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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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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RELIEVER GREG BURKE GETS ANOTHER MAJOR LEAGUE LOOK; LANE, EASLER SIGN

Two winter trades which cost San Diego four relief pitchers may be very good news for right-hander Greg Burke, who started his professional career with the 2005 Atlantic League Surf, then in the Atlantic League.

Burke, 28, has been invited to the Padres' major league spring training camp next month. He was with San Diego for much of 2009 (3-3, 4.14 in 48 outings), but was back in the minor leagues last season, struggling to a 5.68 ERA (2-2) in 53 appearances at Portland, OR.

ODDS LONGER FOR BLUE CRABS' MIKE O'CONNOR

Meanwhile, the competition onetime Southern Maryland lefty Mike O'Connor faces in trying to work his way up from a non-roster position with the New York Mets likely got tougher when the National League team signed another southpaw and Independent grad, Tim Byrdak. This onetime Northern Leaguer (Gary, IN and Joliet, IL) has extensive major league experience including 64 appearances last season for Houston (2-2, 3.49).

I expect another Atlantic League lefty, Alberto Castillo, to be among the invitees when Baltimore finally announces its full spring training roster. Castillo (Camden, Newark, Road Warriors) got a new deal with the Orioles recently. He was up and down between the parent club and Triple-A Norfolk last season.

LANE, EASLER SIGN NEW DEALS

Anther recent signing involving a former Atlantic Leaguer was that of outfielder Jason Lane, who was at Southern Maryland for a time last summer, back with Toronto on a Triple-A agreement.

And, Mike Easler has moved from the Dodgers to the Mets to teach hitting. He will be the hitting coach at Triple-A Buffalo.

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DODGERS CAMP NEXT STOP FOR LANCASTER'S JON HUBER WHILE SCOTT GRIMES STILL AWAITS AN OPPORTUNITY

If Jon Huber makes it back to the major leagues this season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, he should be giving credit to the Atlantic League.

After getting 25 American League games under his belt with Seattle in '06 and '07, he slumped badly to a 6.40 earned run average in 52 games for Tacoma, WA in 2008 with Pacific Coast League hitters raking at a .324 clip against him.

Huber spent the first two months of '09 tuning up at Lancaster, where he started returning to form with a win, two saves and a 3.63 ERA in 18 relief appearances. Atlanta purchased his contract, and had the 29-year-old right-hander until early last season when he moved from the Mississippi Braves to the Dodgers' Chattanooga, TN club in that same Southern League.

The Sacramento native was so sharp for the Lookouts he made the mid-season all-star team and saved 18 games (in 36 appearances) while also posting a 3-3, 2.30 record. That has added up to a non-roster invitation to the Dodgers' major league spring training camp.

Huber is the 11th former Atlantic League player to make it onto a major league camp roster, with seven coming via the non-roster route.

CO-PLAYER OF YEAR SCOTT GRIMES SPOTLIGHTED

"Awesome" was Scott Grimes's one word evaluation of being part of York's league championship team of last season, partially explained by the fact it was the first title team he had been on in his five professional seasons.

We spotlighted the 27-year-old centerfielder in Thursday's subscriber-only Independent Baseball Insider column, since he still does not have a job with a major league organization despite the fact he led all of professional baseball with his 138 runs scored last season. He was co-Player of the Year in the Atlantic League along with Lancaster's Aaron Herr.

"I have a love of the game, the competition and being able to play every day," said Grimes. "And I don't take it for granted." He is working at the All-Star Baseball Academy in Downingtown, PA this winter with the belief he will return to York unless a major league organization comes calling.

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DUCKS PROMOTE MICHAEL PFAFF TO PRESIDENT AND ALSO GET CREATIVE IN GOING AFTER SEASON TICKET SALES

I imagine everyone agrees that creativity is a wonderful trait. The Long Island Ducks get a tip of my cap for coming up with 72 reasons to buy season tickets--one reason for every home game in 2011.

I especially like No. 26, to put a smile on a face of a stressed out employee; No. 55, to give the tickets to the office cleaning crew; and No. 71, to use the tickets yourself.

This ingenuity probably speaks volumes about the Ducks' superior attendance year in and year out.

CALL HIM MR. PRESIDENT

The Ducks also made news Wednesday by adding the title of President to General Manager Michael Pfaff's business card. He started with Long Island eight years ago as Director of Media Relations. Pfaff has had quite a year including his second Atlantic League Executive of the Year award.

RENE RIVERA, JORGE JULIO IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Catcher Rene Rivera, who got into 51 major league games with Seattle in 2004 and 2006, will be in Minnesota's spring training camp as a non-roster invitee hoping to earn some playing time behind All-Star Joe Mauer. The 27-year-old was at Camden early last season before joining the New York Yankees farm system. He could be well positioned with the Twins although he has hit only .188 in 32 games in Puerto Rico this winter.

Pittsburgh has stepped up to give reliever Jorge Julio another affiliated opportunity although the Venezuelan, who will be 32 when the season starts, does not have a major league spring training invite. Julio, with 99 career major league saves, is coming off a fine year closing for Bridgeport's Atlantic League championship series team. He had a mighty stingy 1.15 earned run average, and did not allow a home run in 55 regular-season innings. He's also been solid in the Venezuelan Winter League. Julio starts on the Triple-A Indianapolis roster.

The Los Angeles Angels have re-signed hurler Eric Junge, 34, after going 5-3 (5.15 ERA) in 14 appearances at Salt Lake City. Junge started last season at Lancaster, and also has played in Bridgeport.

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ATLANTIC LEAGUE LOSES A FRIEND IN SCOUT MIKE DE ANGELO; MIKE RIVERA BACK WITH BREWERS

The Atlantic League lost a friend from the scouting fraternity over the weekend.

Mike DeAngelo died Friday night from heart trouble.

A onetime college player at the University of New Haven who also signed with the Montreal Expos and later scouted for more than 20 years, DeAngelo had been involved in recent times in scouting both the Atlantic and Can-Am Leagues.

"We enjoyed having him around; he was constantly looking for players", Bridgeport (CT) Bluefish General Manager Bob Goughan said. DeAngelo had been involved in the Bluefish signing of major league veteran Wily Mo Pena in 2010. Pena's contract was later sold to San Diego, and the first baseman-outfielder hit .324 (.390 on-base percentage) with nine homers and 34 RBI in only 142 at-bats at Triple-A Portland.

DeAngelo, who is credited with signing major leaguers Mark Sweeney and Charlie Morton, has been serving as Special Advisor to the New York State League, a scouting service that will serve as the official developmental league to the Can-Am League and will supply players for the league road team to be known as the New York Federals.

MIKE RIVERA ADDED TO BREWERS' SPRING TRAINING ROSTER

Add the name of catcher Mike Rivera, who played with Atlantic City in 2005, to the list of former Atlantic League players headed to a major league spring training camp. The 34-year-old Rivera is back in comfortable surroungs since he was with Milwaukee for all or part of the last four seasons before playing briefly with Florida at the end of the '10 campaign. He is a non-roster invitee at this time.

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EIGHT ATLANTIC LEAGUERS SCHEDULED FOR MAJOR LEAGUE CAMPS...SO FAR

Now that we are into January and less than six weeks (thankfully) until players start reporting to major league spring training camps the tempo of announcing non-roster invitations also is picking up.

We have identified eight former Atlantic League players so far who will be in major league camps, and will list them here by their league affiliation(s). Non-roster players are identified with an asterisk; DNP indicates player trained with but did not play regular season games for the team.

BRIDGEPORT (1)--1B-OF *Wily Mo Pena, Arizona
CAMDEN (3)--RHP *Mark DiFelice, Milwaukee; SS Stephen Drew, Arizona; RHP Jered Weaver (DNP), Los Angeles Angels
LANCASTER (0)
LONG ISLAND (2)--RHP Nelson Figueroa, Houston; OF *Jay Gibbons, Los Angeles Dodgers
NEWARK--(2) OF *Jay Gibbons, Los Angeles Dodgers; LHP *R. J. Swindle, Tampa Bay
SOMERSET--(2) RHP *Mark DiFelice, Milwaukee; RHP Brian Sweeney (DNP), Arizona
SOUTHERN MARYLAND (2)--RHP Dane DeLaRosa, Tampa Bay; LHP *Mike O'Connor, New York Mets
YORK (0)

I encourage readers to let me know if they have heard of other non-roster invitees.

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