\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Almost without exception, the goal of those who get into Independent Baseball is to get out.\u00c2\u00a0 The faster, the better.<\/p>\n
\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 This isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t a plague-on-the-house type of thing.\u00c2\u00a0 It is that the major leagues are the goal.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Today\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s lesson, class, is about the guy who achieved his dream and the one still determined to prove he has the proper ingredients.<\/p>\n
\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 I bring you Kris Atteberry<\/strong>, a major league baseball broadcaster by way of the Indy circuit, and pitcher Steve Delabar, <\/strong>the wannabe who has just gotten a renewed life in the baseball world.<\/p>\n \u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The biggest thing the (Independent) league gave us was innings\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, said Kris Atteberry<\/strong>, now one of the Minnesota Twins <\/strong>radio voices.\u00c2\u00a0 It actually was two leagues in the 38-year-old\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s case, the former Northern League <\/strong>when he broadcast games in Sioux Falls, SD <\/strong>from 1999-2001 and the American Association <\/strong>by the time he had finished a five-year stint with the St. Paul (MN) Saints<\/strong> in 2006.<\/p>\n \u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be here (American League)<\/strong>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/strong>without Independent Baseball, said the Montana <\/strong>native, who has an increased role in his fifth season with the Twins.\u00c2\u00a0 With veteran broadcaster John Gordon <\/strong>about to retire, Atteberry will be the lead voice for about 40 games this season, and will continue to take part in all 162 with his pre and postgame duties.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s like our Cal Ripken<\/strong>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, praises Andy Price, <\/strong>Minnesota\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s senior director of broadcasting, because \u00e2\u20ac\u0153he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s never missed a game\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.<\/p>\n \u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 A devastating elbow injury seemed to pretty much erase Steve Delabar\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s <\/strong>six-year professional chase to his dream of being a major league pitcher.\u00c2\u00a0 The injury occurred in 2009.<\/p>\n \u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I asked them about throwing again, and they kind of just gave me this look,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d the Fort Knox, KY <\/strong>righty recalled to his home state newspaper, The News-Enterprise,<\/em> this week.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153They never really gave me a straight answer, but you could tell what they thought.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n \u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 It is a good thing the 6-foot-4 Delabar, now 27, did not give up.\u00c2\u00a0 He also had the good fortune of finding a training facility in Elizabethtown, KY, <\/strong>which focuses on helping a pitcher build arm strength, flexibility and increase velocity.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Seattle signed Delabar this week, will keep him in extended spring training and decide where he goes to play.<\/p>\n \u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m usually a bit reluctant to believe, especially after a severe injury, that someone\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s fastball \u00e2\u20ac\u0153jumped from the 92-96 MPH range\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, as The News-Enterprise <\/em>story reported.\u00c2\u00a0 The Seattle signing and a conversation with Delabar\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s last manager, Chris Carminucci,<\/strong> made it more intriguing.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153He had electric stuff,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d praised Carminucci, then the manager and now the Chief Executive Officer of the Brockton (MA) Rox<\/strong>. <\/strong>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I thought \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcwhat is he doing here\u00e2\u20ac\u2122\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, explained Carminucci.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Most people don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t get one chance and I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m working on my second chance,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d the pitcher told The News-Enterprise\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s <\/em>Chuck Jones.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/strong>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I know the window is very small, but I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m going to jump through it.\u00c2\u00a0 The goal is to get to the big leagues.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n \u00c2\u00a0* * * *<\/p>\n FOR ADDITIONAL INDEPENDENT BASEBALL COVERAGE?<\/strong><\/p>\n www.AtlanticLeagueBaseball.com<\/a> ADDED TO www.IndyBaseballChatter.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n * * * *<\/p>\n Two More Possible Indy Sites in News<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 The effort to bring an Atlantic League <\/strong>team to Frederick, MD <\/strong>seems to be non-stop even as the RFP bids to the city for the rights to negotiate a long-term lease have been submitted, with the current tenant, the Orioles-<\/strong>affiliated Frederick Keys<\/strong>, the other hopeful.<\/p>\n \u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Another market with its eyes on an Independent league team, according to media reports, is Malden, MA<\/strong>, located just north of Boston.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/strong>The Malden Patch,<\/em> part of the network of similarly named on-line news outlets, says a private group is interested in gaining access to a prime piece of real estate to build a $35 million stadium where an Indy team would play.\u00c2\u00a0 One can only imagine both the Can-Am League <\/strong>and the Atlantic League would drool to take advantage of such an opportunity. <\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n \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><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Almost without exception, the goal of those who get into Independent Baseball is to get out.\u00c2\u00a0 The faster, the better. \u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 This isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t a plague-on-the-house type of thing.\u00c2\u00a0 It is that the major leagues are the goal.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Today\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s lesson, class, is about the guy who achieved his dream and the one still determined 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