2008 schedule released

The 2008 Frontier League schedule was released Wednesday. Each team will again play 96 games with opening day Wednesday, May 21. Washington will play 54 home games with the home opener Saturday, May 24 against Traverse City.

Changes for 2008:

* The regular season will end the Wednesday after Labor Day (Sept. 3) with the playoffs scheduled to start Sept. 5. This gives the higher seed in the playoffs home games on the weekend instead of mid-week.

* The league is going back to a two-division format. Washington is in the East with Chillicothe, Florence, Kalamazoo, Traverse City and the Midwest Sliders, who will be a travel team this season. I assume this means the top two teams in each division make the playoffs.

* The all-star break will be four days instead of three. The all-star game will be played at Traverse City.

One note from this week: Windy City manager Andy Haines, who guided the ThunderBolts to the best record in league history and the championship in 2007, has taken a job with the Florida Marlins. Haines will be the Marlins' defensive corodinator during extended spring training and the hitting coach for Florida's rookie-level Gulf Coast League team.

Here is a pdf link to the Wild Things' schedule:

2008 Wild Things schedule.

Ex-Frontier Leaguer on 40-man

Though he never played for the Wild Things, I thought I'd put this on the blog. Patterson is a West Allegheny High School product who pitched for the Gateway Grizzlies and was an instructor at the Bianco School of Baseball located between Hendersonville and Lawrence.

Check out the story here.

Wild idea: Things offer Bonds

Here is the press release from the Wild Things that has created plenty of publicity, including a spot on ESPN's "SportsCenter" this evening:

Washington Offers Barry Bonds a Contract
Wild Things Offer Bonds an Opportunity to Return to Pittsburgh Market

Washington, PA - The Independent Frontier League’s Washington Wild Things, presented by Washington Federal Savings Bank, have offered a contract to Barry Bonds, according to officials. Bonds, the seven-time MVP, is the all-time Major League home run leader with 762, passing Hank Aaron (755 HR) during the 2007 season. Bonds owns the Major League Baseball single-season records for home runs (73 in 2001), walks (232 in 2004), on-base pct. (.609 in 2004), slugging pct. (.863 in 2001), HR ratio (6.52 in 2001), and HR pct. (12.06 in 2004). Bonds batted .276 with 28 home runs and 66 RBI in 126 games last season. Bonds sports a .298 career batting average and 1,996 RBI in 22 Major League seasons.

A move to the Wild Things’ organization would give Bonds the opportunity to return to the market where he started his Major League career. Bonds debuted with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1986, playing seven seasons in Western Pennsylvania prior to signing a contract with the San Francisco Giants in 1993. “Many of the great one’s eventually return to where their careers began,” said Wild Things General Manager Ross Vecchio. “Babe Ruth began his career with the Red Sox and then finished with the Boston Braves; Willie Mays started with the New York Giants and finished his career with the Mets; and, of course, Hank Aaron began and finished his career in Milwaukee (Braves & Brewers). This contract gives Barry the opportunity to play once again in Western, PA as he continues his career.”

According to the Wild Things, Bonds’ contract offer includes a base salary as well as a number of incentives. “He will have the opportunity to meet certain bonus levels based on breaking any Frontier League single-season offensive record,” explained Vecchio.

Bonus Level A for hitting 36 Home Runs (record 35 by Morgan Burkhardt in 1998)
Bonus Level A for 101 RBI (record 100 by Pete Pirman in 2005)
Bonus Level A for 86 Base on Balls (record 85 by Burkhardt in 1998)
Bonus Level B for breaking single season record in any of the following categories: batting average, games played, at-bats, runs scored, hits, total bases, doubles, triples, hit by pitch, and/or stolen bases

In addition, Bonds’ contract offer includes other considerations including a single king-sized room when the team is on road; 50% of all net proceeds of individual Barry Bonds/Wild Things merchandise; and The Wild Things will provide Bonds a host family if needed.