He's the best

Thanks to Phil Gray of the Chillicothe Gazette for finding this video of the Wild Thing.

Check out the video here.

But Phil, up all night surfing 'YouTube' in search of Frontier League videos? You need to get a life, pal.

Shhhh! We're hunting rabbits

With the Wild Things off to their best start in franchise history at 6-1 - they were 5-2 after 7 games in 2005 - it's time to check with an opposing manager for an opinion on what is different about this year's team. Florence manager Jamie Keeefe has gone against all six Washington teams and here's his impression of the 2007 version: "They've always had rabbits. They still run a lot, but they have a lot more strength this year. Instead of guys who hit line drives and find the gaps, they're hitting the ball out of the park this year. They made us pay with the home run all series."

Keefe's comments came Monday after Washignton completed a four-game series of the Freedom.

Memorial Day musings

Day games at Consol Energy Park – argh!

I understand why the Wild Things play afternoon games on Memorial Day and Labor Day, but it doesn't mean I have to like 'em. The reasoning is afternoon games allow more kids to attend because the following morning it's back to school. Day baseball, however, simply doesn't work at this ballpark or in the Frontier League. It's too hot, and at CEP there's very few places in the seating area to escape the sun. This is a ballpark made for night baseball.

The Wild Things played Monday with only 23 active players - one under the limit after releasing left-handed pitcher Adam Revelette following the Sunday game against Florence. Washington will sign infielder Eric Earnhart from Ball State University to fill the roster spot. He will join the team Tueday in Chillicothe. Here' a quick rundown on Earnhart:

* At Ball State, he was a teammate of current Wild Things pitcher Jeff Michael and former Washington infielder Jason Bucholtz. Earnhart played the outfield when Bucholtz was with the Cardinals and moved to shortstop the last two seasons.

* A left-handed batter, Earnhart hit .307 this spring with Ball State. He had nine double and nine stolen bases, playing in only 40 of 54 game for the Cardinals.

* At Urbana (Ohio) High School, Earnhart batted. 639 and did not strike out during his senior season.

Memorial Day starting time

The Memorial Day game against Florence at Consol Energy Park will begin at 2:05 p.m. The schedule magnets that were handed out at Wednesday's season opener had the wrong starting time listed for this game.

Adjustment period?

There was talk Thursday night from several Wild Things players and team officials about the adjustment period players coming from affiliated ball have when facing Frontier League pitching. In affiliated ball, pitchers throw a little harder and major league organizations want their young guys to develop their fastballs and not mess around with -- or risky injury from -- throwing an excessive amount of breaking balls. The Frontier League is a breaking ball league and the thinking was some of the Wild Things' newcomers are having trouble adjusting to first-pitch changeups or 3-2 curveballs.

That, they say, was why Washington managed only 12 hits and three earned runs in two games against expansion Slippery Rock.

With this in mind, I decided to play Bill James and check statistics from past seasons. I took one player from each Wild Things season who was making the drop from full-season Class A or higher to the Frontier League, then broke down his first 10 games in the FL. Here goes:

2006-Pat Peavey: .275 BA, 0 extra-base hits, 3 walks, 3 strikeouts
2005-Chris Carter: .333, 4XBH, 5BB, 8K
2004-L.J. Biernbaum: .250, 2 XBH, 9BB, 5K
2003-Doug Garcia: .300, 3XBH, 3 BB, 4K
2002-Josh Loggins: .357, 6XBH, 1BB, 7K

The only trends here are that the players' batting averages after 10 games were generally what they were at the end of the season. The surprise was the strikeouts outnumbered the walks.

Washington managed only 12 hits in two games against expansion Slippery Rock in the season-opening series. Maybe it wasn't all poor hitting. Give some credit to Slippery Rock pitching. Zac Cline, Thursday's starter, was 14-5 in two seasons in the Phillies' system and has a chance to win a lot of games for the Sliders.

This is probably the best pitching staff Washington has ever had, but is the offense good enough to make it a playoff team? That's something that will take time to answer.

Off the press

Two items from the newswire:

Here's an interesting story from the Kalamazoo Gazette:

http://www.mlive.com/sports/kzgazette/index.ssf?/base/sports-2/1179825651205050.xml&coll=7

Seems they were giving away free tickets in Kzoo last year by the handful (not smart). The Kings' owner says the policy has changed this year. I guess that's why the official attendance at Kzoo Wednesday night - on opening night! - was only 729.

* Ex-Wild Thing Lance Koenig has been released by the Pensacola Pelicans of the independent American Association. Koenig spent two years in Washington, playing third base in 2005 and catcher in 2006. A .279 hitter last year, Koenig was batting only .171 in 9 games for the Pelicans. He was playing second base and had committed four errors. If anything was learned from the Wild Things' 2005 season, it was that Koenig is not an infielder.

Random notes, thoughts

Some leftover notes and random osbervations from the Wild Things' 3 exhibition games against Slippery Rock:

* Washington finalized its roster for opening day by trading first baseman/outfielder Jarrod Klausman to Slippery Rock, releasing pitcher Shawn Kerek and putting pitcher Cory Hahn and catcher Ryan Price on the disabled list. Klausman should get plenty of playing time with Slippery Rock.

* It was hard to tell from the exhibition games if Washington is that good or Slippery Rock is that bad. The Sliders had only 14 hits in three games and committed 11 errors.

* Most pleasant surprise in spring training: a tie between pitcher Michael Hauff and pitcher Jeff Michael. Hauff isn't afraid to throws strikes and Michael doesn't look like a guy who had a 6.41 ERA last spring for Ball State.

* Here's betting that no more than a half dozen players on Slippery Rock's roster for the first exhibition game will be there at season's end. The Sliders desperately need some players with experience in affiliated ball.

* Is it my imagination or were there more bats broken in the exhibition games than you normally see in a month's worth of games?

* The 12 pitchers on the Wild Things' opening day roster combined for the following numbers in the exhibition games: 25 innings pitched, 10 hits allowed, 4 runs (3 earned).

Play ball!

The season – at least the exhibition version – has started. The Wild Things played Friday morning against the Slippery Rock Sliders.

My first reaction to the 2007 Wild Things: Who are these guys?

Gone are seven of the nine hitters from last year's starting lineup. And the two who returned, second baseman Kyle Werman and center fielder Chris Sidick, did not play in the morning game. The only familiar names in the lineup were second baseman Justin Gregula, a Washington High School product, and designated hitter Pat O'Brien, who played for the Wild Things in 2005.

The newcomers made a good debut, defeating Slippery Rock 6-2. Three Washington pitchers – Justin Staatz, Michael Hauff and Justin Mattison – combined on a two-hitter.

Staatz had the strangest line of the day. He started and pitched four innings, did not allow a hit and struck out four. He did, however, walk six and give up a run in the fourth on three walks and a sacrirfice fly. Hauff was impressive, allowing two hits, one walk and one run in four innings. He struck out four. Slippery Rock did not have a hit until one out in the seventh inning.

Washington scored a run in each of the first five innings. Gregula went 2-for-4 and scored two runs, shortstop Rene Quintana was 2-for-3 with 3 RBI and center fielder Matt Sutton hit a solo home run.

Trimming the roster

The roster has been cut to 29 players heading into Friday's day-night doubleheader with Slippery Rock. Two pitchers, Jason Duncan and Roy Irle, have been traded to other Frontier League teams. Duncan, a left-hander who was 10-1 in his career at North Carolina State, was sent to Traverse City for future considerations. Irle, a 6-7 right-hander out of Brewton Parker College in Georgia, was dealt to the Southern Illinois Miners for a conditional draft pick.

There are 29 players in camp, including 14 pitchers. The Frontier League roster limit is 24, so at least five more moves will be made. Pitcher Cory Hahn, who had reconstructive elbow surgery last year, is a candidate for the injured reserve list. Probably two pitchers will be released or traded.

There are four catchers on the roster, but no more than three will be kept. The most interesting position battles are in the infield with eight players vying for six or seven positions. There are only three outfielders in camp, so you can consider Jarod Rine, Chris Sidick and Matt Sutton to be safe bets to make the team.

One more pitcher

The Wild Things have added another pitcher to the roster, left-hander Adam Revelette, who began the 2007 season with Beloit (Wisc.) of the Class A Midwest League. He pitched in eight of the Snapper's first 18 games. Revelette played at the University of Kentucky and was signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Minnesota Twins last July. Washington has 10 pitchers with experience in affiliated ball.

Wild Things reunion?

When the Newark Bears host the Camden Riversharks in an independent Atlantic League game Tuesday, it will have the look of a Wild Things reunion. There will be five former Wild Things in the game, including four who played on Washington's 2004 team.

Playing for Camden are outfielder L.J. Biernbaum, catcher Randy McGarvey and pitcher Brendon Davis. Biernbaum is batting .214 with five doubles for the Riversharks, who lead the North Division with a 6-3 record. McGarvey is batting .200 and Davis has a 0-1 record, 3.60 ERA and five strikeouts in five innings pitched.

For Newark, which is 5-4, outfielder Jack Headley is batting. 250. Headley played for Washington in 2004, sat out the next two years and made the Bears' roster this spring. Peavey, the only one of the five who did not play for Washington in 2004 -- he was the Wild Things' third baseman last year -- also is batting .250.

Another player for Newark is Jason DiAngelo, a Peters Township High School graduate and former pitcher for West Virginia University. DiAngelo is the Bears' closer. He has three saves in four apperances and has not allowed an earned run.

Merger talk

Interesting story by Mike DeDoncker of the Rockford Register Star about the potential for a merger between the Frontier League and Northern League.

href="http://www.rrstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070511/SPORTS08/105
110042/1001/SPORTS">Click here to read story

Though NL teams Joliet (Ill.), Gary (Ind.) and Schaumburg (Ill.) are in the heart of Frontier Legaue country, I can't see those franchises ever joining the Frontier League. The size of their stadiums, crowds and budgets are too big for FL standards and there is no age restriction in the NL. Would the FL ever consider meeting the NL teams in some sort of rules compromise, as suggested by the Rockford owner? It's doubtful. Raising the stakes and budgets would likely cripple the smaller FL markets such as Chillicothe, Slippery Rock and perhaps Washington. Plus, the FL has carved out a nice niche as an under-28 league with a smaller salary cap than what is used in the NL and Atlantic League. There might not bee any former major leaguers in the FL, but I don't think those who attend Wild Things games really care if they get to watch Jermaine Allensworth play center field again.

Veterans' Day

The Wild Things said goodbye to two veterans (by Frontier League eligibility standards) Wednesday. Trimmed from the roster were outfielder Mike Arbinger, who has played more games than anyone in Wild Things history, and right-handed pitcher Jimmy Barrett, who was once on the Houston Astros' 40-man roster. Both Arbinger and Barrett were put on the retired list.

Arbinger did not show up for spring training, which began Wednesday. Barrett was in Washington on Tuesday and worked out at Consol Energy Park but was gone less than 24 hours later. Roster moves in the last two weeks sealed the fate of both Arbinger and Barrett. Washington signed outfielder Jarod Rine and re-signed pitcher Aaron Ledbetter. Both are veterans, as are Arbinger and Barrett. There was simply no room on the roster for them because Rine, Ledbetter and catcher/first baseman Mario Garza were getting the three spots resrved for veterans.

Watching the Wild Things play without Arbinger in the lineup and batting in the No. 3 spot will take some getting used to. When you think of Wild Things players, Arbinger is probably the first who comes to mind. He isn't the fastest player the team has had (Arbinger doesn't run, he sorta waddles like Ron Cey did -- I know, I'm dating myself with that reference), or the one with the most power, or the guy who will hit for the highest average. Yet what Arbinger brought to the Wild Things was an intense desire to win and a flair for the dramatic. The Wild Things have had plenty of come-from-behind wins in the last 3 years, and it seemed as if Arbinger -- even when he was struggling, like early last season -- would deliver the key in all of them. One that comes to mind was late last year at Florence when he hit a game-tying home run with two outs in the top of the ninth and Washington won in extra innings.

It will be interesting to see if anyone can match Arbinger's ability to produce in the clutch.

The give-us-a-chance guys

The headcount is in for the first day of the Frontier League tryout camp at Consol Energy Park and W&J's Ross Memorial. There are 190 players here. When the league held the tryout in Washington for the first time in 2004, there were 275 players. In 2005, the number dropped to 176. There are fewer players this year who have profesisonal experience, which obviously means more college players will be drafted (each of the 12 teams are required to draft at least 2 players). There are also 13 players who have no college or professional experience but were willing to pay the $60 to say they chased their dream of being a baseball player.

You can have too many veterans

The most intriguing aspect of spring training for the Wild Things is who will be the three veterans on the roster come opening day. As of this writing, Washington has four players classified as veterans. That's one more than the Frontier League allows. A veteran is any player with at least three seasons of more than 150 at-bats, 30 games pitched or 60 innings pitched as a professional. Washington's veterans are:

OF-Mike Arbinger
OF-Jarod Rine
C/1B-Mario Garza
RHP-Jimmy Barrett

There was a rumor circulating at the Wild Things' tryout Saturday that Washington was on the verge of trading for a fifth veteran. If that's true, then you have to expect this player will make the team (why make the trade if he's not in your plans?). Here's thinking that Rine, who was acquired last week, was signed because he's going to be in the lineup. If I'm right about Rine and the mystery veteran, that means the Wild Things will be releasing or trading either Garza, who is one of only two experienced catchers on the roster, or Barrett, who was once the No. 4-rated prospect in the Houston Astros' system, or Arbinger, who has played more games in a Wild Things uniform than any other player.

Stay tuned.

Trying day at the tryout

For the first time in their six seasons in the Frontier League, the Wild Things did not sign a player from their open tryout camp. Twenty-nine players and one TV reporter participated Saturday morning at Consol Energy Park but left without being offered a contract. That's by far the smallest turnout for a Wild Things tryout. There were 50 players who attended in 2005 and 57 last year. The team's first tryout camp, in 2002, attracted 132 players. The small turnout can be attributed to several things: 1. The weather. It rained during the majority of the camp. 2. The Frontier League is holding its league-wide tryout and draft Monday and Tuesday in Washington. A player has a better shot of being signed when working out for 12 teams instead of one. 3. Former high school and college players are figuring out the Frontier League isn't exactly a beer league. You have to be pretty good to play at this level. Back in 2002, there were plenty of guys at the tryout who shouldn't have been there. They likely had staggered out of a bar at 2 a.m. the night before, reasoned that it made perfect sense to make an attempt the next morming at playing profesisonal baseball, then stopped at Wal-Mart to buy a baseball glove on their way home. My favorite guy that year was a pitcher who wore an unbuttoned flannel shirt, blue jeans and smoked cigarettes while waiting for his turn to throw in the bullpen. He had no chance but be signed but, hey, he can always say he had a tryout with a profesisonal baseball team.

Max's kid

The Pirates made a roster move Friday and the player they promoted has ties to the Frontier League. Pittburgh placed pitcher John Wasdin on the DL and called up pitcher Marty McLeary from Class AAA Indianapolis. McLeary is the son of former Frontier League umpire Max McLeary, who worked many games at the Wild Things' ballpark, whatever it's called this week. Max McLeary is famous in baseball circles for being a one-eyed umpire (if I recall correctly, he lost an eye when hit by the heel of a shoe). He's also the subject of the book "Everything Happens in Chillicothe." It's a shame that Max is no longer umpiring – he's the general manager of a collegiate summer league team in Cincinnati – because he's the funniest guy, and best storyteller, I encountered during five years covering the Frontier League.

Tryout camps

The Wild Things will host an open tryout Saturday morning at Falconi, er, uh, Consol Energy Park. The Frontier League will follow with its two-day tryout Monday and Tuesday in Washington, with the player draft held after the Tuesday workout. Each team is required to select at least 2 players during the draft.

So what will the Wild Things be looking for in the tryouts? Other than the obvious, which is pitching – you can never have enough pitching, right? – my guess is they would like to get a first baseman/DH-type of player, a catcher and possibly a shortstop. They also might have interest in an outfielder because only four are on the roster, though you have to think that Mike Arbinger, Chris Sidick and Jarod Rine will be the starters. They might want to bring in another outfielder to battle Matt Sutton – the latest from the Coastal Carolina pipeline – for the final roster spot.

Current roster

Because this is supposed to be a blog about the Washington Wild Things – and this is the first post on the blog – the best place to start is with the current roster. With less than one week remaining before spring training begins, here is the Wild Things' roster:

Pitchers (14)
Jimmy Barrett
Tom Cochran
Jason Duncan
Cory Hahn
Michael Hauff
Ian Heisel
Gus Hlebovy
J.J. Hollenbeck
Roy Irle
Justin Mattison
Jeff Michael
Patrick Sadler
Justin Staatz
Patrick Stanley

Catchers (3)
Kevin Butler
Mario Garza
Pat O'Brien

Infielder (7)
Justin Gregula
Jarrod Klausman
Robbie Knapp
Nathan Messner
Kyle Padgett
Ben Ramsey
Kyle Werman

Outfielders (4)
Mike Arbinger
Jarod Rine
Chris Sidick
Matt Sutton

NOTE: Cochran's signing has not been announced but he is listed on the roster.

There are 28 players on the roster – 7 under the 35-man league limit. It is unlikey, however, that camp will begin with 35 players. Expect 31 to 33.