{"id":13037,"date":"2011-03-24T14:37:56","date_gmt":"2011-03-24T21:37:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.seamheads.com\/?p=13037"},"modified":"2011-03-24T14:37:56","modified_gmt":"2011-03-24T21:37:56","slug":"coste-adds-phils-tv-job-while-elbow-heals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/2011\/03\/24\/coste-adds-phils-tv-job-while-elbow-heals\/","title":{"rendered":"Coste Adds Phils TV Job While Elbow Heals"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 One of Independent Baseball\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s favorite sons, so designated because of the dogged determination in which he did not debut in the major leagues until his was 33, has a new job in broadcasting, but at the same time is continuing his comeback from Tommy John <\/strong>elbow surgery with hopes, at 38, of landing a catching job in the majors once his throwing is back to normal a little later in the year.<\/p>\n

\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Media savvy as the author of two books, Coste has been hired by Comcast <\/strong>to provide pre and postgame analysis on several Philadelphia Phillies <\/strong>games a month.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Coste told Jeff Kolpack <\/strong>of The Forum <\/em>in Fargo, ND<\/strong> <\/em>he had about 90 per cent of his arm strength back several weeks ago only to wake up one morning with more than the usual soreness.\u00c2\u00a0 Doctors advised he take 2-3 weeks off before resuming his throwing regimen.<\/p>\n

\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 The catcher and I traded phone calls without connecting Thursday in an effort to see if there was anything to the indication he might play some Independent Baseball while getting back to normal.\u00c2\u00a0 He could potentially play first base or DH until fully ready to catch, and his .272 batting average in 299 major league games would surely be attractive to an Independent team.\u00c2\u00a0 One convenient location would seem to be Camden, NJ (Atlantic League)<\/strong> since its stadium faces Philadelphia and onetime Phillies star Von Hayes <\/strong>is the manager.<\/p>\n

\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Coste broke into professional baseball in the old Prairie League <\/strong>in 1995, and he spent the next four seasons, including the transition from the infield to catching, with Fargo, which enters the American Association <\/strong>this season.<\/p>\n

* * * *<\/p>\n

www.AtlanticLeagueBaseball.com<\/a> ADDED TO www.IndyBaseballChatter.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

FOR ADDITIONAL INDEPENDENT BASEBALL COVERAGE?<\/strong><\/p>\n

* * * *<\/p>\n

Corey Smith on Fire in Brief Appearances With Dodgers<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 The parade of minor leaguers on one-day excursions to suit up for major league exhibition games has been abundant this spring.\u00c2\u00a0 Fans may not enjoy the search to identify these players wearing numbers well into the 80s and 90s when they go out for the day to see major leaguers, but it must be a hoot for the couple dozen former Independent players included, especially if they have never worn a major league uniform.<\/p>\n

\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 One such player who surely has made an impression on the top-tier brass is 28-year-old Corey Smith<\/strong>, who new Los Angeles Dodgers <\/strong>Manager Don Mattingly <\/strong>has called on numerous times.\u00c2\u00a0 Smith, the third baseman when Newark, NJ <\/strong>won the Atlantic League <\/strong>crown in 2007 and an all-star in the Class AA Southern League <\/strong>last season, has appeared in six games.\u00c2\u00a0 What the right-handed hitter has done is collect a double and two home runs and drive in six runs in only six at-bats while also walking three times for an unrealistic .778 on-base percentage.<\/p>\n

Bridgeport\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Pena Sent Out After Hitting .341<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 The biggest shock among former Independent players sent to minor league camps in recent days has to be Wily Mo Pena (Bridgeport, CT, Atlantic League <\/strong>in 2010) because the big first baseman-outfielder had drawn praise from Arizona <\/strong>Manager Kirk Gibson <\/strong>only days earlier.\u00c2\u00a0 This former major league slugger still was hitting .341 (14-for-41) with three homers in 18 games when the last place Diamondbacks<\/strong> sent him out.<\/p>\n

\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u00a0(This is an excerpt from the column Bob Wirz writes year round on Independent Baseball.\u00c2\u00a0 Fans may subscribe at <\/em><\/a>www.WirzandAssociates.com<\/em><\/a>, enjoy his blogs, <\/em>www.AtlanticLeagueBaseball.com<\/em><\/a> and <\/em>www.IndyBaseballChatter.com<\/em><\/a>, or comment to <\/em>RWirz@aol.com<\/em><\/a>.\u00c2\u00a0 The author <\/strong>has 16 years of major league baseball public relations experience with Kansas City and as spokesman for two Commissioners and lives in Stratford, CT.)<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00c2\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 One of Independent Baseball\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s favorite sons, so designated because of the dogged determination in which he did not debut in the major leagues until his was 33, has a new job in broadcasting, but at the same time is continuing his comeback from Tommy John elbow surgery with hopes, at 38, of landing a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":452,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,4746,78],"tags":[3887,4032,631,13835,6484,13834,5567,710,493,13833,8240,996,1077,466,13832,112,3064,13831,13830,4687],"class_list":["post-13037","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general","category-indy-baseball-insider","category-minors","tag-arm-strength","tag-baseball-coverage","tag-batting-average","tag-camden-nj","tag-corey-smith","tag-dogged-determination","tag-exhibition-games","tag-favorite-sons","tag-independent-baseball","tag-independent-team","tag-kolpack","tag-league-games","tag-minor-leaguers","tag-philadelphia-phillies","tag-phillies-games","tag-professional-baseball","tag-tommy-john","tag-tommy-john-elbow-surgery","tag-tv-job","tag-two-books"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t