The shakedown to identify the exact makeup of various Independent leagues for 2010 is coming into the open now that most of the fall ownership meetings have taken place.<\/p>\n
The most definitive news about brand new sites since the last time this Indy-wide column was produced has come out of one of the more unlikely of leagues, the Continental<\/strong>, which had two travel teams in its six-team lineup for 2009.<\/p>\n We have been told one new team will be announced as early as Monday, and it will be in New Mexico<\/strong>, a state previously without Independent Baseball. Sources also say another franchise in West Texas<\/strong> will join within a few weeks, and there is a possibility of one or even two additional teams in Louisiana<\/strong>. The newcomers will join 2009 champion Alexandria, LA<\/strong> and \u00e2\u20ac\u212209 addition Big Bend, TX<\/strong> (Alpine<\/strong>), which leaves questions surrounding Bay Area<\/strong> (Houston<\/strong>), where financial woes showed up late in the year, and Texarkana, TX<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Can-Am League Still Has a Vacancy<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n The American Association<\/strong> shakedown is complete, and all 10 teams will return although Fort Worth, TX<\/strong> almost certainly will have new ownership. Miles Wolff\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s<\/strong> other circuit, the Can-Am<\/strong>, will have six teams for a second year in a row, although Nokona Athletic Goods <\/strong>head Buddy Lewis<\/strong>, whose experiment with the military-tied American Defenders of New Hampshire<\/strong> failed in Nashua<\/strong>. He still needs a home for his franchise. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153He (Lewis) is talking to a number of possible cities\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, Wolff said this week, with this corner continuing to believe the most likely location will either be in Norwich, CT<\/strong>, which recently lost its Double-A team, or in a current New York-Penn League<\/strong> city if one of those affiliated teams goes to Norwich.<\/p>\n Worcester, MA<\/strong> has new ownership, although it has only been identified as \u00e2\u20ac\u0153a group of experienced Maryland<\/strong> investors\u00e2\u20ac\u009d to go along with most of the Tornadoes\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 key existing business and baseball leadership. The Can-Am\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s other Massachusetts<\/strong> entry, Brockton<\/strong>, still seems to be trying to settle up its financial issues with the city and with current or additional investors, although everyone tells us the Rox will be fine. It was troubling to see an editorial in The Brockton Enterprise stress \u00e2\u20ac\u0153the bottom line is that even on a beautiful, clear summer evening, there are few fans in the stands of Campanelli Stadium<\/strong>.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d That is pretty strong, based on what we have seen and what has been reported.<\/p>\n Northern League Teams Will Play 100 Games<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n The Northern League<\/strong> can take heart that it is some other leagues struggling with franchise issues this time since it is back up to eight teams with the addition of Rockford, IL<\/strong> out of the Frontier League<\/strong>, and Kevin Costner\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s<\/strong> expansion team, known as the Lake County (IL) Fielders<\/strong>, who hope to get into their new stadium not long after the season starts May20.<\/p>\n Northern League fathers, probably as a result of solid game-day attendance all around, voted to expand the season from 96 to 100 games. This will make its schedule second only to the Atlantic League<\/strong>, which has been playing 140. Lake County\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s roster will start growing via a dispersal draft in one week (October 22).<\/p>\n All has been quiet of late in the Golden League<\/strong>, since it added a 10th team in Maui, HA<\/strong>, although additional teams have not been ruled out. The Frontier League<\/strong> likely will remain at 12 teams with Normal, IL<\/strong> taking Rockford\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s spot. The Atlantic League seems solid with its eight-team league, and the United League<\/strong> still has its six \u00e2\u20ac\u212209 clubs.<\/p>\n Atlantic League \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcElite Baseball\u00e2\u20ac\u2122<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n Although rebuffed much of the winter, Cincinnati invited all-Independent left-hander Tom Cochran<\/strong> to spring training. The Reds said they liked what they saw, but did not keep him. As a result, the onetime Middle Georgia Junior College<\/strong> pitcher went to the Atlantic League<\/strong>, working for a month at Lancaster, PA<\/strong> (3-2, 4.67) until the Reds came calling again.<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It (Atlantic League) was a good experience,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Cochran reflected. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It was definitely good baseball. Elite baseball, no doubt about it. I got my butt beat a few times.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d After evaluating his entire year, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I really do believe it is Triple-A level,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said the 6-foot-2, 210-pound hurler.<\/p>\n Does he have a message for Independent players, I inquired?<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153If you want it, don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t give up,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he said, without hesitation. Tom Cochran has the experience to know.<\/p>\n How Does Anyone Stop Somerset?<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n Butch Hobson\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Southern Maryland Blue Crabs (Waldorf)<\/strong> had a very strong season in the Atlantic League<\/strong>, but when the final chapter had been written it was Somerset, NJ<\/strong> in the throne room for the fifth time in the league\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s 12 seasons. Sparky Lyle<\/strong> has been the manager every step of the way, and it was the first time any team had won back-to-back titles in the league.<\/p>\n (This is an excerpt 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":" The shakedown to identify the exact makeup of various Independent leagues for 2010 is coming into the open now that most of the fall ownership meetings have taken place.<\/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-1686","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