{"id":4751,"date":"2010-04-30T10:36:33","date_gmt":"2010-04-30T17:36:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.seamheads.com\/?p=4751"},"modified":"2010-04-30T10:36:33","modified_gmt":"2010-04-30T17:36:33","slug":"kevin-millar-is-returning-to-his-roots-to-play-a-week-for-the-st-paul-saints","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/2010\/04\/30\/kevin-millar-is-returning-to-his-roots-to-play-a-week-for-the-st-paul-saints\/","title":{"rendered":"Kevin Millar Is Returning to His Roots To Play a Week for the St. Paul Saints"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kevin Millar\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s <\/strong>playing days are not over.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I am going to play a week with the St. Paul Saints<\/strong>,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d the best player ever to start his professional career in Independent Baseball told a national audience on SiriusXM Radio<\/em> one morning this week.<\/p>\n

The hosts on The Power Alley<\/em> wanted to know if Millar was retired since he had been released by the Chicago Cubs <\/strong>at the end of spring training, and it sounded like the 38-year-old first baseman-designated hitter was making the radio appearance because he was joining the MLB Network <\/em>as an analyst that very night.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>But it all makes sense.\u00c2\u00a0 The Saints gave Millar an opportunity back in 1993 when he came out of Lamar University<\/strong> in Beaumont<\/strong>, TX<\/strong> <\/strong>as an undrafted hopeful.\u00c2\u00a0 It could be partly a payback to the Minnesota<\/strong> <\/strong>club since St. Paul launched Millar and he became one of the reasons the Independent game soon got the attention of major league talent hunters.\u00c2\u00a0 Marv Goldklang <\/strong>and Mike Veeck <\/strong>own the <\/strong>team to this day, although the Saints have moved from the Northern League <\/strong>to the American Association.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

It works out well, too, if it ends up being a one-week gig because St. Paul is home for the first seven games over an eight-day season-opening span May 13-20 , and, if Millar still has designs on stretching out his playing career it can be a decent showcase to major league teams.<\/p>\n

Millar hit .260 with five homers and 30 runs batted in for his 63 games in 1993 when he was a nobody playing third base on the same team in this brand new league with former major leaguer Leon Durham <\/strong>and, for one grand promotional day, the legendary Minnie Minoso.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>He has spent all or part of 12 seasons in the majors so far (1998-2009) with Florida, Boston, Baltimore <\/strong>and last year Toronto, <\/strong>hitting .274 in 1,427 games with 1,284 hits, 170 home runs and 699 RBI.<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Another Papelbon in New England<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

One public address announcement is certain to bring a buzz every time it happens this summer, especially when it takes place in New England<\/strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Now pitching for the Rox, Papelbon<\/strong>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, someone will bellow.<\/p>\n

Red Sox Nation<\/strong> will stop whatever else is going on and pay attention.\u00c2\u00a0 It does not mean Jonathan Papelbon<\/strong> will be stepping to the mound for the Brockton (MA) Rox<\/strong> mere miles south of Fenway Park, <\/strong>but rather younger brother Josh, <\/strong>who also is a right-handed reliever.<\/p>\n

Josh, 26, is a submarine-style pitcher who saved a record 24 games at North Florida<\/strong> and 31 more in his first two seasons (2006-07) in the Boston<\/strong> <\/strong>organization.<\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

* * * *<\/p>\n

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

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

* * * *<\/p>\n

Scheppers: 18 K\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s in 10 Innings<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

It is getting more difficult imagining that Tanner Scheppers <\/strong>will not be joining three other American Association <\/strong>pitching grads (Luke Hochevar, Max Scherzer, Chris Jakubauskas)<\/strong> in the major leagues.\u00c2\u00a0 It could happen soon, too, to give the Texas<\/strong> Rangers\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 <\/strong>bullpen a boost.<\/p>\n

After the onetime St. Paul<\/strong> <\/strong>hurler fanned five San Antonio<\/strong> <\/strong>batters in two perfect innings of relief earlier this week, the 6-foot-4 righty has struck out 18 in 10 innings.\u00c2\u00a0 His outings have been spread over five two-inning stints four to five days apart to keep him close to a starter\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s schedule even though he is coming out of the bullpen for Double-A Frisco, TX<\/strong> with a mid-90s fastball and big breaking curve .\u00c2\u00a0 The onetime Fresno State <\/strong>hurler gave up a home run in the second of his appearances, but he has allowed only two other hits altogether and has not walked a single batter.\u00c2\u00a0 The 23-year-old has two saves and a 0.90 earned run average.<\/p>\n

Some Consolation Prize<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Most of his record was not that bad on paper (1-0, 4.50, .194 opponent batting average), but Oakland<\/strong> <\/strong>reduced its bullpen by one this week and the odd man out was Edwar Ramirez (Pensacola, FL <\/strong>and Edinburg<\/strong>, TX<\/strong>), who was sent to Sacramento<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 The 29-year-old changeup artist had the same problem that sometimes haunted him with the New York Yankees<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 He had allowed only seven hits, but had walked eight in his 10 innings of work.<\/p>\n

If he needs inspiration, Ramirez can pull out the World Series <\/strong>ring Yankees Manager Joe Girardi <\/strong>presented him when New York was on the West Coast last week.<\/p>\n

(This is an excerpt from the column Bob Wirz writes on Independent Baseball.\u00c2\u00a0 Fans may subscribe at www.WirzandAssociates.com, enjoy his blogs, www.AtlanticLeagueBaseball.com<\/a> and www.IndyBaseballChatter.com<\/a>, or comment<\/strong> to RWirz@aol.com<\/a>.\u00c2\u00a0 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":"

Kevin Millar\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s playing days are not over. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I am going to play a week with the St. Paul Saints,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d the best player ever to start his professional career in Independent Baseball told a national audience on SiriusXM Radio one morning this week. The hosts on The Power Alley wanted to know if Millar was retired […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":452,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4746,78,4235],"tags":[2885,506,871,6760,493,6458,6754,6757,6756,1459,4048,6758,6761,6762,2901,6759,6763,3303,6753,6764],"class_list":["post-4751","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-indy-baseball-insider","category-minors","category-top-stories","tag-best-player","tag-chicago-cubs","tag-first-baseman","tag-goldklang","tag-independent-baseball","tag-independent-game","tag-kevin-millar","tag-lamar-university-in-beaumont","tag-lamar-university-in-beaumont-tx","tag-major-leaguer","tag-minnesota-club","tag-minnie-minoso","tag-national-audience","tag-power-alley","tag-professional-career","tag-radio-appearance","tag-radio-one","tag-seven-games","tag-st-paul-saints","tag-university-in-beaumont-tx"],"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\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