Independent Baseball Provides Many Opportunities Beyond Those for Players

While we often track players who have their contracts purchased by a major league organization, Independent Baseball also is a stepping stone to many an affiliated managing, coaching, scouting or front office position.  This offseason has seemed especially busy with hirings and promotions.

Former major league standout players Phil Nevin and Wally Backman led Indy teams last season, and will work as managerss in the affiliated minors in ’10.  Nevin went from the Orange County Flyers (Fullerton, CA) of the Golden League to Detroit’s Double-A club at Erie, PA and Backman was at Joliet, IL (Northern League). He will now handle the New York Mets’ short-season club at Brooklyn, NY.

Three other Golden League managers have jobs in major league organizations.  Terry Kennedy, once manager of the San Diego Surf Dawgs, moved up from Double-A to Triple-A within the San Diego Padres farm system.  Mark Parent, previously the skipper at Chico, CA, now has the Lakewood, NJ job for Philadelphia and Kory DeHaan, who managed Chico the second half of last season, is now hitting coach for San Diego’s rookie league team in Arizona.

Onetime standout pitcher Joey Eischen, who climbed back to the majors for six seasons after relieving for Adirondack (Glens Falls, NY) of the Northeast League, will be pitching coach for Colorado’s team in the Northwest League.  United League (Laredo, TX) player and coach Mickey Callaway will be pitching coach for Cleveland’s Lake County club in Eastlake, OH. Hitting coach Kenny Graham of Gary, IN has left the Northern League team for a similar position with Toronto’s New York-Penn League club.  Former Lancaster, PA (Atlantic League) pitching coach Bill Bliss has taken a scouting job with Atlanta.

Damian Rolls had not played in a major league game since 2004 (Tampa Bay), so even though he is only 32 the versatile utilityman has accepted a coaching job in the New York Yankees system.  Rolls hit .294 in 90 games for Kansas City, KS of the Northern League last season.  He also played about 250 Atlantic League games during his 14-year careeer for Long Island, NY and Bridgeport, CT.

Batting Averages Impressive in Winter Leagues

It is not always easy for players with Independent backgrounds to find winter baseball opportunities so it is especially intriguing to find at least one name among the top four hitters in the five most prominent leagues.

1B-DH Sandy Madera, who hammered Atlantic League pitching at a .375 clip for 70 games last season in Newark, NJ after being released out of Triple-A by Boston, won the Mexican Pacific batting title at a .413 pace.  Mike Cervenak, who will go to spring training with the New York Mets, was third at .330 and Los Angeles Dodgers hopeful John Lindsey was fifth at .325.  Madera and Lindsey both played for the Can-Am League’s New Jersey Jackals and Cervenak started his pro career at Chillicothe, OH of the Frontier League.

Erick Almonte (Long Island, NY, Atlantic), currently a Triple-A infielder for Milwaukee, is third in the Dominican League at .325 and catcher Jose Yepez, listed on a Double-A roster for Seattle, is fourth at .359 in Venezuela.  He got his Independent experience in the American Association (Pensacola, FL) and Northern League (Gary, IN). Two recent Can-Am standouts are getting attention in the Puerto Rican and Colombian leagues.  Catcher Ray Serrano of Sussex (Augusta, NJ) is second in the Colombian batting race at .367 while switch-hitting third baseman Phil Cuadrado of Brockton, MA is third in Puerto Rico at .345.

* * * *

STILL LOOKING FOR ADDITIONAL INDEPENDENT BASEBALL COVERAGE?  VISIT OUR BLOG, www.IndyBaseballChatter.com

* * * *

Oh, Those Rascals

The most imaginative experiment of the young new year belongs to the River City Rascals. The Frontier League team intends to offer fans the opportunity to purchase “winning insurance” for their games in the St. Louis suburb of O’Fallon, MO.

For $2 on top of the regular admission price fans will guarantee themselves a free box seat ($11 value) if the home team does not win.  Fans can even think it over, then buy the insurance for $5 in the middle of the eighth inning, even if the Rascals are getting drubbed.

(This is an excerpt from the column Bob Wirz writes on Independent Baseball.  Fans may subscribe at www.WirzandAssociates.com, enjoy his blog, www.IndyBaseballChatter.com, or comment to RWirz@aol.com.  The author has 16 years of major league baseball public relations experience with Kansas City and as spokesman for two Commissioners and lives in Stratford, CT.)