{"id":1628,"date":"2009-09-18T17:47:41","date_gmt":"2009-09-19T00:47:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/2009\/09\/18\/lincoln-calgary-fargo-win-independent-championships-atlantic-league-playoffs-about-to-start\/"},"modified":"2009-09-18T17:47:41","modified_gmt":"2009-09-19T00:47:41","slug":"lincoln-calgary-fargo-win-independent-championships-atlantic-league-playoffs-about-to-start","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/2009\/09\/18\/lincoln-calgary-fargo-win-independent-championships-atlantic-league-playoffs-about-to-start\/","title":{"rendered":"Lincoln, Calgary, Fargo Win Independent Championships; Atlantic League Playoffs About to Start"},"content":{"rendered":"

Marty Scott<\/strong> has one of the best resumes in Independent Baseball, in part because he has been able to dance back and forth between front office and on-field roles and from affiliated jobs to those in the non-affiliated ranks. This resonated when he said this summer one primary reason he took on the task of managing the American Association\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Lincoln (NE) Saltdogs<\/strong> instead of staying on as the New York Mets\u00e2\u20ac\u2122<\/strong> Triple-A field boss was \u00e2\u20ac\u0153to (be able to) manage for wins.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

The translation was easy. In Independent Baseball, winning comes first and developing players is second. It is just the opposite if one works in a minor league system for a major league organization.<\/p>\n

While Scott may never get the opportunity to manage a major league team where winning is everything, he has proven once again that he can take an Indy team to the promised land. Lincoln, which had not tasted a baseball championship in its nine Independent seasons or in any fashion since 1957, outlasted Pensacola, FL<\/strong> in five grueling games, the last one a tidy 2-1 affair. Another new manager, Talmadge Nunnari<\/strong>, almost tasted the champagne.<\/p>\n

Calgary<\/strong> finally took the last step to a title after losing in the championship series the last two seasons, winning the Golden League<\/strong> crown for Western Canadian<\/strong> fans. The Vipers<\/strong> topped league newcomer Tucson<\/strong> after losing to Orange County (Fullerton, CA) <\/strong>last season and Gary, IN<\/strong> in the Northern League\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s<\/strong> final series in \u00e2\u20ac\u02dc07, making a winner of Morgan Burkhart<\/strong>, another manager in a new setting,<\/p>\n

Fargo, ND <\/strong>took Northern League honors this time around as the RedHawks<\/strong> toppled Gary for its fourth title in the last 12 years (1998, 2003, 2006), all under Doug Simunic<\/strong>, who we pointed out at one point this season was battling uphill just to maintain his long string of .500 or better seasons. He not only succeeded, as he so often does, but returned to the throne room.<\/p>\n

The Atlantic League<\/strong> wraps up its regular season Sunday, then defending champion Somerset<\/strong> will square off against New Jersey<\/strong> rival Newark<\/strong> and Southern Maryland (Waldorf)<\/strong> and Long Island, NY<\/strong> will do battle for divisional titles.<\/p>\n

Tributes Numerous for Bob Flori<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

It has been very touching reading some of the many tributes for longtime Independent manager and coach Bob Flori<\/strong>, who passed away this week after a battle with cancer and less than four months shy of his 80th birthday.<\/p>\n

The accolades posted to Flori\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s family came from all over, including two from Aberdeen, SD<\/strong>, where he led the Prairie League\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Pheasants<\/strong> to an all-time minor league best 56-13 in 1995 and a two-year record of 110-37. Bullpen catcher Dallas Bohle<\/strong> said he \u00e2\u20ac\u0153truly cared about all of us.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Aberdeen player Kent Alm<\/strong> said \u00e2\u20ac\u0153playing for Bob was the highlight of my baseball career\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. Bill Murphy<\/strong> of Largo, FL<\/strong> remembered how Flori, as a coach, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153taught me a change-up that year (1994 with the Newark (OH) Buffalos<\/strong> of the Frontier League<\/strong>) that turned my season around.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d More than a decade later, John Vigue<\/strong> of St. Petersburg, FL<\/strong> said \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I am thankful you (Flori) got me to come out for one more year. It (2005) was truly the best year of my pro career.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Everyone praised not only Flori\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s baseball savvy but his character.<\/p>\n

Flori also was a coach for Sioux Falls, SD<\/strong> and Winnipeg, Canada<\/strong> when they were in the Northern League<\/strong> and managed the Lehigh Valley (PA) Black Diamonds<\/strong> of the Atlantic League<\/strong>, the traveling Aces<\/strong> of the Northeast League<\/strong> (which preceded the Can-Am League<\/strong>) and finished up with Shreveport, LA<\/strong>, now an American Association<\/strong> city, in 2005-07.<\/p>\n

* * * *
\nSTILL LOOKING FOR ADDITIONAL INDEPENDENT BASEBALL COVERAGE? VISIT OUR BLOG, www.IndyBaseballChatter.com
\n* * * *<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

DiFelice Finishes Year 4-1, With 3.66 ERA<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Mark DiFelice<\/strong> will undoubtedly look back on 2009 as the best season so far in his 12-year professional career even though it came to nearly a three-week premature end because he strained his valuable right shoulder, which had taken him to surgery eight years ago for a torn labrum.<\/p>\n

Little could the now 33-year-old right-hander have known when he was in the hospital at that time he would be a major leaguer now, a regular member of the Milwaukee Brewers\u00e2\u20ac\u2122<\/strong> bullpen where he went 4-1, 3.66 in 59 appearances (49 hits in 51.2 innings) during his first nearly-complete major league season. The stops between the first labrum tear and the fear he had the same fate this time included two seasons of starting for New Jersey<\/strong>-based teams the Atlantic League<\/strong>, Somerset<\/strong> in 2005 and Camden<\/strong> one year later.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153It was smart,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d DiFelice told MLB.com of Milwaukee\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s decision to not pitch him again until spring. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153They wanted to shut me down, and now I can just rest up for next year.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Indy Count on Hold at 31 in Majors<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Now that call-ups are all but over, it appears the final count of players formerly attached to Independent leagues who made major league appearances this season may end up at 31\u00e2\u20ac\u201dfour shy of last season\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwith 26 of the players there today.<\/p>\n

(These are excerpts from the column Bob Wirz writes on Independent Baseball. Fans may subscribe at www.WirzandAssociates.com<\/a>, enjoy his blog, www.IndyBaseballChatter.com<\/a>, or comment to RWirz@aol.com.<\/font><\/span><\/a> 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.)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Marty Scott has one of the best resumes in Independent Baseball, in part because he has been able to dance back and forth between front office and on-field roles and from affiliated jobs to those in the non-affiliated ranks. This resonated when he said this summer one primary reason he took on the task of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":452,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1628","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\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