If Only Cashman and Hendry Were Paying Attention Millar and Jon Weber Might Have Big League Jobs

Would someone get Brian Cashman and Jim Hendry on the telephone for me?  Please!

Cashman, general manager for the New York Yankees, said Jon Weber might have had a chance of opening the season with the World Series champions if he hit right-handed.  Counterpart Jim Hendry of the Chicago Cubs said his team needed another left-handed bat instead of the righty Kevin Millar.

Well, gentlemen, how about getting together on a trade, and everyone can be happy.

As it is, Millar, who became Independent Baseball’s most decorated player after he started with the St. Paul (MN) Saints in 1993 and went on 1,284 major league hits and a .274 average over 12 seasons (so far), is, at age 38, a free agent.  Weber, with all or part of four summers in Indy baseball (Fargo, ND, Northern League, and Canton, OH, Frontier League), has a right to be the most frustrated .483 hitter around as he goes back into the Yankees’ minor league camp and, at 32, still yearns for his very first regular season at-bat in the majors.  Weber’s batting average was more than 100 points ahead of any other Yankees player, and his 14 spring hits (in 29 at-bats) ranked second among all the Yankees when he was sent down, only trailing Robinson Cano’s 17.

Both players left camp with heart-felt comments.

KEVIN MILLAR: “I’ve had as much fun (in a career) as I could and played as hard as I could with limited ability,” he told MLB.com. Do I feel this is the end?  I’d say no.”

CUBS GM JIM HENDRY ON MILLAR: “He’s a guy you’d always want in your organization.  I’m not here to say he’s done (playing).  He knows down the road he’s a potential employee here.  He’d be a great coach.  He’s a tremendous human being, and helped some guys here even though he’s not getting on the (team) plane Saturday.”

JON WEBER: “It was the best time of my life, my career,” he told MLB.com. “I made it to the final week with the New York Yankees. I’m not right-handed, I’m left-handed.  I’ve just got to stay positive, stay focused and hopefully, one day I’ll get the call.”

YANKEES MANAGER JOE GIRARDI ON WEBER: “He did great stuff and has persevered in his career.  He did everything he could.  He’s definitely opened eyes for sure.  The young man can hit, and his attitude is tremendous.  He’s a fighter.”

Several Jobs Still To Be Determined

If there is a surprise among former Independent players who have been in major league spring training when final 25-man rosters become known Sunday and Monday it appears the good news may come out of the camp of either the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim or the Oakland Athletics.

Atlantic League outfielders Cory Aldridge and Michael Ryan still are with the Angels after their strong spring showings, but it sounds like even though Reggie Willits probably is going to go onto the disabled list the last job could go to Terry Evans since he can play all three positions.  Aldridge and Ryan are considered corner outfielders.

Change-up artist Edwar Ramirez, who went from the New York Yankees to Texas to Oakland during spring training, has a chance to join Craig Breslow (New Jersey Jackals, Can-Am League) and Brad Ziegler (Schaumburg, IL, Northern League) in the Oakland bullpen.  Ramirez’s Indy time was with Pensacola, FL, now an American Association franchise, and Edinburg, TX of the United League.

Three catchers still are in the major league picture.  Chris Coste, whose primary Indy time was spent with the hometown Fargo (ND) RedHawks (Northern League), has a new lease on life since Washington picked him up from the New York Mets although his role may need to settle in since the Nationals already had two catchers they planned to keep. Mike Rivera (Atlantic City, NJ, Atlantic League) remains with the Yankees and his chances improved this very day because Francisco Cervelli is having hamstring issues.  Cervelli has been expected to back up Jorge Posada over Rivera, who has been a non-roster invitee even though he spent almost all of  last season with Milwaukee. Onetime St. Paul, MN catcher Eliezer Alfonzo still could land on the Seattle roster.

Our best guess is that about 15 players who have worn Independent uniforms will open the major league season on active rosters.

* * * *

www.AtlanticLeagueBaseball.com ADDED TO www.IndyBaseballChatter.com

FOR ADDITIONAL INDEPENDENT BASEBALL COVERAGE?

* * * *

The Owner Was Traded

Where could this happen but in baseball.

“Wingnuts’ Owner Robertson Traded,” the headline blared.  Sure enough, Wichita native Nate Robertson, part owner of the American Association team in the Kansas city, had been dealt from Detroit back to the Florida Marlins, where the lefty started his major league career in 2002.  The deal looks good so far for Florida since the 32-year-old Robertson stifled St. Louis on two hits and a run over seven innings Thursday to run his spring record to 3-1.

Maybe Friday’s headline in Wichita will say ‘Nuts’ Owner Stuns Birds.’

(This is an excerpt from the column Bob Wirz writes on Independent Baseball.  Fans may subscribe at www.WirzandAssociates.com, enjoy his blogs, www.AtlanticLeagueBaseball.com and 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.)