VAL MAJEWSKI FINALLY GETS A MAJOR LEAGUE AT BAT AS DOES BEN COPELAND. BOTH GET HITS, TOO

It may not seem like much since Val Majewski perennially is one of the Atlantic League's best hitters. Still, it had to feel pretty good when the 31-year-old outfielder got what we believe was his first major league spring training at-bat since he appeared in 22 games for Baltimore in 2006-07.

He got a hit, of course, for the Texas Rangers against the Los Angeles Angels.

Majewski, whose only regular season major league duty was for nine games with Baltimore way back in 2004, has been in a pattern the last four seasons. Start in the Atlantic League (Newark in '08, Camden the next year and York each of the last two seasons), then a major league organization comes along because of his career .331average in Independent Baseball and gives him a look in its minor league system for the rest of the season.

The Rangers at least kept the former Rutgers University product this winter, which is somewhat encouraging that they feel he might help the American League team at some juncture.

LANCASTER'S BEN COPELAND APPEARS WITH CLEVELAND

Another of the bevy of players taken off the Lancaster roster during the 2011 season got into a Cactus League exhibition with Cleveland Thursday. Outfielder Ben Copeland singled in his only time at bat in a 5-4 loss to Arizona.

The most prominent of the Barnstormers who went to major league organizations is veteran pitcher Jerome Williams, who finally appears back on track in his bid to lock up the No. 5 starter job with the Los Angeles Angels, as we reported in Thursday's subscriber-only Independent Baseball Insider column. He had been sidelined about three and a half weeks with a hamstring strain. Williams, 6-0 at Lancaster before being plucked away by the Angels, is due for another start Saturday.

MIKE RIVERA RELEASED BY BREWERS

Catcher Mike Rivera, who got some big league time with Milwaukee most every year for the last several seasons, has been released by the Brew Crew. Rivera played his Independent Baseball in Atlantic City.

ALMONTE GOT LITTLE CHANCE

Who can forget the brilliant spring Erick Almonte had with Milwaukee one year ago which earned the onetime Atlantic League infielder (Long Island) a spot on the opening day roster? The veteran Triple-A utilityman never really got a chance to repeat the showing this spring. Almonte was only used in three spring training games, going 1-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI.

OH, THOSE RELEASES

This is the time of spring training when major league organizations trim a lot of players who do not seem to fit. Those cut out of minor league camps in recent days include two southpaws, York's Chris Cody by Atlanta and Bridgeport's Brad Furnish by the Chicago White Sox.

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TWO INDY SOUTHPAWS AUDITION FOR YANKEES; FORMER BARNSTORMER GOES YARD FOR MARLINS

I overlooked one of last year's Independent players still in a major league spring training camp in Thursday's Independent Baseball Insider column when I said three of them remained.

How could I forget lefty Juan Cedeno, who jumped all the way from Rio Grande Valley (Harlingen, TX) of the North American League to an audition as a non-roster invitee with the New York Yankees?

Cedeno continued that audition on national television Thursday night, getting a key strikeout to get the Yankees out of a jam against the rival Boston Red Sox. His numbers do not look so good (9.64 earned run average over 4.2 innings in six games), but then the Yankees only need someone who can get certain left-handed hitters out. Cedeno's ERA was not a lot better in the NAL, where he was a strikeout machine.

He may be getting extra looks because another southpaw who came into spring training with some legitimacy to his hopes, Mike O'Connor, has an identical ERA. O'Connor had some time with the New York Mets last season after coming out of the Atlantic League (Southern Maryland).

TIFFEE STRIKES

Former Lancaster Barnstormer Terry Tiffee has been talked about in this space more than once this spring because of all the playing time the Atlantic Leaguer has gotten, primarily at first base, with the Miami Marlins.

This onetime Minnesota Twins prospect got his first two extra-base-hits Thursday to help the Marlins tie Atlanta 5-5. He had a solo home run and a double, and has his spring average up to .147 (5-for-34) in 13 games.

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SOUTHERN MARYLAND HURLER MAKING STRONG SHOWING WITH TAMPA BAY

Tampa Bay reliever Dane DeLaRosa, who spent about half of the 2009 season at Southern Maryland, seems to be improving his fortunes with a great spring.

DeLaRosa, who is on the 40-man roster and got into seven games last season (0-0, 9.82), has had a terrific first five appearances. He has not been scored on, but it is the 11 strikeouts in 5.2 innings (six hits, three walks) that should be making some impact.

RECENT CUTS

Atlantic League grads sent to minor league camps in recent days include first baseman Valentino Pascucci (Camden) by the New York Mets and pitchers Mike DeMark (York) and Jason Lane (Southern Maryland) by Arizona and Bridgeport's Logan Kensing by Pittsburgh.

We plan to post a roster of all former Independent players still in major league camps in this Thursday's subscriber-only Independent Baseball Insider column.

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ATLANTIC LEAGUER WINS 'IDOL' COMPETITION WHILE BIDDING FOR FIRST MAJOR LEAGUE JOB

While three-time Atlantic League lefty Scott Rice continues to hope this is the year he breaks into the major leagues, the 30-year-old out of Simi Valley, CA has already claimed one honor in the Los Angeles Dodgers spring training camp.

The Dodgers routinely hold a "Dodgers (American) Idol" competition, a fraternity-hazing type event required for first timers in the big league camp.

Rice, a non-roster invitee after signing out of York during the 2011 season, performed an original song about teammate Kenley Jansen. Guess what? The judges, including Hall of Fame Manager Tommy Lasorda, declared Rice the champion.

Rice told The Los Angeles Daily News he can't carry a tune, but the guitar he bought to pass time while playing in Lakeland, FL some time back helps. "I'm not a singer," the 6-foot-6 Rice told the newspaper. "I play the guitar really loud so I don't have to sing in tune."

Rice has made three Atlantic League stops--Long Island in 2008, Newark a year later and York last summer when he went 1-0, 2.45 in 15 appearances for the eventual champion Revolution. Now in his 14th professional season and after overcoming flexor tendon surgery, the southpaw is hoping to continue winning accolades, this time in a major league uniform.

He is off to a solid start, allowing only one hit and striking out four (no walks) in three scoreless innings spread over the same number of appearances.

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