{"id":18204,"date":"2011-11-03T21:44:53","date_gmt":"2011-11-04T04:44:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/seamheads.com\/?p=18204"},"modified":"2011-11-03T21:44:53","modified_gmt":"2011-11-04T04:44:53","slug":"umpires-out-of-independent-leagues-are-advancing-adam-hamari-could-get-shot-in-majors-soon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/2011\/11\/03\/umpires-out-of-independent-leagues-are-advancing-adam-hamari-could-get-shot-in-majors-soon\/","title":{"rendered":"Umpires Out of Independent Leagues Are Advancing; Adam Hamari Could Get Shot in Majors Soon"},"content":{"rendered":"

It is only natural to focus on players in this column, but two umpires out of Independent leagues are drawing attention in the major league-affiliated ranks and at least one of them likely will be seen on the national stage very soon.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Adam Hamari<\/strong>, who only six years ago (a very short span for an up-and-coming umpire) was calling plays in the Can-Am League<\/strong>, <\/strong>worked in the International League <\/strong>this summer and subsequently was invited to the Arizona Fall League<\/strong>, where the majors also send key prospective players.<\/p>\n

“This means you get a major league number,” explained Kevin Winn, <\/strong>who supervises umpires in both the Can-Am and the American Association.<\/strong>  “That is pretty impressive.  He most likely will get (major league) spring training assignments, and will be subject to call-up (as an injury or vacation replacement).  “The one thing you notice (about Adam) is off the field he is quiet and soft spoken.”  Oh, the Northern Michigan University <\/strong>product has not yet celebrated his 30th<\/sup> birthday.<\/p>\n

Winn also reported that 2010 American Association umpire Ryan Simmons<\/strong> drew the No. 1 ranking among the 30 umpires in rookie leagues this summer, and likely is headed for a full-season league.<\/p>\n

* * * *<\/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

Quigley<\/span><\/strong>, Valencia<\/span><\/strong> First Two All-Indy Choices Sold<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

It seems likely the lull in player sales out of the Indy leagues will pick up again now that the World Series <\/strong>is over and with only two of the 14 named to Baseball America’s <\/em>Independent All-Star Team <\/strong>taken by major league organizations so far.<\/p>\n

Arizona <\/strong>has purchased relief ace Ryan Quigley <\/strong>from Frontier League <\/strong>champion Joliet, IL<\/strong> and outfielder Chris Valencia <\/strong>from Brockton, MA <\/strong>of the Can-Am League<\/strong> although we hear the magazine’s Player of the Year, all-time Can-Am hits and RBI king Chris Colabello<\/strong>, may be sold any day.  The 27-year-old Colabello, primarily a first baseman, has topped .300 in all seven seasons he has been in the Can-Am, with .348-20-79 stats this summer at Worcester<\/strong>, MA<\/strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>None of the three has any previous experience with a major league organization.<\/p>\n

Quigley drew attention by striking out 72 hitters in 42.2 innings as the 26-year-old set a Frontier League record with 28 saves in the regular season and five more in the playoffs.  Valencia, 24, was an ironman in three years at Brockton, where he hit .311.  His 41 stolen bases this year had to help.<\/p>\n

Jerome Williams ‘Perfect’ 4-0 in Venezuela<\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jerome Williams (Lancaster, PA, Atlantic League, <\/strong>and Long Beach, CA, Golden League)<\/strong> and Anthony Seratelli (Windy City, Crestwood, IL, Frontier League) <\/strong>would get this writer’s nod as the top stars among former Indy players on the diamond this fall although so many players are getting opportunities my choices could change overnight.<\/p>\n

Williams, who made such a splash with the Los Angeles Angels <\/strong>in late season (4-0, 3.68) that he could well land a regular starting opportunity next spring, is 4-0 with a perfect earned run average after his first four outings (23 innings) in Venezuela.  <\/strong>Seratelli, an infielder in the Kansas City<\/strong> <\/strong>farm system, leads the prospect-laden Arizona Fall League <\/strong>in on-base percentage (.519) and is second in hitting (.395) through a dozen appearances.  He has 12 walks in that span.<\/p>\n

(This is an excerpt from the column Bob Wirz writes year round on Independent Baseball.  Fans may subscribe at www.WirzandAssociates.com<\/a>, enjoy his blogs, www.AtlanticLeagueBaseball.com<\/a> and www.IndyBaseballChatter.com<\/a>, or comment to RWirz@aol.com<\/a>.  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","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It is only natural to focus on players in this column, but two umpires out of Independent leagues are drawing attention in the major league-affiliated ranks and at least one of them likely will be seen on the national stage very soon. Adam Hamari, who only six years ago (a very short span for an […]<\/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":[1550,462,4032,542,508,17282,493,7116,17284,2072,6247,544,534,17288,17283,17286,539,16761,17285,17287],"class_list":["post-18204","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general","category-indy-baseball-insider","category-minors","tag-arizona-fall-league","tag-baseball-america","tag-baseball-coverage","tag-can-am-league","tag-frontier-league","tag-hamari","tag-independent-baseball","tag-independent-leagues","tag-kevin-winn","tag-league-champion","tag-league-organizations","tag-league-spring","tag-major-league-spring-training","tag-national-stage","tag-northern-michigan-university","tag-prospective-players","tag-relief-ace","tag-rookie-leagues","tag-ryan-simmons","tag-th-birthday"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18204","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/452"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18204"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18204\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18204"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18204"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18204"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}