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Will there one day be a Canadian Baseball League with enough national hype within the country to exist unto its own as a wholesome major league setup the same way the Canadian Football League has been able to survive swimmingly in the shadow of the NFL? The notion is broached in my column this week.
PHOTO COURTESY: HFboards.com
Here is an interview I did with Casey Garrison a couple hours before last night's Outlaws game at Nettleton Stadium. This should answer all the questions I've been getting about the bench-clearing brawl with the Yuma Scorpions in Arizona earlier this week that wasn't captured in any video or photography.
Just to set up here where Garrison will pick the story up from — it's telling how the bad blood actually started boiling. The common misperception is that a "beanball" starts these sorts of things. But they usually happen more frequently in moments like this that lead up to the flashpoint: When Garrison merely slid in for a double two innings before the fracas went down, the first elements were put in place.
Illustrating the level of seediness that exists in pro baseball in late August, Scorpions shortstop Dionys Cesar began badgering Garrison about stealing pitch signals from the on-deck circle after Garrison reached base on a double (this is all according to Garrison right here as the interview starts out). That set the tone for the string of events that followed, capped by Garrison charging the mound, as described by himself in full detail here...
Todd Gossage has been talked to and Pete Rose Jr. talked about here on the blog. Lincoln Saltdogs first baseman Dustin Yount, fresh off his release from the Balimore Orioles farm system last year, is probably better-suited than any in the Sons of Greatness group around the indy circuit right now to get a chance to battle up to the bigs. After five full seasons within the Baltimore setup, he's still only 25 years old.
His .309 average (108 hits in 350 at-bats) this year won't blow scouts away, but it's still a career year and family names mean a whole lot (sometimes everything, depending on the case) in this industry.
PHOTO COURTESY: http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f161/dodgersrule18/yount.jpg
With the OB Indy Top 10 taking a break for a week, here's a poll in its place rating the GBL players still in the league with the best chance to earn contracts in major league farm system during the offseason. Like the Indy Top 10, there are variables that make all the difference in the world. In other words, this is nowhere close to being a list of the league's top players.
Instead, it's a list contingent on statistical performance, age in the grand scheme, previous minor league history, opponent perception (from conversations with other league players where evaluations were made), my own evals from watching them live and even location (Long Beach players often benefit from the attention they receive being in the LA market so easy for scouts to pop in and out of). The photo above is Van Slyke, who is at the front of the line to receive GBL Pitcher of the Year honors...
1. Eric Van Slyke, Starting pitcher, Edmonton Cracker Cats
2. Gary Harris, Center fielder, Reno Silver Sox
3. Jon Huizinga, Relief pitcher, Calgary Vipers
4. Seth Loman, Right fielder, St. George RoadRunners
5. Bryan Silverman, Right fielder, Chico Outlaws
6. Marcus Nettles, Left fielder, Edmonton Cracker Cats
7. Steve Boggs, Center fielder, Chico Outlaws
8. Carlos Arroyo, Right fielder, Edmonton Cracker Cats
9. Michael Glomb, Shortstop, Long Beach Armada
10. Trevor Caughey, Starting pitcher, Chico Outlaws
PHOTO COURTESY: Mark Mauno
When talk about Southern Illinois came up the other day, I failed to mention how the Miners got their first moment on the mainstream national stage that all independent league clubs dream of — when they were able to recruit and sign "the" Danny Almonte. I thought for whatever reason it had been discussed on the blog last summer when it went down.
His record was 0-1 with a 5.29 ERA in six appearances and it's pretty clear the Miners didn't quite get the PR boom some would have expected. The crazy thing is how Almonte is now on the PLAYING roster at Western Oklahoma State College, a JC in Altus, Oklahoma.
PHOTO COURTESY: Associated Press
Remember the story about Bart Braun? He has since been signed by the Reno Silver Sox (earlier this month). In four outings for beleaguered Reno, Braun has thrown 10 innings in four appearances, giving up 12 earned runs. Two have been starts — a two-inning loss in his debut Aug. 13 and then a better five-inning go where he still was afflicted by 11 Edmonton hits and received his first loss.
A couple weeks ago, there was some discussion here about Telus Field and how it stacks up against some of the other independent league stadiums. Let's forget about distance and dimensions for a second and look at the more fashionable side to these ballyards.
I've heard some pretty nice informal reviews about Rent One Park (pictured above), home of the Southern Illinois Miners in the Frontier League. The first thing players who have played there or spectators who have been in attendance seem to bring up when I ask about their impressions is the large video screen in right field, which this photo probably can't do justice.
If you want a more in-depth look-see, Ball Park Reviews has been out in Marion, Ill. to tour the joint.
This week's national poll is back, and probably for the last time before the final version is released after the playoffs wrap up (updates, however, will run during each series)...
1. Quebec Capitales (56-34 Can Am League)
Orlando Trias, 7-2 in 10 starts, has boomed as midseason pickup
2. Grand Prairie AirHogs (56-40 American Association)
Only downer is struggles of alumni Drucker, Mattison in Double-A
3. Sioux Falls Canaries (60-36 American Association)
Impending playoff matchup against Sioux City is AA's two oldest franchises
4. Somerset Patriots (60-56 Atlantic League)
No true horse in starting rotation ... a problem come postseason?
5. Southern Illinois Miners (55-35 Frontier League)
Ace is former Blue Jays prospect Ryan Bird — 13-3, 2.49 ERA, 1.23 K per IP
6. Alexandria Aces (50-35 United League)
Can win UL playoffs, but attendance is second-worst of the entire bunch
7. Fort Worth Cats (60-36 American Association)
They're the rage of The Metroplex with Rangers long out of AL West race
8. Southern Maryland Blue Crabs (60-55 Atlantic League)
Skipper Butch Hobson proudly boasting AL's dominant pitching unit
9. Kalamazoo Kings (57-33 Frontier League)
Mere .268 team average, but second-highest in FL in runs scored
10. Orange County Flyers (50-35 Golden League)
Like Somerset, looks like offense will have to win title singlehandedly
PREVIOUS POLL:
1. Quebec
2. Somerset
3. Grand Prairie
4. Sioux Falls
5. Amarillo
6. Orange County
7. Kalamazoo
8. Fort Worth
9. Southern Maryland
10. Fargo-Moorhead
Just because Atlantic City Surf sparkplug Anthony Granato is athletic and a native of a major NHL city (Toronto) doesn't mean he is the son of the pro hockey great who is one of the more underated all-time players. He isn't. But here is a Q&A the local paper today did with Granato, who is hittng .311 with 106 hits, 27 doubles and 12 home runs for the Surf.
Well, so much for Miami Hurricanes uber-star Yonder Alonso coming to the Atlantic League. Some of you may have already heard about the Cincinatti Reds coming to terms with their No. 1 draft pick earlier this week.
During the holdout for that contract, there was a strong notion Alonso would keep himself in the swirl by signing on with the Long Island Ducks for a stint while crashing at the pad of old Coral Gables pal Alex Rodriguez in New York. As the man himself told the New York Post about his birthday dinner guest last month:
"He hits at my house every night, still does," Rodriguez said of left-handed hitting first baseman Rodriguez compared with a young Jason Giambi. "He was my shadow for four months during the winter."
Had Alonso made the move to Long Island, he likely would have supplanted at first base none other than ... Pete Rose Jr.
PHOTO COURTESY: Atlantic Coast Conference
I recently came across this article about Minor League Baseball's proposed move to Durham, North Carolina for what would be quite a new setup for its headquarters. This begs two more questions...will we see a MiLB Hall of Fame sometime soon, and will all these accoutrements generally include the independent league realm in the overall theme?
Though the Armada's home stadium, Blair Field, isn't on the Long Beach State campus, it is home to the Long Beach State baseball team (notorious for their black/gold "LB" hats and "Dirtbags" nickname.) In all, six GBL teams play in college ballparks, but Orange County Flyers infielder Dave Bacani is the only player in the league that plays on his old college field.
Bacani was a standout at Cal State Fullerton, where Goodwin Field is the home base of the Flyers.
Kind of like little kids telling their parents when/where they're going, and when they will return, I probably should have mentioned to everybody here I'm down in Southern California covering the Outlaws-Long Beach Armada series and finding it a little more difficult to get blog access.
Thanks for your patience and have an upstanding day.
The personalities of jersey numbers crack me up sometimes. Ben Shockey, the rookie Outlaws relief pitcher, is a perfect example. He is wearing No. 4, which was the same one Craig Kuzmic had for the past two seasons.
Kuzmic is viewed as one of the all-time formidable players in Chico pro baseball history because of his impassioned play as a hard-nosed catcher and, above all else, his performance level in clutch situations. Shockey upon first getting picked up off waivers midway through this season was pretty much the 22nd man on the 22-player roster. He has increased that status of late with some good work out of the bullpen, but with his mellow demeanor he is still a far cry from the clubhouse presence Kuzmic exuded.
On that note, here are the No. 4s retired in baseball history retired by all the different major league clubs (one of these days I'll also do a post about No. 3, but that will be one that always begins and ends with Steve Sax as far as anyone should be concerned):
Luke Appling (Chicago White Sox)
Earl Weaver (Balimore Orioles, manager)
Duke Snider (Los Angeles Dodgers)
Ralph Kiner (Pittsburgh Pirates)
Lou Gehrig (New York Yankees)
Paul Molitor (Milwaukee Brewers)
Mel Ott (New York/San Francisco Giants)
Joe Cronin (Boston Red Sox)
Reno Silver Sox manager Jeffrey Leonard has a feature story on the front page of today's Sacramento Bee sports page. For the record, I saw Leonard clear the left-field fence at Nettleton Stadium last week in batting practice. He will be 53 in September.
John Jefferson is at tonight's game at Nettleton Stadium and hasn't lost his team player-ish positive enthusiasm despite starting a professional career away from the game amid newfound married life. Here were his thoughts on the Outlaws season to date...
"I look it as quite a success when you look at the four players (signed into major league farm systems). I know wins and losses are what people look at it, and it's been tough for (the Outlaws organization) to get used to. But minor league baseball is twofold, and there's a lot to be said about getting guys contracts. That's a big part of how it works at this level. There's a lot to be said for that."
Jefferson was a part of the accomplished relief pitching group that was an underrated force that propelled the Outlaws to the Golden Baseball League's first-half championship. He joined fellow setup specialists John Segovia and Jesse Oster, who is now in the Philadelphia Phillies farm system, and 2007 GBL saves leader Todd Gelatka in the bullpen nucleus that was often consistent at eye-catching rates.
During a four-game series sweep of the Reno Silver Sox on the opening homestand, Outlaws relievers didn't allow a single run in 9 2/3 innings of scoreless work to go along with just five hits and two walks given up. I have to say, from June to mid-July, I had never seen a more effective bullpen have such an impact on a team's success. Before tonight's game, Segovia (now with the St. George RoadRunners) took plaudits a step further, calling the group "magical."
"It was a case where every time out, there was this competition no one said anything about, but there was no doubt you didn't want to be the guy to give up the first run or first damage," he said. "The chemistry we had was unbelievable.
"I was a side-arm guy, Jefferson was off-speed, Oster and Gelatka were punch-out guys with their speed. It was the perfect mix to keep hitters off balance."
For those wondering just exactly how difficult Edmonton's Telus Field can be to post power numbers, here's some visual illustrations courtesy of www.nlfan.com/ (though even these don't do justice to how high the "moderate" 12-foot high walls in left and right field stack up):
The Green Monster Jr. in center field
Victory No. 1 for embattled young Outlaws pitcher Jason Roach tonight shouldn't come without major credit to the Outlaws coaching staff. Roach has remained in the pitching corps while myriad changes to the group have been made, many including guys with far better numbers than Roach's 0-8 record and diabolical earned-run average.
From his first day with the Outlaws, Roach has been a "stuff" pitcher and the word "potential" has been used, but none of all this swirl has showed up on paper. Tonight's clutch 3 2/3 performance in long relief that paved the way for the Outlaws win is still merely one instance and Roach has quite a mountain to climb to overcome this season's disappointing results. But, as they say in show biz, it's a start. It probably should have never come by the modern-day standards for tolerance in terms of poor pitching — an adage Outlaws manager Jon Macalutas and pitching coach Reece Borges bypassed.
Michel Simard was cut loose by the Los Angeles Angels two seasons ago. Right now, he's the most dominant starting pitcher on independent minor league baseball's most dominant team. Simard has an 11-1 record with a 2.53 ERA for the Quebec Capitales, the Can Am League force. The 25-year-old right-hander was 20-17 en route to getting to Double-A with the Angels before his return home to Quebec.
Two honorable mentions for this Can Am League post about pitching go to Worcester Tornado staff mates Tom Cochran and Matt Weagle. Cochran is 12-1 with a 2.16 ERA (he's accounted for nearly a third of his team's total wins.) Weagle, at 9-6 and 4.05, has six complete games on the mound.
Here's some YouTube video below of Thereon Fleury's appearance with the Calgary Vipers last week. By the time I reached it when three days old, there had been 3,100-plus views. So yes, it still has a long way before it can beat the 20,042 hits accrued by former Outlaw pitcher Derrick Landavazo's infamous appearance on the uber-popular web site (you'll see why.)
Since returning after resting from the effects of their brutal collision, Orange County Flyers sparkplugs Dave Bacani and Mark Okano are a combined 2 for 18 (.111) at the plate with two RBIs.
Just after the mention about Chico's Evan MacLane playing Triple-A for the Diamondbacks under former Chico Heat manager Bill Plummer, there was this report from the Tucson Star today about the two collaborating.
With all the fuss anywhere about Chicoan Aaron Rodgers' emergence as the Green Bay Packers' next quarterback, maybe it's time to take a look at his counterpart in the baseball realm. Evan MacLane, the local who like Rodgers is a Pleasant Valley High guy but instead throws left-handed, is still scratching up for a major league entry from the top floor of the Arizona Diamondbacks' farm system.
MacLane is 7-6 with a 4.33 ERA with 21 starts, which amount to more than any other pitcher currently with the Tucson Sidewinders, among his 26 total appearances. His 133.1 innings leave him just short of making the top five in the Pacific Coast League.
So it's tough to tell how that might affect his chances when Arizona flexes its roster to 40 players at the end of summer. He has been by far the most effective and seasoned among the five other Sidewinder lefties currently on staff. MacLane came to the Diamondbacks via their trade of Shawn Green to the New York Mets late in 2006.
Also worth noting about MacLane: He has become a fixture in Tucson under the guise of Sidewinders manager and former Chico Heat boss Bill Plummer.
The Camden Riversharks' 49-50 record in the Atlantic League is among those deceiving versions often seen in the two-half world of minor league baseball. They've already clinched a playoff spot in the Liberty Division. Since then, they've gone 9-20. But that hasn't been the story of their second half.
The recent additions of Jose Lima and Damian Jackson, two of the more recognizable brand names from the major league scene in the open free-agent market, has turned the team into an every-night experiment of sorts. So far, the results are mixed.
The venerable Lima, who is no doubt knocking the local media's socks off, is 2-3 with a 5.35 ERA in six starts. Jackson, playing third base in the same infield as second baseman and former Outlaw Bobby Gandolfo, is hitting .290 with nine hits in 31 at-bats.
You might remember the Bo Hart talk earlier this summer. He has since joined the Kansas City T-Bones in the Northern League, appeared in 55 games and has a .255 batting average. He also has just two errors at second base.
This week's national poll for perspective purposes (Remember, league strength counts considerably, as do road records and pitching consistency)...
1. Quebec Capitales (49-25 Can Am League)
Humming along with CAL's top hitting (.292 avg) and pitching (3.61 ERA)
2. Somerset Patriots (55-43 Atlantic League)
No starts, but 8-0 record for middle reliever Jason Richardson
3. Grand Prairie AirHogs (51-33 American Association)
Well-positioned for South Division's second playoff spot
4. Sioux Falls Canaries (50-33 American Association)
Astros castoff Beau Torbert an MVP candidate with .332 avg, 19 HR, 66 RBI
5. Amarillo Dillas (48-34 United League)
Quietly behind ace Micah Posey, Ron Lowe has 6-1 record and 3.78 ERA
6. Orange County Flyers (40-27 Golden League)
Still a decent bet away from home with road record at 19-13
7. Kalamazoo Kings (47-28 Frontier League)
They manufacture — league leader in BBs (347), 2nd in SBs (112)
8. Fort Worth Cats (51-33 American Association)
Starting rotation is 36-17 with a 3.40 ERA
9. Southern Maryland Blue Crabs (54-44 Atlantic League)
Expansion-team success story on course for Camden playoff tilt
10. Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks (48-29 Northern League)
Starting lineup trio Berry/Cota/Eure hasn't missed a game yet
LAST WEEK:
1. Quebec
2. Somerset
3. Grand Prairie
4. Sioux Falls
5. Amarillo
6. Orange County
7. Kalamazoo
8. Alexandria
9. Fort Worth
10. Fargo-Moorhead
Here are the GBL's base-stealing defensive numbers, a sometimes overlooked category that actually isn't kept track of by minor league baseball's main statistics bureau (the percentage reflects the measure of runners thrown out):
1. Long Beach, 29% (32 of 111 runners caught)
2. St. George, 28% (25 of 89)
3. Outlaws, 23% (20 of 88)
4. Orange County, 22% (23 of 103)
5. Yuma, 21% (17 of 80)
6. Calgary, 19% (16 of 85)
7. Edmonton, 17% (16 of 97)
8. Reno, 14% (17 of 127)
GBL investor Pat Sajak and former San Diego Surf Dawgs stalwart Rickey Henderson did comparably well in their respective visits to Nettleton Stadium, but Carter got quite a fan reception in Chico this weekend. After his team got its sweep-inducing win over the home Outlaws last night, the finale of a three-game series, two members of the Outlaws clubhouse staff had received enough interest to hand Carter yet another small bundle of balls to be autographed.
"Last batch," one of the workers told Carter.
Carter's career hit total is by a wide stretch the top amongst fellow independent league managers who are former major leaguers. Here is a complete look:
1.) Gary Carter, Orange County Flyers, 2,092
2.) Von Hayes, Lancaster Barnstormers, 1,402
3.) Jeffrey Leonard, Reno Silver Sox, 1,342
4.) Cecil Fielder, Atlantic City Surf, 1,313
5.) Rick Miller, Nashua Pride, 1,046
6.) Pete Incaviglia, Grand Prairie AirHogs, 1,043
7.) Mike Marshall, Yuma Scorpions, 971
8.) Cory Snyder, St. George RoadRunners, 902
9.) Wally Backman, Joliet JackHammers, 893
10.) Hal Lanier, Sussex Skyhawks, 843
It's conceivable that a routine shallow fly ball to left field could have changed the course of this season in a major way for the GBL.
In the second game of a doubleheader against the Edmonton Cracker Cats last weekend, the Orange County Flyers were on their way to extending the GBL's best record with a 6-2 lead in the seventh inning when a fly ball fell between shortstop David Bacani and outfielder Mark Okano, causing a violent head-to-head collision that caused a delay of over 15 minutes while paramedics rushed to the scene.
Both players sustained concussions, though CAT scans came back negative and both were released from the hospital the following morning and are on track to be fully healthy by the time Orange County's South Division playoff appearance comes up in September. Bacani and Okano are the first two hitters in the Flyers' order, are considered the franchise's two cornerstones and have a combined .343 batting average (147 hits in 428 at-bats) this season.
"The way they collided looked a lot worse than how it seems with the way they've been able to bounce back," Flyers manager Gary Carter said. "It looked awfully serious. There was utmost concern, from everyone on this ballclub. We're real fortunate it's turned out to be minimal in the end."
Neither has played since, though Okano — living up to his hard-charging billing as the "Flyin' Hawaiian" — begged Carter to return against the Outlaws during this weekend's series against the Outlaws at Nettleton Stadium. He even made the trip and has been in uniform whereas Bacani stayed behind in Southern California. It will be interesting to see how both sparkplugs are able to execute upon returning.
Peter Edward Rose Jr. — known more under his playing name "P.J. Rose" — is batting .306 as the starting first baseman for the Long Island Ducks in the Atlantic League this season. Rose is the team leader in at-bats (340) and is second in hits (104). Rose, 37, will be hard-pressed at this point to duplicate last season's .342 performance with Long Island.
The Ducks are also the franchise that developed Outlaws assistant general manager Russ Blatt, who worked in operations for Long Island before the GBL brought him to California.
Pitcher Scott Richmond was set to join Radmanovic with the Canadian team last week at this time — before he earned the call-up out of Triple-A from the Toronto Blue Jays. It's been quite a year for Richmond, who is coming off three seasons with the Edmonton Cracker Cats.
Edmonton, which is forging a firm advantage ahead of the Outlaws in the race from GBL North Division's second and final playoff spot, boasted Richmond as one of its rare bright lights last season. It was actually just his first year in the starting rotation, and he made the most of the chance with a 10-9 record and 4.26 ERA. The rest of the Cracker Cats staff was just 28-49. He was 10th in the Northern League in ERA and was Edmonton's Pitcher of the Year.
Richmond was only 4-11 in his first two seasons for the Cracker Cats, though his gaudy 72-17 strikeout-walk ratio in 71+ innings of work in 2006 was more telling about his potential.
Outfielder Ryan Radmanovic will represent independent league baseball when the Summer Olympics kick off next week in Beijing. Radmanovic will be playing for Canada, taking a leave of absence from the Atlantic League's Somerset Patriots in the process to do so. Radmanovic is batting .252 with 16 RBIs in 119 at-bats with Somerset this season.
Matt Durkin's performance guiding the Orange County Flyers 3-1 over the Outlaws tonight had a pattern to it, which is usually a sign that a pitcher has complete command of a lineup. It is talked about on this blog constantly how pitching matchups alone can decide games in the GBL. The Outlaws appeared to have the edge with 39-year-old Greg Bicknell at a peak point in his season numbers taking on Durkin, who was still searching for a victory in what was his fourth start.
Durkin handled the Outlaws with a fastball-breaking ball combination that he used cleverly throughout the night. Instead of challenging hitters early, he goaded them a bit with the breaking stuff and used the fastball later in counts to get outs -- if Outlaws hitters didn't already bite on the offspeed. An example: Durkin recorded 11 of his 20 outs via flyball.
"It's where he was throwing it," Outlaws right fielder Lino Garcia said. "He was moving it. The breaking ball went different locations, mostly down or away. He was making you get under it."
Casey Garrison, who had the lone RBI, also offered a perspective.
"(Durkin) would get ahead with a breaking ball, probably getting a few generous calls on the corner here and there, and then go with the fastball late," he said. "By the time we adjusted to the zone, it was a little too late.
"He would get ahead of you with that breaking pitch when experienced players are a little more used to that coming later in the count. But that's when he used the fastball instead, and I think (the pyschology) made it a little difficult on our hitters to get good swings on the ball."
You'd think GBL MVP candidate Pat Breen, the hit-hawking outfielder in Chico this weekend with the Orange County Flyers, might talk about how pumped he is feeling going into these dog days of the season. He is still the linchpin of the formidable Orange County lineup with his .388 batting average, 21 home runs and 80 RBIs.
Yet when asked about his second-half performance before tonight's game against the Outlaws, Breen admitted it has taken some time to recover from the effects of spending two days in Texas for the All-Star game. Instead of indulging in the break most of his teammates received, he spent hours getting in and out of San Angelo the Monday before and Wednesday after the event. Plus, the day of the game he was in the home run derby that proved arduous physically (the competition pretty much is a more grunt-heavy version of batting practice.)
"Man, I was pretty worn out," Breen said about the week followng the game. "My lower body especially, it was messed up especially, just out of whack."
I only bring this up for one specific reason. Perhaps no Outlaws position player has performed as poorly after the All-Star break than the lone All-Star from that group himself, Jose Valdez. It's almost becoming discouraging seeing Valdez transform the slickest player on the roster to one of its most mistake-prone. His batting average has dropped 31 points to .309 during the second half. But more of a struggle for the third baseman has been the errors starting to crop up defensively. He has six errors to his name in 16 games after committing just seven the whole first half (among those six, two could be classified as those "50-50" errors the scorer had to deal with.)
I did ask Valdez outside the clubhouse earlier this evening how he felt physically and he didn't identify anything as being even minor (most players don't unless it's common knowledge.) He is coming off two days rest in what has the appearance of manager Jon Macalutas letting him catch up on rest. Valdez returns to the lineup tonight and is batting outside his customary cleanup spot in the order for the first time in the second half, hitting down at sixth.