designated hitter whose only other major league stint in a decade of professional play was for 32 games with the Montreal Expos seven years ago (2-6-.177), has been called up by the New York Mets after a 21-home run, 91-RBI season at Triple-A Buffalo.

Pascucci played in 14 games for Camden one year ago (3-9-.275) before the Mets purchased his contract from the Atlantic League team. The 6-foot-6 slugger has been at the Class AAA level since 2003 except for the Montreal and Camden stints and a year in Japan, and has hit well over 200 home runs in his career.

The right-handed hitter was the Most Valuable Player for Buffalo this season, leading the International League team in games (130), runs (58), hits (117), doubles (29), extra-base hits (51), walks (76) and on-base percentage (.375) in addition to home runs and runs batted in.

While not an official non-roster invitee to the Mets' spring training camp, Pascucci was called on for several appearances and showed his productive bat.

With several call-ups from various leagues since major league rosters expanded September 1, Independent leagues have had more players at baseball's top level than in any other season. The Atlantic League has been a major contributor. We will have the details all sorted out for this week's Independent Baseball Insider column, which subscribers receive on Thursday.

BENNETT RELEASED BY RENO, BACK AT LANCASTER

While I have not seen an announcement, right-handed reliever Jeff Bennett is once again listed on the Lancaster roster and presumably will be available for the Atlantic League playoffs just as third baseman Terry Tiffee is. Tiffee returned soon after the New York Yankees cut him from their farm system.

Arizona released Bennett, despite a 3-0 record and 4.29 earned run average in 24 appearances at Triple-A Reno. He had been 2-0 with two saves and a brilliant 0.42 ERA in 17 games with the Barnstormers, last pitching for them June 12.


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Thursday, September 1, 2011

MEXICAN LEAGUE, AMERICAN ASSOCIATION PLAYERS COMING TO ATLANTIC FOR POSTSEASON PUSH

It must be getting close to playoff time.

It does not take much genius to notice this because of the pace of player acquisitions by playoff-bound teams or those still trying to nail down postseason slots.

Both the Mexican League and the independent American Association are favorite targets. Bridgeport, which has moved to within one-half game of Long Island in the second half of the Liberty Division race and has a three-game lead for the top wild-card slot, added 41-year-old reliever Hector Carrasco, who had 10 saves in Mexico.

Playoff hopeful Southern Maryland and Freedom Division leader York both added right-handed pitching out of the American Association. Details at AtlanticLeague.com/transactions.

Lancaster, which won the Freedom's first half, gained an unexpected bonus when the New York Yankees released third baseman Terry Tiffee despite a .345 batting average. The former major leaguer immediately returned to the Barnstormers, for whom he was hitting .297 with 10 homers and 41 RBI when the Yankees purchased his contract June 22.

Tiffee returned for last night's 7-5 victory at Camden, the other remaining playoff hopeful, although his 11-game Atlantic League hitting streak was snapped with an 0-for-4 night (one run). Manager Butch Hobson slid Travis Metcalf, the hot-hitting veteran (.307), over to second base. Metcalf had come out of the American Association earlier this season, as we will discuss in this week's subscription-only Independent Baseball Insider column which comes out later today.

RIVERA BACK IN BIGS

Minnesota wasted no time getting former Camden catcher Rene Rivera in the lineup when the Twins recalled the 2010 Atlantic Leaguer from Triple-A this week. Rivera caught three games in a row against postseason hopefuls Detroit and the White Sox although the best he could contribute offensively was a sacrifice fly. He was 0-for-9 in official at-bats, dropping his season average to .160 (13-for-81) with a homer and five runs batted in.

Hopefully, other recent Atlantic Leaguers will get a major league call now that rosters have expanded beyond the normal 25-man limit.

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Friday, August 26, 2011

THREE TEAMS, BUT ONLY ONE PLAYOFF SPOT

It continues to look like three teams have a realistic shot at the playoffs and the opportunity to join Long Island, Lancaster and (most likely) York in battling for the Atlantic League championship.

The second half Liberty Division standings would make it appear Camden is in the driver's seat because the RiverSharks are only two games (one in the loss column) behind Long Island, which won the first half and is in the lead once again.

But Camden really needs to win the second half because Bridgeport holds a seven-game lead over Von Hayes's club in the wild card race and Southern Maryland is just one game behind the Bluefish.

York has not officially qualified but even if Lancaster wins both halves in the Freedom Division the Revolution would have to lose their three-game bulge on Bridgeport and their four-game lead on Southern Maryland to miss out.

Stay tuned.

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Friday, August 19, 2011

EXAMINING THE PLAYOFF POSSIBILITIES AS THE DUCKS CONTINUE WINNING

Long Island's exceptional second half, including its current nine-game winning streak, is making it very likely the Ducks will win both halves in the Liberty Division and at least one wild card will get into the playoffs. Two wild cards will make it if Lancaster, which trails York by percentage points in the second half of the Freedom Division race, wins both halves.

York is in the No. 1 wild card position if the Ducks and Barnstormers both win two half-season titles, but the Revolution only lead Bridgeport by one game. York is 53-42 for the year, the Bluefish are 52-43.

Southern Maryland is the Liberty Division's last place team in the second half, but the Blue Crabs are within two and a half games of Bridgeport for the full year while Camden is seven games behind the Bluefish.

Camden has been a solid 19-12 in the second half, but the Riversharks' best shot at reaching postseason is to make up the six-game deficit against Long Island and win the second half crown.

SCOTT SPIEZIO GETS A NICE MOMENT

It has been well documented that Scott Spiezio had various personal battles about the time his lengthy major league career ended in 2007 so it is great seeing the Los Angeles Angels have invited their 2002 World Series hero back for a ceremonial first pitch on Sunday as part of the club's 50th anniversary celebration.

His father Ed, also a major league player, will be Scott's catcher and the younger Spiezio's sons, 11 and nine, also will be on the field.

Scott Spiezio, who also helped St. Louis to its World Series title in 2006, last played one year ago when he was in 52 contests with Newark, hitting .279 with three homers and 35 runs batted in.


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Friday, August 12, 2011

SUGAR LAND GRABS A BIG NAME IN GARY GAETTI AS MANAGER

Another big baseball name is giving Independent Baseball a try after admitting he once looked down at it.

The Houston suburb of Sugar Land, which will have a new stadium (Star Tex Power Field) when it begins play in the Atlantic League next season, has landed longtime major league third baseman Gary Gaetti as field manager.

"I had no idea what it (Independent Baseball) was about--none," The Houston Chronicle quoted Gaetti, after the press conference introducing him. "I hadn't really heard a lot of good things about it, but that's just ignorance is what it was."

Gaetti admitted getting a different outlook after his son Joe played for Lancaster last season. The elder Gaetti called the quality of play comparable to what he saw while a coach for Triple-A Durham, NC in 2007-08. "I was shocked at the quality of the stadium, and I was shocked at the attendance. I've been at a lot of minor league stadiums, and it wasn't as nice or upbeat or positive," the Skeeters' new manager told The Chronicle.

Gaetti, 52, ranks 50th in major league history with 2,507 games played, and is one of six third basemen to collect at least 350 home runs, 1,300 RBI and 2,200 hits. He helped Minnesota to its first World Series title in 1987, and was hitting coach for the Houston Astros for their trip to the World Series in 2005.

A RARE HOMER

Norris Hopper had played in 1,353 professional games and hit a grand total of four home runs. That was until this week when Hopper had one of those memorable games, a three-run homer and a run-scoring bunt single to give Somerset a 4-3 victory at Lancaster.

Hopper's most recent home run had been struck on September 22, 2006 for the Cincinnati Reds.

PLAYER MOVES

A trio of former Atlantic League players have dropped down one level in affiliated baseball.

Long Island southpaw Lenny DiNardo and Camden third baseman Mike Costanzo are now in Class AA, DiNardo for Oakland and Costanzo for Cincinnati. Another third baseman, Corey Smith, also was sent back to Double-A by the Los Angeles Dodgers, but he has been on a AA-AAA shuttle for much of the season. Right-hander Robert Romero, who once played for Camden, was released by the Dodgers.

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Wednesday, August 10, 2011

FORMER ATLANTIC LEAGUER BREAKS ALL-TIME INDY HOME RUN RECORD

Independent Baseball has a new home run king (based on present research), and he is well known around the Atlantic League. Jesse Hoorelbeke, who played three seasons in Bridgeport, is the record-breaker with his milestone homer coming Tuesday night for his current team, Fargo-Moorhead of the American Association.

We will be breaking down all the details in Thursday's Independent Baseball Insider, our weekly subscription publication. Details on subscriptions are elsewhere on this blog.

FELIZ AMONG LATEST TO HAVE HIS CONTRACT SOLD

Camden third baseman Pedro Feliz is back within one step of the major leagues after San Diego purchased his contract. After starting slow for the Riversharks, the 2008 World Series star with Philadelphia picked up the pace, eventually leading Camden in hitting (.298) and on-base percentage (.366). Feliz takes his exceptional glove to Reno, where he will once again be a teammate of outfielder Drew Macias, who the Padres also purchased this week.

LONG ISLAND LIKELY TO MISS YOUMAN AT PLAYOFF TIME

Shane Youman has left the Long Island Ducks after his contract was purchased by a team in Taiwan. This could be a major loss once playoff time arrives next month since Youman, who also has been with four other Atlantic League teams in his career, was 7-1 with a brilliant 0.66 ERA in 13 appearances, including seven starts, for the Ducks.

MILESTONES FOR LOPEZ AND NETTLES

We would be remiss not to congratulate two of the league's best at third base, Luis Lopez of Bridgeport and Jeff Nettles of Somerset. Lopez recently recorded minor league hit No. 2,000 while Nettles became only the second player in league history to record 900 hits.

It has been a record-breaking season for Nettles although we would guess the joy has been somewhat diminished by the Patriots' off season. He will soon become the all-time hits leader since Rolando Avila holds that title at 933. Nettles already owns the league marks for RBI and doubles.

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Friday, July 29, 2011

ATLANTIC LEAGUE VET ALBERTO CASTILLO SOLID IN ARIZONA BULLPEN

While the Atlantic League has had about a dozen of its former players in the major leagues this season, the only one there at this point (and not disabled) is left-handed reliever Alberto Castillo.

The 36-year-old Cuban native is doing excellent work for Arizona, allowing a stingy 1.17 earned run average for 7.2 innings spread over 11 appearances. He gained a victory in his only decision which stretches his career record to 3-0 (4.31, one save) for 73 outings. Castillo has pitched in the Atlantic League for Newark, Camden and the Road Warriors.

Eleven former Indy players are active in the majors at present with another four, including Stephen Drew (Camden), on the disabled list.

In an update since Thursday's Independent Baseball Insider column, Seattle announced plans to have Wily Mo Pena (Bridgeport, CT, 2010) debut this weekend with its top farm club in Tacoma, WA. With a good start, the slugger, who has 82 career major league home runs, could easily find himself with the struggling Mariners in a very short time.

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Friday, July 22, 2011

BIG PRAISE HURLED AT SOMERSET AS CLOSER'S CONTRACT IS SOLD TO ROYALS

It has to make Atlantic League officials feel good when a departing player heaps praise. Such was the case this week when Kansas City purchased left-handed closer Andrew Dobies from Somerset.

While admitting it was a two-edged issue to be leaving his teammates yet getting a renewed opportunity in a major league organization, the 27-year-old Dobies told Ryan Dunleavy of mycentraljersey.com "playing for Somerset helped revive my career. This is the purest form of baseball I've played in a long time."

'Purest form of baseball' has to mean Independent Baseball where the No. 1 objective is to win. We hear this time and again from managers, coaches and players who have been in both the affiliated and Independent minor leagues in recent years. I heard it directly (well, via telephone) this week from longtime major league star Bill Buckner, who was featured in this week's subscriber-driven Independent Baseball Insider column. Buckner is in his first season as a manager, working at Brockton, MA in the independent Can-Am League.

Dobies went to the Royals' Double-A farm club in Springdale, AR. It is called Northwest Arkansas. A former third-round draft choice of the Red Sox, who also played in the Chicago White Sox system, did not allow an earned run in 18.1 innings from May 28-July 10. He was chosen for the Atlantic League All-Star Game, and left Somerset with a 2-3 record, five saves, a 2.81 ERA and 31 strikeouts (only three walks) in 32 innings.

TOUGH BREAK FOR STEPHEN DREW, D-BACKS

Former Camden shortstop Stephen Drew, who anchors the infield for the Arizona Diamondbacks, is gone for the season with a broken right ankle. What a tough ending for both Drew and the improving National League West team.


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Monday, July 18, 2011

BLUE CRABS LOSE SANCHEZ (.403) TO PIRATES; PENA AND HERNANDEZ ALSO ON THE MOVE

A nice milestone for Independent Baseball was reached over the weekend.

Two players with fairly frequent visits to the major leagues got called up for the first time this season, and they became the 29th and 30th Indy grads to wear an American or National League uniform in 2011, thereby equalling the total for all of last year with more than two months still to be played.

Thirteen of the players have spent time in the Atlantic League.

Catcher Eliezer Alfonzo, who played for the St. Paul (MN) Saints before they moved from the Northern League to the American Association, and left-handed relief specialist Randy Williams both contributed right away, too. Williams, whose Indy time was with Edinburg, TX, then in the United League (and now in the North American), delivered three key outs for the Boston Red Sox in a still tight game at Tampa Bay Saturday. Boston eventually won, 9-5. Alfonzo went 2-for-6 in a pair of one-run Colorado losses against Milwaukee.

WILY MO PENA DESIGNATED FOR ASSIGNMENT

It was tough seeing Arizona designate Wily Mo Pena for assignment after his five home runs in 46 at-bats had helped the Diamondbacks stay in the National League West chase, but the flip side was the 2010 Bridgeport Bluefish DH-1B-OF also struck out 19times and his average was only .196 with seven runs batted in. It seems likely he will end up back at Triple-A Reno.

.403 GAP IN SOUTHERN MARYLAND ORDER

If ever there were big shoes to fill in this year's Atlantic League they belong to Southern Maryland because the Blue Crabs lost shortstop Yunesky Sanchez to Pittsburgh, taking his .403 batting average and 40 RBI in 61 games out of the lineup. Sanchez was dispatched to Class AA Altoona, PA.

CATCHERS STILL IN DEMAND

Michel Hernandez was not out of work long after the 32-year-old catcher was released by Baltimore's Triple-A affiliate in Norfolk, VA. Cleveland quickly signed the former Somerset receiver, and after putting up outstanding numbers in Double-A (Akron, OH) he moved on to Triple-A Columbus, OH. Hernandez hit .455 in eight games for Akron with a .519 on-base percentage. He did not strike out a single time in 22 at-bats. The former major leaguer picked right up at Columbus with a single (1-for-3) and a walk in his first game in the International League.


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Tuesday, July 12, 2011

THE STORY BEHIND A.L. STARTER JERED WEAVER'S TIME IN THE ATLANTIC LEAGUE

We wrote in last week's Independent Baseball Insider about the added interest Indy fans should have in Tuesday night's major league All-Star Game because of former independent American Association pitcher Aaron Crow of Kansas City being on the American League team. Crow had pitched in a few games for the Fort Worth (TX) Cats before signing with the Royals.

There was another tie-in since the Angels' Jered Weaver was the starting A.L. pitcher, hurling a scoreless inning with a walk and a strikeout. While Weaver did not pitch in the Atlantic League he did train with the Camden RiverSharks back in 2005.

Weaver and current Arizona shortstop Stephen Drew were in Camden while major league contracts were up in the air. Drew, whose brother J.D. had played for the St. Paul (MN) Saints of the independent Northern League, got into 19 games, hitting .427 (35-for-82).

Wayne Krenchicki, who was Camden's manager at the time, told me later for the Insider the 6-foot-7 Weaver trained with the Sharks for "two or three weeks, throwing a couple of bullpens and working to get ready. It was a really good experience, at a very nervous time", Krenchicki explained, because a lot of money was on the table if the right-hander and the Angels could get together on a contract. Weaver ultimately signed on May 30 with his first Camden outing tentatively planned for two days later.

One of the topics we will examine in this week's Insider, which subscribers receive on Thursday, is the likely new Atlantic League franchise in Nassau County (Long Island) now that Frank Boulton's bid has been chosen over a group that had wanted to place a New York Mets minor league team in that heavily-populated area.


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Monday, July 11, 2011

RECENT ATLANTIC LEAGUERS TIFFEE AND KENSING PUT UP GREAT NUMBERS FOR YANKEES' TOP FARM CLUB

Vacations are wonderful, but they certainly throw you off schedule. So with that apology and while waiting for the Atlantic League All-Star Game at York on Wednesday, we will bring you up to date on some former Atlantic League players now in the affiliated minor leagues.

We often talk about how many Indy grads are playing in Triple-A, just one notch below the majors. It may surprise some, but the powerful New York Yankees have been one of the most active teams at purchasing the contracts of Independent players again this season.

All five of the players below came out of Indy leagues (three from the Atlantic League this season), and are based at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, PA, that one step away from putting on the pinstripes at Yankee Stadium.

Recent signees Terry Tiffee and Logan Kensing are doing especially well.

Tiffee, a former major league third baseman who was one of those sold by first-half Atlantic League division champion Lancaster, is hitting .338 after 18 games with three homers and seven doubles among his hits. Tiffee his a dozen runs batted in.

Kensing, signed out of Bridgeport, has a win and three saves in his first five Scranton/Wilkes-Barre appearances with eight strikeouts and only one walk in 6.1 innings while posting a terrific 1.42 earned run average.

Greg Smith, purchased from Grand Prairie, TX in the independent American Association, is starting and after six appearances (one was in relief) he is 2-2, 4.99. Fourteen walks in 30.2 innings have not helped his cause.

Veteran major leaguer Mike Lamb, normally a first baseman or third baseman, has hit
.255 in 11 games since leaving Camden with seven of his 12 hits for extra bases. He has driven in five.

Onetime Chicago Cubs star Mark Prior, who seemed to be a decent candidate for the Bronx at the end of spring training, has once again spent much of the year on the disabled list. Now 30, the right-hander worked three times for Class A Tampa, FL, but has thrown only one inning (scoreless) with the top farm club. Prior started his comeback with Orange County (Fullerton, CA) of the independent Golden League.



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Thursday, June 23, 2011

PENA, DI FELICE GIVE ATLANTIC LEAGUE 11 IN MAJORS ALREADY THIS SEASON

Wily Mo Pena's promotion this week to be the designated hitter for at least part of Arizona's trek into American League stadiums during this session of interleague play was terrific for 29-year-old Dominican, but it also notches another impressive feat for the Atlantic League.

Pena, who played at Bridgeport last season until his contract was sold to the San Diego organization, became the 11th former Atlantic League player to wear a major league uniform since the season started. That is quite a statement.

Newly-recalled Mark DiFelice (Milwaukee) became No. 10. Stephen Drew and Rene Rivera are the other grads currently in the majors, but Erick Almonte, Robinson Cancel, Tom Cochran, Nelson Figueroa, Jay Gibbons, Mike O'Connor and Mike Rivera also have been there.

It only took Pena two at-bats to blast his 78th career major league home run (his first since 2008), a 441-foot drive at Kansas City. That is his only hit in seven at-bats through two games.

We will cover both Pena and DiFelice in this week's Independent Baseball Insider column, which subscribers will receive later today.

RENE RIVERA SURVIVES

It seems clear that Rene Rivera, who was at Camden as recently as last season, has had some impact with Minnesota because the Twins decided to keep three catchers when Joe Mauer returned from his lengthy stint on the disabled list.

Rivera and Drew Butera pretty much split the catching duties the last several weeks as the Twins started clawing their way up from their horrid start. Neither carries much of a batting average (Rivera is at .180, 11-for-61 with a homer and three RBI), but they did the job defensively and even combined to hit .314 over one 14-game span.

KALA KA'AIHUE DID NOT STAY INACTIVE FOR LONG

Colorado's release of former York and Newark first baseman Kala Ka'aihue did not keep him on the sidelines for long. He signed in the independent American Association with the Kansas City (KS) T-Bones.



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Monday, June 13, 2011

CANCEL STAYS HOT, HOWARD JOINS TORONTO ORGANIZATION AND '10 BATTING CHAMPION RETURNS

Robinson Cancel's latest brief stay in the major leagues did not slow down his bat when it comes to punishing Triple-A pitching.

The 35-year-old backstop, an Atlantic League veteran (Long Island, 2010; Somerset, 2003-04; Road Warriors, 2003) went 5-for-11 (2B, RBI) in his first two games after returning to Houston's top farm club in Oklahoma City. He is now hitting .336 in 32 games for the Redhawks with a .390 on-base percentage. Cancel was 0-for-6 in two games for Houston, where he caught prized rookie Jordan Lyles.

KEVIN HOWARD LEAVES LANCASTER FOR LAS VEGAS

I am anxious to see how Kevin Howard fares in his return to Triple-A after starring both offensively and defensively while playing shortstop at Lancaster. Howard, who turns 30 later this month, was primarily a second baseman and third baseman in his previous stints at the top level of the minor leagues.

"Kevin had a great year," Lancaster Manager Butch Hobson praised in the press release announcing Howard had his contract purchased by Toronto and that he was returning to Las Vegas, where he played for part of both '08 and '09. "He's seeing the ball really well right now and squaring everything up," added Hobson, in what almost seems like an understatement since the University of Miami product had gone 23-for-49 (.469) in his last 13 games for the Barnstormers which elevated him to No. 2 in the Atlantic League batting race at .381.

"He also did an excellent job at shortstop, playing it for the first time," Hobson said.

'10 BATTING CHAMPION RETURNS TO LEAGUE

Last season's batting champion, outfielder Brian Barton, is back in the Atlantic League, joining Southern Maryland. He has gone 3-for-12 in his first four games with two runs batted in.

Barton, who struggled with Bridgeport early last year then caught fire at Newark, was released by Cincinnati, and quickly caught on with the Blue Crabs. He hit a combined .348 in 102 Atlantic League games last season, winning the batting title by nine points.

Lefty Josh Muecke, who made one appearance for Somerset last season, was dropped by Colorado. Both Barton and Muecke had been playing in Triple-A.

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Friday, June 3, 2011

TRACKING MIKE O'CONNOR, ERICK ALMONTE AND OTHER ATLANTIC LEAGUERS

A few notes heading into the weekend after getting this week's Independent Baseball Insider column out to subscribers...

The New York Mets have sent lefty Mike O'Connor (Southern Maryland) back to Triple-A Buffalo even though he had a 2.70 ERA for nine appearances. He took one loss, but also fanned eight in 6.2 innings and gave up only five hits.

Milwaukee has Erick Almonte (Long Island) out on a rehab assignment at Nashville. He was perhaps the major surprise among former Independent players during spring training when he came from nowhere to make the Brewers' Opening Day roster as a utilityman and pinch hitter.

Corey Smith (Newark) is back at Double-A Chattanooga, TN after the Dodgers had moved the hot-hitting third baseman up to Albuquerque for a time. It still would not surprise this corner if he got a major league opportunity because of his bat.

The pace of player sales from Atlantic League teams to major league organizations has really picked up in recent days. Just ask York, which lost its fourth player of the year when reliever Mike DeMark signed with Arizona. Lancaster has lost a trio of players.



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Tuesday, May 31, 2011

FIRST TIMER TOM COCHRAN, VET ROBINSON CANCEL LATEST ATLANTIC LEAGUERS IN MAJORS

Another Atlantic League pitcher has added his name to those who have made the climb to the major leagues.

Left-hander Tom Cochran, who needed a re-start on his professional career in Independent Baseball in 2005 after two undistinguished years as a Boston Red Sox farmhand, got the call from Triple-A Louisville in time to join the parent Cincinnati Reds in Atlanta Sunday.

Cochran spent four years and part of a fifth in Indy leagues. He had three seasons in the Frontier League (Washington, PA and the road team known as Ohio Valley), then had a breakout season in 2008 in the Can-Am League (Worcester, MA) when Baseball America selected him as the top southpaw on its all-Independent team. He had just finished a 13-3, 2.79 season with the Tornadoes.

Now about to turn 28 (June 5), Cochran was in the Atlantic League (Lancaster) long enough to make seven appearances (3-2, 4.67) the next season before his contract was purchased by the Reds. That ran his Independent Baseball record to 37-24. The Wilmington, DE product was a Southern League all-star as well as the Cincinnati organization's Minor League Pitcher of the Year last season(8-5, 2.69 at Carolina) and had started this season by going 5-1, 4.08 in eight appearances at Louisville before getting the call. He has not yet pitched for the Reds.

We expect to have more on Cochran in this week's Independent Baseball Insider, which gets to subscribers on Thursday.

ROBINSON CANCEL BACK IN MAJORS

Catcher Robinson Cancel, who was hitting a blistering .457 in his last 10 games at Oklahoma City, is back in the majors with Houston and is expected to be in the lineup Tuesday night for the major league debut of the Astros' top prospect, Jordan Lyles, against the Chicago Cubs. Cancel has minor league experience catching Lyles.

Cancel, 35, was in the Atlantic League one year ago at this time, on his way to hitting .304 with 14 homers and 81 RBI over 105 games with the Long Island Ducks. He hit .324 with two home runs and 11 runs batted in in 30 appearances for Oklahoma City this season. He has 43 games of major league experience (.213-1-10), most recently with the New York Mets in 2009.

Cancel's experience includes the 2003 season with Somerset and the traveling Road Warriors, and a brief time with Somerset the next year.

THE UPS AND DOWNS OF MIKE RIVERA

Catcher Mike Rivera (Atlantic City) is back in the minor leagues (Huntsville, AL) after spending several days with Milwaukee. He appeared in only one game, going 2-for-6 May 20 against Colorado.

In all, seven former Atlantic League players are in the major leagues now although Erick Almonte (Long Island) remains on the disabled list at Milwaukee.


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Friday, May 27, 2011

ORIOLES GIVE UP ON DRESE PLUS AN UPDATE ON A FORMER ATLANTIC LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES MVP.

Ryan Drese had not pitched in the majors since 2006, but when Baltimore signed the 35-year-old vet in February and invited him to their major league spring training camp there was some hope the Californian might have a chance to add to his 34 victories at baseball's top level.

It was not to be, at least for now. The Orioles released the right-hander Thursday. Drese had allowed 64 hits in 44 innings for Triple-A Norfolk (2-3, 6.55) and along with giving up more walks than his strikeout total the dreaded walking papers were handed out.

Drese had worked in four games for the Long Island Ducks last season (1-1, 1.59) and he had pitched for Camden in both 2008 and 2009.

WHAT IS IN THE FUTURE FOR FORMER ATLANTIC LEAGUE MVP?

It was only in yesterday's Independent Baseball Insider column when I had the opportunity to single out two-time Atlantic League Championship Series Most Valuable Player Jeff Nettles for becoming the league's all time leader in runs batted in.

Now for an update on another of the Somerset Patriots' postseason MVPs who, like Nettles, played third base.

Brandon Larson, the Cincinnati Reds' top draft choice in 1997 and their opening day third baseman in 2003, ended his playing career by winning MVP honors in Somerset's fourth of five Atlantic League championships in '08.

With Richard Oliver of The San Antonio Express-News providing the details, we learned that Larson is finishing up a degree at the University of Texas-San Antonio and coaching a couple of select high school baseball teams as he eyes a career as a college coach.

"I'm just trying to be a good coach, a good daddy and an ex-good baseball player," Larson told Oliver. It seems he is well on his way. Larson and wife Denise are raising Denise's daughter and expecting their own baby girl come September.

While injuries helped limit the San Angelo, TX native to 109 major league games, Larson finished his 12-year pro career in style in that 2008 season with a 30-home run, 95-RBI regular season with the Patriots, then capped it all off when Somerset toppled Camden in the four-game Championship Series.



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Friday, May 20, 2011

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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Friday, May 13, 2011

WILY MO PENA NAMED PCL'S TOP HITTER A SECOND TIME

Maybe the start of major league inter-league play next weekend will help Wily Mo Pena.

Arizona has not yet given the hefty veteran a major league opportunity this season, but it is not keeping the 29-year-old from continuing to punish opponents.

Pena, who spent about half of last season with Bridgeport, leads all of minor league baseball with 13 home runs in just 29 games for Reno, and the Aces star has been rewarded with his second selection of the young Pacific Coast League season as Player of the Week.

The right-handed hitting slugger, who likely is somewhat handicapped since he is not outstanding defensively at either first base or the outfield and the National League does not use the designated hitter within its league, is hitting .366 with 34 runs batted in. He is making southpaws pay to the price of a .444 average although eight of his home runs have come against right-handers.

Pena hit .341 (14-for-41) with three homers in 18 games with the Diamondbacks during spring training.

ACTIVE MAJOR LEAGUE COUNT AT FOUR

While the Atlantic League had its roster of players wearing major league rosters increased to five only days ago when southpaw Mike O'Connor (Southern Maryland) joined the New York Mets and catcher Rene Rivera (Camden)was called up to Minnesota, it has been trimmed back with right-hander Nelson Figueroa (Long Island) being outrighted to Oklahoma City by the Houston Astros. He had strugged with an 0-3 record and an 8.69 ERA as the No. 5 starter early this season.

Stephen Drew (Camden) remains a fixture as Arizona's shortstop and Jay Gibbons (Newark and Long Island) is one of the Los Angeles Dodgers' outfielders. Infielder-outfielder Erick Almonte (Long Island) remains on Milwaukee's disabled list.

TRIO CUT BY MAJOR LEAGUE ORGANIZATIONS

Three former Atlantic Leaguers have been dropped from major league farm systems in recent days. Lancaster's Jon Huber, who logged some time as a major league non-roster invitee during spring training, was dropped by the Dodgers.

The Chicago White Sox activated longtime major leaguer Daryle Ward from the Charlotte disabled list, then released him. He had hit 14 homers and driven in 79 runs while hitting .286 for Newark last season. Detroit released corner infielder Cesar Nicolas (Southern Maryland), who hit .279 with seven homers and 38 RBI over 70 games in Double-A last season.

All three players had been on Triple-A rosters this year.

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Friday, May 6, 2011

SWEENEY, DI FELICE, O'CONNOR AND UNGS GIVE PITCHING LOTS OF ATTENTION

Brian Sweeney's stop-overs are getting a tiny bit longer in the Atlantic League.

The Seattle Mariners signed the veteran right-hander before Somerset even started the season one year ago. Sweeney had only worked in an exhibition game.

A free agent again during the offseason despite a decent 3.16 earned run average (1-2record) in 24 relief appearances for the M's last season (and an earlier 15 games for Triple-A Tacoma), Sweeney returned to Somerset.

He was the opening day starter for Sparky Lyle's crew, picking up the Patriots' only victory in five outings this year. The four-hit, eight-strikeout effort (no walks) over seven innings in which the 36-year-old only allowed two runs were enough for the New York Mets to step in. They bought his contract and are sending Sweeney to Triple-A Buffalo, but that, too, could be a brief stay on the way to Citi Field where the parent Mets could use some help.

MARK DI FELICE FINALLY ALLOWS A RUN

If former Camden and Somerset hurler Mark DiFelice can maintain the pace a little longer, it seems likely he will join Mike O'Connor in returning to the major leagues.

DiFelice finally allowed a run Wednesday, but the Nashville reliever (Brewers) still has a 1.13 ERA for his first seven appearances of 2011 with a win and a save on his log. DiFelice, 34, has been stingy in every manner, allowing only five hits and two walks in his eight innings spread over seven appearances. He also has 11 strikeouts.

The New York Mets brought the southpaw O'Connor, who spent some time at Southern Maryland in 2009, up from Triple-A Buffalo this week.

MUTUAL ADMIRATION SOCIETY

First time Atlantic Leaguer Nic Ungs, who has been pitching professionally since Florida drafted him in 2001, obviously likes his choice of Somerset to continue his comeback from elbow surgery.

"This is a great league because it's so heavily scouted by big league teams, and you're playing with and against guys who have a lot of big league and Triple-A experience," the right-hander from Dyersville, IA told The Dubuque Herald.

Those comments came prior to his first regular-season start in which he got a no-decision, but allowed only five hits and two runs in five innings against defending champion and unbeaten York. Ung has yet to make it to the major leagues, but the 31-year-old went into this season with a 71-56 minor league record.

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Friday, April 29, 2011

LEFTY HAMPSON REBOUNDS IN METS' SYSTEM AFTER TOUGH 2010 IN ATLANTIC LEAGUE

Lefty Justin Hampson, who split last season between York and Long Island without great success, may be the latest reclamation project out of the Atlantic League.

Pitching in relief for the New York Mets' top farm club in Buffalo, the 30-year-old Hampson has been terrific this season. This is part of what Minor League Baseball's official web site, MiLB.com, reported this week: "Hampson has not allowed an extra-base hit in eight appearances and nine innings of work in 2011. He has nine strikeouts with opponents hitting just .152 off him." Oh yes, he has retired the first batter he has faced in all but one of his appearances, always sweet music to a manager.

The 6-foot-1 hurler has 79 major league appearances on his career record with Colorado and San Diego (5-4, 3.38), but he had only a 4.96 ERA in 11 games for York last season even though his lone decision was a victory and he had one save. Hampson was even worse in four appearances with the Ducks, giving up nine hits in four innings (11.25 ERA). He signed with the Mets February 16, and pitched a hitless inning to collect a save for the parent team in his lone major league spring training game.

Maybe the New York bullpen will be somewhere in his future.

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Friday, April 22, 2011

WE KNEW IT WAS IMPRESSIVE, BUT 38 ATLANTIC LEAGUERS APPEARED IN MAJOR LEAGUE EXHIBITIONS THIS SPRING

Would you like to take a guess on the final count of former Atlantic League players who got into major league exhibition games during spring training?

There were 16 Atlantic Leaguers spread among the 30 camps fulltime, either as 40-man roster players or non-roster invitees. Every one appeared in spring training games.

The count goes up by an astonishing 22 more--38 overall--when all of the players brought up from the minor league camp for at least a day are added into the mix. This total is only of those who actually got their name in a box score because still a few others were on the bench (or in the bullpen) if the manager needed them.

The 38 players is an average of nearly five per team. Impressive!

Here is the list of the minor league visitors who got into the parent team's games, including the team and position with the Atlantic League affiliations in parenthesis:

Arizona: SS Ed Rogers (Bridgeport)
Baltimore: LHP Nick Bierbrodt (Bridgeport and Somerset); LHP Alberto Castillo (Newark, Road Warriors and Camden)
Cincinnati: OF Brian Barton (Newark and Bridgeport); 3B Mike Costanzo (Camden)
Colorado: 1B Jason Botts (Camden); LHP Josh Muecke (Somerset)
Houston: C Robinson Cancel (Long Island, Road Warriors and Somerset)
Los Angeles Dodgers: 3B Corey Smith (Newark)
Milwaukee: INF Anderson Machado (Lancaster); LHP Sam Narron (Camden)
New York Mets: LHP Justin Hampson (York and Long Island); 1B-DH Valentino Pascucci (Camden)
Oakland: RHP Jon Hunton (Somerset and Lancaster)
Philadelphia: RHP Matt Anderson (Bridgeport); RHP Nate Bump (Camden); LHP Derrick Loop (Camden)
San Francisco: OF Justin Christian (Southern Maryland
Seattle: RHP Scott Patterson (Lancaster)
Texas: OF Erold Andrus (York)
Toronto: OF Jason Lane (Southern Maryland); RHP Vince Perkins (York, Newark and Camden)

Andrus, Botts and Hunton have since been released.



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Tuesday, April 12, 2011

IT IS CHANGE-OF-ADDRESS TIME FOR THESE ATLANTIC LEAGUE PLAYERS

It is a credit to Atlantic League teams when players are released by major league organizations and they go right back to the same Independent team.

Among those recently returning to their "roots" are right-handed pitcher Federico Baez with Camden and infielder-outfielder Kody Kirkland with Southern Maryland. Baez was in the Cincinnati organization and Kirkland with Houston. Infielder Ramon Nivar went back to Newark when the Dodgers dropped him, but the Bears now play in the Can-Am League. Nivar also has played for Camden and York.

Releases are expected at this time of the year as major league organizations get overloaded with players. Among the Atlantic Leaguers let go in recent days are:

RHP Jason Anderson (Somerset) by Philadelphia
OF Erold Andrus (York) by Texas
1B Jason Botts (Camden) by Colorado
RHP Bubbie Buzachero (Long Island) by Houston
OF Joe Gaetti (Lancaster) by Baltimore
RHP Jon Hunton (Somerset and Lancaster) by Oakland

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Friday, April 8, 2011

SOME SUCCESSES AND SOME FAILURES FOR THIS GROUP OF FORMER ATLANTIC LEAGUE HURLERS

It would not be very surprising to see a couple of major league veterans with recent Atlantic League ties return to the league after they did not make it to Opening Day with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Brian Sweeney, who trained with Somerset last April only to be picked up by Seattle prior to the start of the Atlantic League season, got in a few innings with the D-Backs during spring training before ultimately being released.

The other case, also involving a right-handed pitcher, saw Arizona sign Kip Wells shortly before spring training only to drop him a few weeks later. Wells, 33, made five starts for Long Island last season (2-2, 4.00) in his only professional work during 2010. He has a 67-99 major league record.

Sweeney, 36, spent a good part of last year with the parent Mariners, compiling a 1-2record and a creditable 3.16 earned run average in 24 relief appearances. He pitched in Japan during the three previous seasons.

BUMP, JULIO ON MOUND STAFFS

Onetime Camden righty Nate Bump, 8-4, 3.35 with Philadelphia's Triple-A club in Lehigh Valley (Allentown) last season, was tabbed to start the Iron Pigs' second game of the season on Friday. He bolstered his chances of one day getting back to the majors with five strong innings for the parent team against Houston late in spring training. Bump was on one of those one-day invitations from the minor league camp.

Another former Atlantic League hurler, Jorge Julio, a strong closer for Bridgeport last season, is with Pittsburgh's top farm club in Indianapolis in his bid to return to the majors.

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Monday, March 14, 2011

WILY MO PENA AND ERICK ALMONTE STAY HOT IN MAJOR LEAGUE CAMPS WHILE TOTAL COUNT OF ATLANTIC LEAGUERS INCREASES TO 24

A great many cuts have been made in major league spring training rosters already, but not a single one (unless we missed something) has involved any of the 15 former Atlantic League players with hopes of making opening day rosters.

Meanwhile, two more onetime Atlantic Leaguers players have appeared in major league spring training games, jumping that already impressive count to at least 24. Nine of the 24 have been brought up for a game or two from minor league camps.

The two most recent additions are position players. Shortstop Ed Rogers (Bridgeport), who had a very good spring with Arizona one year ago before going back to Reno (Triple-A) where he was highly regarded both on the diamond and in the clubhouse, made a one-game appearance with the Diamondbacks.

Third baseman Mike Costanzo (Camden) made an appearance with Cincinnati.

PENA, ALMONTE KEEP UP BLISTERING PACE

Wily Mo Pena, the veteran first baseman-outfielder trying to get back to the majors where he prospered for a time, is making decision-makers in Arizona take notice.

The big guy, who spent the early part of last season at Bridgeport, dropped below.400when he failed to get a hit as a pinch hitter Sunday, but still is at .393 for the 13Cactus League games he has been in with 11 hits in 28 at-bats, including three homers and six runs batted in.

Erick Almonte's bid to get back to the majors for the first time since 2003 (New York Yankees) as a pinch hitter and utilityman with Milwaukee is still going strong. The onetime Long Island infielder is making the Atlantic League look good by hitting .436 (17-for-39) with the Brewers. He leads the team in both hits and at-bats, and has three homers and has driven in nine runs.

We plan a rundown on all of the key bids by former Atlantic League players to land major league jobs in this Thursday's Independent Baseball Insider column. Subscriptions are available elsewhere on this blog.

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Saturday, March 5, 2011

ATLANTIC LEAGUE NOW HAS 20 PLAYERS INVOLVED IN MAJOR LEAGUE CAMPS; DUCKS' ALMONTE GETTING LONG LOOK

The Atlantic League should be popping buttons of pride with at least 20 of its former players wearing major league uniforms in spring training, if only for a day.

The league had 15 players on our original list of those due in camps which we covered in a recent Independent Baseball Insider column, including 11 non-roster invitees, but at least five more have gotten a pass of one day or more to join baseball's top echelon. All of Independent Baseball can claim at least 56 of its former players in big league camps, either as 40-man roster players, invitees or up from minor league camp for a day.

The latest pair of Atlantic Leaguers to appear in exhibition games are batting 1.000, too, with Corey Smith, who played third base when Newark won the '07 championship, getting a two-run double for the Los Angeles Dodgers and veteran major leaguer Jason Lane, who was at Southern Maryland for a time last season, collecting a run-scoring single for Toronto.

DUCKS' ALMONTE LEADS BREWERS IN AT BATS

Erick Almonte seems to be getting a very solid look early in the Cactus League season with Milwaukee, most likely because of his .320 batting average (two homers, 38 RBI in 325 at-bats) last season in Nashville (Triple-A). The 2006 Long Island Ducks star (.302-9-77 plus 24 doubles and 16 steals in 111 games) is primarily playing first base or being used as a designated hitter instead of his earlier days as a shortstop, and leads all Brewers with 15 at-bats in five appearances.

He is limping with only two hits (.133), but one of those was a home run in Thursday's 11-9 win over Oakland. The 33-year-old went 1-for-3 with two RBI. Another former Atlantic Leaguer, catcher Mike Rivera (Atlantic City), also homered in his two times at bat for the Brew Crew.

Almonte likely is somewhat of a long shot, but what a story it would be since his career includes more than 1,200 minor league games, time in Japan and only 39 major league contests, all of those back in 2001 and 2003 with the New York Yankees.

POSITION PLAYERS AWAITING NEW OPPORTUNITIES

A couple of days ago we listed the pitchers with Atlantic League playing time who were with major league organizations at the end of last season and are believed to be without jobs (some may have chosen to retire) at this time. Today it is the position players in similar situations:

CATCHERS: None.
INFIELDERS: 1B Jason Botts, Christian Colonel, Fernando Cortez, Keoni DeRenne, Ramon Nivar, Gabe Suarez.
OUTFIELDERS: Cory Aldridge, Charlton Jimerson, Jacque Jones (likely retired), Val Majewski, Andres Perez, Michael Ryan, Matt Watson.

We welcome clarifications from this list to RWirz@aol.com.

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Thursday, March 3, 2011

ANOTHER TRIO OF ATLANTIC LEAGUERS GET INTO MAJOR LEAGUE SPRING GAMES WHILE NEARLY A DOZEN HURLERS AWAIT NEW OPPORTUNITIES

It seems unlikely this far into spring training that very few of the former Atlantic League players who had major league organizational jobs at the end of last season and did not get a new contract earlier in the offseason will be asked back for 2011. As a result, the following 11 pitchers appear to be available (unless they have opted to retire):

Jason Anderson, Federico Baez, Steve Bray, Travis Chick, Brendan Donnelly, Derrick Ellison, Ryan Houston, Tom Mastny, Josh Muecke, Oneli Perez and Patrick Ryan.

If anyone has seen that someone on this list has signed either with an organization or an Independent team, I invite you to pass that information along to RWirz@aol.com.

We will have a list of unsigned position players in a day or two.

THREE MORE SHOW UP IN MAJOR LEAGUE SPRING TRAINING GAMES

A heavy portion of today's Independent Baseball Insider column, our subscription newsletter that is weekly from now through September, will be devoted to how former Independent players who are in major league spring training camps are doing.

One of the nuggets we have uncovered includes a trio of onetime Atlantic League players not originally on either 40-man rosters or non-roster invitees who have appeared in at least one major league exhibition game.

They are Baltimore pitchers Alberto Castillo (Newark, Camden, Road Warriors) and Nick Bierbrodt (Bridgeport, Somerset) and New York Mets first baseman-outfielder-designated hitter Valentino Pascucci (Camden). Hurler Brian Sweeney, who trained with Somerset last spring but signed before the regular season started, has appeared with his newest organization, the Arizona Diamondbacks.

More are likely to show up.

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Friday, February 18, 2011

MANY ATLANTIC LEAGUERS IN MAJOR LEAGUE MIX; OTHERS GET NEW MINOR LEAGUE DEALS

We reported on the 15 former Atlantic League players who will be in major league spring training games in our Independent Baseball Insider column this week, and we would not be surprised to see several more make their way into at least one exhibition game.

Primary among these candidates could be Lancaster closer Scott Patterson with Seattle, lefties Alberto Castillo (Newark, Camden, Road Warriors) and Nick Bierbrodt (Bridgeport, Somerset) with Baltimore and outfielder Jason Lane (Southern Maryland) with Torotno. Other candidates could include outfielder Justin Christian (Southern Maryland) with San Francisco and possibly righty reliever Brian Sweeney, who trained with Somerset last spring, with Arizona.

MAJOR LEAGUE CLUBS KEEP ON THE LOOKOUT FOR TALENT

Some of the interesting invitations to minor league camps from the Atlantic League of late have included outfielder Joe Gaetti (Lancaster) by the Orioles and right-hander Vince Perkins, who had been well regarded but stumbled to a combined 0-8 in Newark and York last season, by Toronto.

Catcher Eddy Rodriguez, who hit .277 in 108 games for Bridgeport in '09, has been obtained for the San Diego Padres farm system.

WHERE IS SALOMON MANRIQUEZ?

Lancaster thought it would have Salomon Manriquez back behind the plate this season, going so far as announcing his signing. Not so fast, though. Manriquez has gone back to the New York Mets' Buffalo, NY farm club, where he spent part of the 2010 season after signing out of Lancaster. He also has played for York and Newark.

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Tuesday, February 8, 2011

SOUTHERN MARYLAND'S CHRISTIAN SIGNS WITH GIANTS, CREDITS INDEPENDENT BASEBALL

Justin Christian has been squarely in our sights for a few years now, certainly since the spring of 2008 when this now 30-year-old outfielder who started out in Independent Baseball was in the major league spring training camp of the New York Yankees.

Fast forwarding to today, everyone in the Indy game should want to reach out to Christian and give him a friendly pat on the back or a hearty "thank you".

Christian, who started last season at Southern Maryland, just signed a minor league deal with the defending World Champion San Francisco Giants. It is what he said to MLB.com writer Jesse Sanchez that makes the Indy game look good.

"The reason I believe I was able to get to the big leagues is because I had to grind and work hard in Independent ball," he told Sanchez, who was covering the Caribbean Series where Christian was the centerfielder and leadoff hitter for Mexico.

"You are not getting a lot of looks from scouts (in Independent leagues), but for me, it made me appreciate my opportunity with the Yankees that much more because I know the road I had taken was a difficult one."

Christian got into 24 games with the Yankees in 2008, and those 40 at-bats (10 hits, six RBI, seven steals) represent his entire major league regular season experience so far. He did not even get a major league spring training invitation from the Giants, yet he sounds grateful.

The speedster spent much of 2003 and 2004 breaking into the pro game at O'Fallon, MO with the River City Rascals of the Frontier League, not a great distance from Southwest Missouri State where he had been in college. (He also had played for Auburn.) He worked his way up through the Yankees' chain for three and a half years before the major league shot, and he was once again in the Bombers' minor league system for most of last season after starting out with two games back in the Indy world (3-for-9) for the Blue Crabs.

"Christian is a grinder", Sanchez wrote. "He's the undrafted baseball lifer with an independent streak and an international flair for the game."

The 6-foot-1 native of Lincoln, NE went to winter ball without a job for this season. "The entire time I believed I was going to have the opportunity to sign with a team, I just didn't know with which team," he said. But pounding out a .356 average in 64 games with 55 RBI and 24 steals in 25 attempts in the Mexican Pacific League earned a the in the San Francisco system.

It is a safe bet Christian will continue grinding away.

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Friday, February 4, 2011

WHO HAS OR HAS NOT SIGNED PLUS MIKE TORREZ'S NEW JOB

Two potent outfielders who got some major league time last season are among about 25 former Atlantic League players who were in affiliated organizations at the end of the year and still have not signed with anyone.

It is getting rather late--but certainly not impossible--for Michael Ryan of Somerset and the Los Angeles Angels to ink with a major league organization. The same is true of Matt Watson, who started 2010 with Lancaster and was in the American League a couple of months later with Oakland.

Other prominent former Atlantic Leaguers not yet signed, according to what we know, include outfielders Justin Christian (Southern Maryland), now with Mexico in the Caribbean Series, and Charlton Jimerson (Bridgeport and Newark). The same is true for catcher Salomon Manriquez (Lancaster, York, Newark) and 2010 Somerset hurler Tom Mastny.

PAIR GO BACK TO MAJOR LEAGUE ORGANIZATIONS

Two recent signees with major league organizations are infielder Erick Almonte (Long Island), who not only returned to Milwaukee but also got a spring training invitation to the parent club, and Nick Bierbrodt. The left-handed Bierbrodt, who has been with both Bridgeport and Somerset, signed with Baltimore, his third major league organization in about a calendar year.

69 ORIOLES HAVE PLAYED IN ATLANTIC LEAGUE

Veteran baseball writer Lisa Winston, now working for Peter Kirk's Opening Day Partners, came up with a very impressive note. She determined no less than 69 Baltimore Orioles (these weren't minor leaguers, either) have played in the Atlantic League, with 17 of them in this eastern-based Indy league last summer.

MIKE TORREZ RETURNS

Who can forget Mike Torrez? The big right-hander, who did the Yankees two huge favors while pitching, is back at Newark, NJ, this time as general manager of the Bears, who have moved from the Atlantic League to the Can-Am. He was the Bears' pitching coach in 2009.

Torrez won two games in the 1977 World Series for the Bronx Bombers, but is better remembered by many for giving up that famous playoff home run to the Yankees' Bucky Dent the next year, depriving Boston of going to the World Series.

Torrez, now 64, won 185 games during his major league mound duty.





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