Fort Worth Could Be Among Additions to Atlantic League, Montreal to the Can-Am

It is sounding more every week, as least so it seems, that the Atlantic League may be more than an eight-time league by next season.  Peter Kirk, whose Opening Day Partners already own four teams in the league, confirmed to veteran writer Jim Seip for his Revs Inside Pitch blog that his group is in talks with the current United League franchise in Fort Worth, TX about switching leagues.  We have discussed recently two other pending franchises in Virginia–Virginia Beach and Loudoun County.

The Can-Am League also is seeing encouragement toward its long-desired team in Montreal, so much that an exhibition is planned at a 1,000-seat stadium between the two Canadian teams, perennial power Quebec and newcomer Trois-Rivieres.  Commissioner Miles Wolff cautions that despite progress “funding and site are still not determined.”

Touches of Indy Baseball Seen in ’42’

For those still planning to see ’42’, the acclaimed movie about Jackie Robinson, I urge you to pay special attention to the stadium which supposedly is Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, or, for that matter, the long-demolished treasures in St. Louis, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati.

The job of making the interior shots of ancient Engel Stadium in Chattanooga, TN look like Ebbets Field was in the hands of Joe Fitzgerald, who got much of his experience on the grounds crew at CommunityAmerica Ballpark, home of the Kansas City (KS) T-Bones of the American Association.

He was in that role starting in 2005 and was head groundskeeper from ’08-10 until swept away to Chattanooga, where he was honored last season as Southern League Groundskeeper of the Year.

“I didn’t know anything about the film” when Lookouts General Manager Rich Mozingo informed Fitzgerald the movie makers wanted him to do the field, he told T-Bones Media Relations Director Matt Fulks.  “It was completely different for me because it was more construction than maintenance,” Fitzgerald reported.  “It was fascinating because even though they didn’t touch the outside of the stadium they made sure details on the field were the same as Ebbets”, which included moving the dugouts and building a new tunnel to the dugout.  They didn’t want the field to look that good since playing surfaces weren’t very good back then.”

I’ve found two other connections between Independent Baseball and ’42’, with former Frontier League catcher and current River City (O’Fallon, MO) hitting coach Danny Sawyer portraying Dodgers catcher Bruce Edwards.  Then there is 87-year-old Wayne (Twig) Terwilliger, a major league teammate of Jackie Robinson and many years later the manager of the Fort Worth (TX) Cats.

Terwilliger told Paul Hagen of MLB.com, as he looked forward to seeing the movie, that one of the few photos he keeps displayed in his home at Weatherford, TX has Robinson “shaking my hand and Pee Wee Reese is standing right behind him, waiting to shake my hand.  I had just gotten a pinch-hit against the Cardinals in the ninth inning that won the game.  If that isn’t something.  How many people get to have that happen, you know.  That’s my favorite baseball picture of all-time, just because of who it is.”

  * * * *

ANXIOUS FOR MORE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL COVERAGE?

We Have It Regularly at www.IndyBaseballChatter.com

* * * *

Another Indy Original Top Player in Eastern League

Being totally honest, players who start their pro career in an Independent league bring more prestige than those getting a second opportunity.  Such is the case for 6-foot-7 stringbean right-hander Chris Martin, the initial Pitcher of the Week in the Class AA Eastern League, as it was last week for International League Batter of the Week Chris Colabello (Worcester, MA and Nashua, NH, Can-Am League).

Martin came out of McLennan Community College in Waco, TX and broke in by winning all four decisions and posting a 1.96 earned run average with Grand Prairie in 2010, one of the American Association teams in the Lone Star State.  Now a Boston farmhand, Martin threw nine shutout innings in three relief outings for Portland, ME to earn his honor.  He has stretched his streak to 12 scoreless frames in which he has allowed just six hits and two walks while striking out 15 batters.  The 26-year-old has a win and a save to his credit.

           By BOB DUTTON The Kansas City Star

Updated: 2013-03-26T05:37:57Z

              (This is an excerpt from the column Bob Wirz writes year round on Independent Baseball.  Forty columns are planned during 2013.  Fans may subscribe at www.WirzandAssociates.com, enjoy added stories on the 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.)