{"id":15262,"date":"2011-07-14T17:07:13","date_gmt":"2011-07-15T00:07:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/seamheads.com\/?p=15262"},"modified":"2011-07-14T17:07:13","modified_gmt":"2011-07-15T00:07:13","slug":"second-team-on-long-island-hot-news-for-atlantic-league","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/2011\/07\/14\/second-team-on-long-island-hot-news-for-atlantic-league\/","title":{"rendered":"Second Team on Long Island Hot News for Atlantic League"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/strong>The Atlantic League <\/strong>was assured of a very good week long before the first baseball was rubbed up for its annual All-Star <\/strong>showcase in York, PA <\/strong>because the 14-year-old circuit, which expects to entertain its 25 millionth fan later this summer, won a major step toward securing another coveted market.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span> <\/span>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Some dynamic times are ahead for the Atlantic League,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Founder Frank Boulton <\/strong>exuded while negotiating some of metropolitan New York\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s <\/strong>massive traffic, and as he ticked off various reasons, it seemed the top of the list had to be the decision in heavily-populated Nassau County<\/strong> that a Boulton-led bid had been chosen over one by a group wanting a New York Mets <\/strong>farm club on Long Island<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span> <\/span><\/span> <\/span>This was only the first major hurdle before any of Long Island\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s three million residents can line up at a ticket window, but it was a vital one. <\/span>Now a majority of voters need to say yes to a $400 million bond issue August 1 in order for the new home for the New York Islanders <\/strong>hockey team and the baseball stadium can be built. <\/span>And there is opposition, especially since some seem to feel this is largely a real estate bonanza for Islanders Owner Charles Wang.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/strong>Boulton is a big player on Long Island himself, starting with putting together the Long Island Ducks,<\/strong> Independent Baseball\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s annual attendance leader with capacity crowds of 6,000 the norm at Bethpage Ballpark.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span> <\/span>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a great site (the Mitchell<\/strong> athletic complex),\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Boulton, with \u00e2\u20ac\u0153not a lot of site work to be done\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. <\/span>A 2013 opening is \u00e2\u20ac\u0153without a doubt\u00e2\u20ac\u009d possible, he explained, if shovels can get in the ground by next April.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/strong>The record crowd of 8,053 at Sovereign Bank Stadium <\/strong>in York <\/strong>may well have been the No. 1 topic at Wednesday night\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Atlantic League All-Star Game <\/strong>since capacity is only listed at 5,000 although three home runs propelled Andy Etchebarren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Freedom Division <\/strong>to a 7-0 victory over the Liberty Division. <\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>* * * *<\/span><\/p>\n

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

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

<\/span>* * * *<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>\u00e2\u20ac\u02dcWe\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re Trying Really Hard\u00e2\u20ac\u2122, Says New Lake County GM <\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/span> <\/span>The uneven schedule thrust upon the new North American League <\/strong>when it ended up with four of its 10 teams in Texas, <\/strong>four more in the western United States <\/strong>and Canada <\/strong>plus single teams in Illinois <\/strong>and the Hawaiian Island <\/strong>of Maui <\/strong>had some nightmares written all over it. <\/span>They have happened, too.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span> <\/span>The most interesting saga of all has to be emerging from the suburban Chicago <\/strong>town of Zion<\/strong>. <\/span>Hear me out. <\/span>The second-year Lake County Fielders <\/strong>played their first 32 games on the road, including two trips to Maui. <\/span>They were still in their first home series when Manager Tim Johnson<\/strong> walked out over a pay dispute, and many of the players, smarting for the same reason, showed their sympathy. <\/span>The Fielders are said to have traded nine players although it is not easy tracking all of them and released 14 others. <\/span>That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s virtually the entire team.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span> <\/span>But through it all, Lake County continues to lead the Western Division <\/strong>(25-16) and reported attendance has the Fielders averaging 2,182 for nine openings, which ranks fourth in the entire league.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span> <\/span>In one contest as the exodus was taking place, interim Manager Pete LaCock <\/strong>used pitchers at most positions and visiting Yuma, AZ <\/strong>skipper Jose Canseco <\/strong>countered with a similar lineup, including himself as the pitcher for the first six innings. <\/span>The Scorpions prevailed, 8-3. <\/span>New Manager Chris Arago<\/strong> had only 11 players in uniform for his first game, a 4-2 triumph over Chico, CA<\/strong>, although with veteran talent boss Nick Belmonte<\/strong> replenishing the roster the team web site had the roster back to 14 by Thursday.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span> <\/span>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re trying really hard to make it work\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, said General Manager Mike Kardamis<\/strong>, an Independent Baseball veteran on the job for three weeks. <\/span>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m taking it day by day.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/span>This is Kardamis\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s first time in such a role since 2003 in Pittsfield, MA.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span> <\/span>(This is<\/span> an excerpt from the column Bob Wirz writes year round on Independent Baseball. <\/span>Fans may subscribe at newly reduced rates at <\/span><\/a>www.WirzandAssociates.com<\/span><\/a>, enjoy his blogs, www.AtlanticLeagueBaseball.com<\/span><\/a> and www.IndyBaseballChatter.com<\/span><\/a>, or comment to RWirz@aol.com<\/span><\/a>. <\/span>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.)<\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Atlantic League was assured of a very good week long before the first baseball was rubbed up for its annual All-Star showcase in York, PA because the 14-year-old circuit, which expects to entertain its 25 millionth fan later this summer, won a major step toward securing another coveted market. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Some dynamic times are ahead […]<\/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":[],"class_list":["post-15262","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general","category-indy-baseball-insider","category-minors"],"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