It is a never-ending question why some players get their contract picked up by a major league organization while others with decidedly better credentials do not.<\/p>\n
Our focus today is on pitcher Josh Lowey.<\/b><\/p>\n
Start with the fact the right-hander has put together a 58-21 record the last five seasons in three separate Independent leagues. Those are Whitey Ford<\/b> and Pedro Martinez<\/b> winning percentages. Outstanding at any level of the game.<\/p>\n
And Lowey has been an all-star or better every year. The starting pitcher on the Frontier League <\/b>postseason all-stars in 2009, his first full professional season when he went 9-2 at River City (O’Fallon, MO)<\/b>. Championship Series MVP for those same Rascals <\/b>after an 8-5 regular season in 2010. He was Pitcher of the Year in the Frontier League the next year (11-2 for River City) and won the same honor when he stepped up to the American Association <\/b>and went 15-4 for Wichita, KS <\/b>one year ago. The Fort Walton Beach, FL <\/b>native went 14-8 for Somerset, NJ <\/b>this past summer and led the loaded Atlantic League <\/b>with a 2.89 earned run average.<\/p>\n
Top it all off with the fact Baseball America <\/i>has had him on its respected all-Independent team each of the last three seasons.<\/p>\n
“It it very tough to say why (I have not gotten an opportunity),” Lowey admitted from his current home in Orlando, FL.<\/b> “Height and age always get mentioned,” he added, but he stands 5-foot-11 and does not turn 29 until December 26.<\/p>\n
I sit at my desk and see stories about 30-somethings getting signed with some regularity, and what is wrong with standing 5-foot-11 instead of being an inch or two taller? Give me the 58-21 record and the awards any day and I will take my chances.<\/p>\n
* * * *<\/p>\n
ANXIOUS FOR MORE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL COVERAGE?<\/b><\/p>\n
We Have It at <\/span><\/b>www.IndyBaseballChatter.com<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n * * * * <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n D-Backs Promote Bo Schultz to Major League Roster<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n Thanksgiving dinner is likely to seem especially tasty for onetime American Association <\/b>hurler Bo Schultz<\/b> since news arrived Wednesday that he had been added to the Arizona Diamondbacks’ <\/b>40-man roster after a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League.<\/b><\/p>\n The 28-year-old righty and Northwestern <\/b>journalism grad, who was mostly a bullpen contributor (4-3, 4.13 in 37 appearances) while helping Grand Prairie, TX <\/b>win the Association title in 2011, went 3-0 with a 3.09 earned run average in seven starts in the AFL after both starting and relieving for the D-Backs’ top two farm clubs this summer. <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n American Association Grad Opens Eyes for Arizona<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n <\/b>One of the hidden gems to emerge from the American Association <\/b>last season and earn praise from his new major league organization is left-handed-hitting outfielder David Peralta, <\/b>a 26-year-old who originally was a pitcher.<\/p>\n The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Venezuelan<\/b> hit .332 at Wichita, KS <\/b>one year ago, .352 in 42 games at Amarillo, TX <\/b>early this season, then continued at a .346 pace with 72 hits in 51 games in the California League <\/b>for Arizona. <\/b><\/p>\n “We purchased his contract, (our scouts, including Independent specialist Chris Carminucci<\/b>) knew about him, so we took a chance on him and he’s been a very pleasant surprise,” Director of Player Development Mike Bell <\/b>praised on MiLB.com. <\/i>“He’s a good looking player; I was shocked. He was outstanding for us, so I like him a lot.”<\/p>\n (This is an excerpt from the column Bob Wirz writes year round on Independent Baseball. Forty columns are planned during 2013. Fans may subscribe at reduced rates at www.WirzandAssociates.com<\/a>, enjoy added stories on the blog www.IndyBaseballChatter.com<\/a>, or comment to RWirz@aol.com<\/a>. The author <\/b>has 16 years of major league baseball public relations experience with Kansas City and as spokesman for two Commissioners and lives in Stratford, CT.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It is a never-ending question why some players get their contract picked up by a major league organization while others with decidedly better credentials do not. Our focus today is on pitcher Josh Lowey. Start with the fact the right-hander has put together a 58-21 record the last five seasons in three separate Independent leagues. […]<\/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-26460","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26460","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=26460"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26460\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26460"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26460"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26460"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}