{"id":5743,"date":"2010-06-11T17:34:32","date_gmt":"2010-06-12T00:34:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.seamheads.com\/?p=5743"},"modified":"2010-06-11T17:34:32","modified_gmt":"2010-06-12T00:34:32","slug":"pitchers-not-always-the-priority-for-major-league-clubs-stavisky-retires-while-phelps-is-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/2010\/06\/11\/pitchers-not-always-the-priority-for-major-league-clubs-stavisky-retires-while-phelps-is-out\/","title":{"rendered":"Pitchers Not Always the Priority for Major League Clubs; Stavisky Retires While Phelps Is Out"},"content":{"rendered":"

It often seems like pitchers are the top priority when major league teams go shopping in the Atlantic League <\/strong>or any of the seven other Independent leagues for talent.\u00c2\u00a0 As a prime example, only four of the 16 former Indy players currently active or on disabled lists with any of the 30 teams are position players, including Camden<\/strong> <\/strong>shortstop Stephen Drew<\/strong> and Somerset<\/strong> <\/strong>outfielder Michael Ryan.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The bevy of signings this season, 21 at last count (not including those who left to play internationally), represents quite a change.\u00c2\u00a0 In fact, it would not take much ingenuity to start a team with those 21 players since eight are pitchers, four catchers, four first basemen, two other infielders and a trio of outfielders.\u00c2\u00a0 The pitchers also have been divided equally with four right-handers and just as many lefties.<\/p>\n

Sixty-six former Atlantic League players currently are in major league organizations, including the most recent signing of Camden<\/strong> <\/strong>first baseman-designated hitter Jason Botts<\/strong> by Washington<\/strong> <\/strong>for the Nationals\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 <\/strong>top farm club in Syracuse<\/strong>.<\/strong> That number would have been two higher except that Philadelphia<\/strong> <\/strong>farmhand Brian Stavisky <\/strong>announced his retirement and Cleveland<\/strong> <\/strong>released first baseman-outfielder Josh Phelps.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Stavisky Hit .301 for His Career<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Brian Stavisky\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s <\/strong>nine-year professional career after playing at Notre Dame <\/strong>topped out at Triple-A, but \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m still content with what I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve done\u00e2\u20ac\u009d the outfielder told The Bradford (PA) Era<\/em> after he had retired from the Reading Phillies <\/strong>this week.<\/p>\n

<\/strong>Stavisky leaves with a .301 career batting average for 813 games with 83 homers and 445 runs batted in, which included 29 games at Lancaster<\/strong> <\/strong>in 2008 and a career year in 2004 when he was California League <\/strong>MVP and batting champion (.343) while leading Modesto<\/strong> <\/strong>to the league championship.\u00c2\u00a0 That season recently earned him the team\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Player of the Decade.<\/p>\n

* * * *WANT MORE <\/strong>INDEPENDENT BASEBALL COVERAGE?\u00c2\u00a0 Check out\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 www.AtlanticLeagueBaseball.com<\/a> and www.IndyBaseballChatter.com<\/a> * * * *<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bridgeport\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Phelps Gets Only 21 At-Bats With Tribe<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Josh Phelps\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s <\/strong>stint in the Cleveland<\/strong> <\/strong>organization is one of those that often anger baseball people even though they may not admit it for fear of jeopardizing future relationships.<\/p>\n

<\/strong>Phelps, who was hitting .333 in 22 games for Bridgeport<\/strong> and was beginning to hit his stride when signed May 22, got only 21 at-bats at Triple-A Columbus <\/strong>(4-for-21, 3 doubles, 2 RBI) before being given his walking papers.<\/p>\n

Michael Ryan Continues to See Fortunes Improve<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Onetime Somerset Patriot Michael Ryan <\/strong>is gradually getting more playing time with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim<\/strong> with six starts at first base or the outfield the last two weeks, and he has edged his batting average up to .222 (8-for-36) with half of his hits for extra bases.\u00c2\u00a0 It is his first time in the majors since 2005 when he played the last of 260 games with Minnesota<\/strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Being back (in the majors), it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been everything I imagined it would be,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Ryan told The Orange County Register<\/em>.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s very special for me to be in this clubhouse.\u00c2\u00a0 I worked so hard.\u00c2\u00a0 And there were days when I thought I never would get back.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

(These are excerpts from the <\/em>Atlantic League Notebook. <\/em>Subscriptions to the Notebook <\/em>are available via www.AtlanticLeagueBaseball.com<\/a> or www.WirzandAssociates.com<\/a>.\u00c2\u00a0 Bob Wirz also writes a weekly column, the Independent Baseball Insider<\/em>, as well as a blog, www.IndyBaseballChatter.com. The author <\/strong>has 16 years of major league baseball public relations experience with Kansas City and as chief spokesman for two Commissioners and lives in Stratford, CT.) <\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It often seems like pitchers are the top priority when major league teams go shopping in the Atlantic League or any of the seven other Independent leagues for talent.\u00c2\u00a0 As a prime example, only four of the 16 former Indy players currently active or on disabled lists with any of the 30 teams are position […]<\/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":[4032,7904,8253,6683,8251,8252,399,871,493,7116,8249,5928,4051,8250,6247,7393,1240,1177,2901,6465],"class_list":["post-5743","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general","tag-baseball-coverage","tag-batting-champion","tag-bradford-pa","tag-brian-stavisky","tag-california-league","tag-career-batting-average","tag-farmhand","tag-first-baseman","tag-independent-baseball","tag-independent-leagues","tag-jason-botts","tag-josh-phelps","tag-league-clubs","tag-league-mvp","tag-league-organizations","tag-michael-ryan","tag-outfielders","tag-position-players","tag-professional-career","tag-reading-phillies"],"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