SIGNINGS BY MAJOR LEAGUE ORGANIZATIONS TAKING A TOLL

As nice as it is to see Atlantic League players getting fresh opportunities with major league organizations, the sale of these players has at least one team struggling because it is playing shorthanded.

Bridgeport was down to nine position players until it signed league Elliott Ayala, who spent all or part of six seasons with Somerset, Monday.

The Bluefish had outfielders Joey Gathright and Collin DeLome depart within a few days last week when they signed Triple-A deals with Cincinnati and Atlanta, respectively, and veteran major league infielder Ramon Vazquez went on the inactive list. "It (Vazquez) was partly a financial decision," Bridgeport General Manager Bob Goughan told The Connecticut Post."He's not getting paid a lot. He wants to ge ready for winter ball" and he did not want to be a distrction, Goughan told beat writer Rich Elliott.

While we are speculating, it also is possible a thin roster led to Southern Maryland Manager Patrick Osborn activating himself. At 31, former All-Star third baseman Osborn certainly is capable between the white lines, but he had seemed totally content to be a fulltime manager ever since starting that job last year. Osborn has not played to this point.

A DAILY SIGNING

The sale of players has been virtually a daily occurrence of late with Camden losing fleet centerfielder Billy Rice to the Chicago White Sox farm system and Sugar Land third baseman Jimmy VanOstrand joining the Washington Nationals organization.

DeLome and VanOstrand could be on a fast track to the major leagues if their robust hitting continues. Both were hitting .368. DeLome, who started the season with Texas's top farm club in Oklahoma City, drove in 22 runs in 23 games for the Bluefish while VanOstrand had 20 RBI in 27 contests. Rice, who joined Class A Kannapolis, NC, hit .300 in 17 games and shared the Atlantic League lead with three triples.

DOBIES RELEASED, ALDRIDGE SIGNS

Left-hander Andrew Dobies, signed last season from Somerset, has been released by Kansas City while onetime Newark outfielder Cory Aldridge has signed with the Los Angeles Angels and been assigned to Triple-A Salt Lake City. He was in major league spring training with Baltimore.

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ATLANTIC LEAGUE CAN BE PROUD OF NEWEST MAJOR LEAGUER AND ITS GREAT ATTENDANCE

What fun it had to be for onetime Atlantic League (Camden, 2010) infielder Mike Costanzo to get his first major league hit this afternoon (Saturday), and to do it at Yankee Stadium during a 6-5 victory for his Cincinnati Reds because he predicted ahead of the series he was likely to hear a great deal of razzing through the similarity of his name and that of Seinfeld television character George Costanza.

Costanzo benefitted from interleague play because it allowed him to get his first major league start as the designated hitter. The 28-year-old, primarily a third baseman and first baseman, went 1-for-3 with his second sacrifice fly since joining the Reds. He is now 1-for-7 at the plate with the other appearances in pinch-hitting roles.

Of the expectation of being called 'Lord of the Idiots' as the sitcom star sometimes was known, Costanzo told FoxSportsOhio.com in advance of a five-game invasion of New York City (Cincinnati played two games against the Mets before moving to Yankee Stadium) "I hear it all the time and I know I'll hear it a lot in New York".

It certainly helps that he now has a major league batting average, even if it is only .143.

DAZZLING ATTENDANCE

The American Association has gotten off to a terrific start at the gate, but it will take a long run if it expects to keep pace with the Atlantic League.

El Paso, TX and Kansas City, KS have both had a 7,000 gate in the first two days of play with the Diablos drawing 7,823 Friday night for a two-day total of 12,042. The T-Bones had 7,026 fans show up for their opener, which also started interleague play with the Can-Am League. Amarillo, TX drew 6,518 for its opener Friday, and Laredo, TX, debuted in the league and opened a new ballpark with crowds of 5,923 and 5,116 in successive games. The league drew 62,992 the first two nights, according to figures compiled by Pointstreak, the American Association's official statistical house.

Meanwhile, the Atlantic League has already drawn 356,262 fans, an average of 4,345 for 82 openings with the new Sugar Land Skeeters leading the way with an average of 6,921 for 10 home games.

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ONETIME CAMDEN THIRD BASEMAN MIKE COSTANZO NEWEST MAJOR LEAGUER

Atlantic League fans have a brand new reason to check out the daily box scores of the Cincinnati Reds.

Third baseman Mike Costanzo, who played at Camden two years ago, was given his first call to the major leagues Saturday when veteran third base standout Scott Rolen went on the disabled list.

While Costanzo was a second round draft choice by Philadelphia (2005), he topped out at Class AAA with both the Phillies and Baltimore, and needed a fresh start in the Atlantic League before Cincinnati signed him. He hit .278 in 16 games with the 2010 RiverSharks with four homers and 10 RBI. Now 28, the onetime Coastal Carolina University slugger was at 6-24-.303 in 34 games for Louisville, KY when Reds added him to the parent club's roster.

It has been quite a week overall for former Independent players in the major leagues starting with Stu Pomeranz's call-up and two shutout appearances for Baltimore, then followed quickly by another impressive Daniel Nava start with Boston, lefty reliever Raul Valdes joining the Phillies and Costanzo.

The action lifts the current total of onetime Indy players in the major to 17, including three who are disabled. The Atlantic League also has Jerome Williams in the starting rotation with the Los Angeles Angels one season after he was in a similar role with Lancaster plus shortstop Stephen Drew (Camden), who has been on Arizona's disabled list but likely will soon be reinstated. Angels ace Jered Weaver worked out with Camden before signing his bonus contract.

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JAY GIBBONS HELPING OUT AT HUNTSVILLE, KEVIN HOWARD AT LAS VEGAS

Jay Gibbons has been doing a nice job of getting the Milwaukee Brewers to notice him since his recent re-signing and joining Double-A Huntsville, AL.

The former Long Island and Newark outfielder is hitting .308 (8-26) with a .379 on-base percentage for his first eight appearances. The lefty-swinging outfielder, now 35, has three doubles and has driven in two runs.

KEVIN HOWARD NOW IN TRIPLE-A

Last season's Lancaster shortstop, Kevin Howard, is one step closer to the major leagues now that Toronto has promoted him to Triple-A Las Vegas. The Blue Jays list him (MiLB.com) as a first baseman and he was at third base for his last appearance so perhaps the versatility will help. Howard has gone 2-for-13 with a run batted in for his four games with his new team after hitting .279 (12-43) with a homer and eight RBI for Class AA New Hampshire.

CAN STANGE START LIKE MARTIN?

Bridgeport lost righty Dan Stange after only four innings of work to the San Diego organization Monday. The Bluefish lost outfielder Dustin Martin to Triple-A Buffalo (New York Mets) before the season started, and he helped out with a home run in the first game he started (second appearance). Martin is now at .208 (5-24) with two doubles and five batted in in seven games.

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