He's back - but not in Washington

One of the worst-kept secrets in the Frontier League (there aren't many that are kept) was made public today when John Massarelli was announced as the manager of the Avon, Ohio, franchise that will begin play in 2009.

Massarelli spent four seasons (2004-07) as manager of the Wild Things and had a 239-143 career record and took the team to the playoff in each season. His .626 regular-season winning percentage is the best in FL history.

"We are pleased to have been able to sign a manager of John's caliber," Steven Edelson, managing partner of Avon Professional Baseball, told the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. "He has had great success within the league and we are confident that he is the leader we need to build a championship quality team in Avon."

Massarelli was out of baseball last season after resigning from the Wild Things' job.

"I heard a team was coming to the west side (of Cleveland) and thought it would be the perfect spot for the Frontier League — it’s right in the middle of the division," Massarelli, a Canton, Ohio, resident, told the Chroncile-Telegram. “I was about as aggressive as I’ve ever been for a position. To do what I love and stay home was a great opportunity.”

Talking old age

When teams start putting together their rosters for 2009, the first thing they do is eliminate the players who exceed the Frontier League's age limit. No player in the league can turn 27 years old prior to Jan. 1, 2009 to be eligible next year. That means anyone on a FL roster in 2008 and was born in 1981 (gosh, that was the year I graduated high school. This makes me feel like an old-timer) will be too old to play next season. Here are the players who aged out of the league and their statistics in 2008:

Washington:
RHP Aaron Ledbetter (9-6, 5.10, Pitcher of Year in 2007).

Chillicothe:
LHP Joe Brown (4-2, 5 saves, 3.74).

Florence:
3B Kelly Hunt (.310, league-high 26 HR, 73 RBI, league all-star)
C Josh Lex (.271, 6 HR, 28 RBI)
1B-OF Angel Molina (.327, 22 HR, 71 RBI, league all-star)

Kalamazoo:
RHP Jeff Long (9-4, 3.83)
C Mike Russell (.285, 19 HR, 75 RBI)

Midwest:
None

Traverse City:
None

Evansville:
None

Gateway:
1B Mike Breyman (.299, 24 HR, 86 RBI, FL's all-time hits leader).

River City:
LHP Scott Fogelson (5-10, 5.33)
RHP Pat Evers (2-0, 1.50)
SS Greg Stone (.218, 1 HR, 24 RBI)

Rockford:
LHP Garrett Bauer (10-6, 2.98)

Southern Illinois:
3B Brandon Jones (.276, 18 HR, 75 RBI)
RHP Chris Little (9-4, 2.90)
SS Mike Scanzano (.256, 1 HR, 38 RBI)

Windy City:
None

You thought the Astros had it bad...

If you thought the Houston Astros received raw deal by having to play two "home" games against the Chicago Cubs in Milwaukee, then check out what has happened to the Kalamazoo Kings in the Frontier League championship series.

Because of flooding in Kalamazoo, particularly at Homer Stryker Field (what a great name for a ballpark), the entire championship series has been moved to Windy City's Standard Bank Stadium beginning tonight. Kalamazoo will be the home team in Games 1,2 and 5.

Homer Stryker Field, pictured, was flooded Monday, a day before the Kings were to open the series against the Windy City Thunderbolts. Neither team has played since winning their first-round series Sept. 9.

The Kalamazoo River, which runs alongside Mayors' Riverfront Park near the stadium, crested Sunday night, causing more than three feet of water to flood the field, dugouts and grandstands.

``If a picture is worth 1,000 words, this one is worth 10,000,'' Kings manager Fran Riordan todl the Kalamazoo Gazette late Monday morning.

``We obviously would've liked to play the series in both cities, but this also demonstrates to our fans how Frontier League teams can work together,'' Frontier League commissioner Bill Lee said.

Up in smoke

Here's the final count of blown saves for each team from the 2008 season:
15 - Chillicothe
15 - Midwest
15 - Washington
15 - Windy City
12 - Southern Illinois
11 - Traverse City
9 - Florence
9 - Kalamazoo
9 - River City
9 - Rockford
7 - Evansville
6 - Gateway

Another managerial opening

There are now two managerial openings in the Frontier League and the latest has ties to the Wild Things. Traverse City has announced today it will not renew the contract of Jon Cahill when it expires at the end of the month.

Cahill, pictured, was the Wild Things' starting shortstop on their 2003 and '04 teams.

Traverse City finished 50-46 and in second place in the East Division this season. The Beach Bums were one game behind Gateway for the final playoff spot.

In two seasons managing in the northern Michigan resort town, Cahill had a 96-96 record.

This season, the Beach Bums raced out of the gate quickly and were 16-6 at one point. The Beach Bums faded down the stretch going 20-25 over their final 45 games.

In fairness to Cahill, the Beach Bums lost their best hitter in Mike Goetz (.314) after 66 games when the Pirates signed him, their best pitcher in Bryan Rembisz (2-1, 2.60) early in the year when the Angels signed him and Jake Whitesides, who was their top RBI guy when he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in August. The Traverse City team at the end of the season wasn't nearly as good as the one that started June.

Here's hoping Cahill lands another job in the Frontier League because he's one of the best people who have come through Consol Energy Park.

Read story here.

One manager gone

At least one team in the Frontier League will have a new manager next season. The River City Rascals are not bringing back Toby Rumfield, pictured, who guided the Rascals to an 83-109 record in two seasons. The Rascals were 47-49 this year and finished fifth in the West Division. River City has not made the playoffs since 2000.

Here is a season wrapup story from the St. Charles Journal that mentions Rumfield will not be returning. By the way, Rumfield's wife, Kari, is the general manager of the Florence Freedom.

River City story.

Finals set

The East Division champion Kalamazoo Kings will face the West Division champion Windy City ThunderBolts in the Frontier League championship series beginning Saturday night. The Kings beat the Gateway Grizzlies 6-4 Tuesday night to win that series 3-1. The defending champion ThunderBolts outslugged the Southern Illinois 10-6 in Game 4 to win the series 3-1.

Kalamazoo and Windy City split their six meetings during regular season and have not faced each other since June 12.

I give Kalamazoo the edge in power, pitching and infield defense. Windy City has the edge in outfield defense and playoff experience. My head tells me never to count out a team managed by Fran Riordan (three league titles) but I'm giving the nod to Windy City based on having players who have won a championship. The ThunderBolts know what it takes to win a tough series. Look for this one to go five games.

Quality stuff

One of the statistics I keep throughout the season is quality starts. If a starting pitcher goes six innings and gives up three earned runs or less, he gets a quality start. This, however, is not an official Frontier League statistic.

Here are the quality starts for each team this season:

53 - Traverse City
49 - Kalamazoo
44 - Gateway
44 - Southern Illinois
42 - Rockford
42 - Windy City
40 - Florence
37 - Midwest
34 - Washington
33 - River City
28 - Evansville
27 - Chillicothe

Washington had 38 quality starts last year and 44 in 2006. The 53 quality starts by Traverse City is the most in the league since I've been keeping the statistics.

Playoff update

As the Frontier League playoffs paused for an off day Sunday, the defending champion Windy City ThunderBolts have a 2-0 lead on the Southern Illinois Miners, and the Kalamazoo Kings-Gateway Grizzlies series is even at 1-1. Game 3s will be played Monday at Southern Illinois and Gateway.

Kalamazoo's John Brownell pitched a one-hit shutout in the Kings' 6-0 win in Game 2. Brownell took a no-hitter into the eighth inning before Gateway third baseman Carter McQuigg doubled down the left-field line.

Windy City has the 2-0 series lead but how the ThunderBolts reached this point has to make you shake your head in disbelief.

In Game 1, won by the ThunderBolts in 10 innings, Windy City shortstop Wes Long committed six errors.

That's SIX(!) errors.

Long led the Frontier League in errors during the regular season with 35 – eight more than the second-highest total. He committed almost half as many errors in one playoff game as Washington shortstop Brett Grandstrand did all season (13).

Who says you need defense to win?

In the Windy City-Southern Illinois series, there has been 26 runs and only 11 of those have been earned.

In Game 2, Windy City starter Isaac Hess walked eight batters in 5 2/3 innings but the ThunderBolts won 7-2. Of course, Hess allowed only one hit.

Hangin' with the manager

Here are some leftovers quotes from an interview last week with Wild Things manager Greg Jelks:

On team chemistry: "In my six years in the league, this was probably the most trying season I've had getting kids to understand our system, what we expect out of them and having them follow that road."

On missing the playoffs: We should have had a better chance at making the playoffs at the end because of the number of games we blew up until August. If you take some of those away, we're probably in. I guess you can say that with everything that happened along the way – the way we started, the way the bullpen was inconsistent until August, that we had something like only seven players who were with us in spring training through the end – we probably shouldn't have been in the race. The kids did the best they could do under the circumstances we had. When you look at it, some players played up to their potential, but we had nothing special in the lineup outside of Jacob Dempsey."

What needs to be done for next year: "We have to address our pitching - our starting pitching and our bullpen. We have to get a closer. That's the major priority. I also want to bring in some athletes into spring training, guys who can play multiple positions and have some speed. This ballpark makes you build your team on speed.

"We'll come back next year with a returning nucleus of players. A couple we won't bring back, some we'll wipe our hands of, some have to be put in different roles for us to be successful. I've always believed you have to be solid up the middle defensively, and with what we have coming back in center field, shortstop and second base, that's a good starting point."

Playoffs are set

It took every night of the season, but the matchups for the Frontier League playoffs have been determined.

The East Division champion Kalamazoo Kings will play the Gateway Grizzlies in one first-round series and the defending champion Windy City ThunderBolts face the Southern Illinois Miners. Windy City edged Southern Illinois for the West Division title.

Kalamazoo defeated Traverse City 4-3 Wednesday night to gain home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

I'm picking Kalamazoo in four games and Windy City in five. I think the Kings have an edge in pitching and speed, plus the power in their lineup negates any advantage Gateway has at hitter-friendly GCS Ballpark. Game 1 in the Windy City-Southern Illlinois series will be the key if it matches the ThunderBolts' Ross Stout (11-3, 2.57) against the Miners' Ryan Bird (13-3, 2.48). I'll side with the ThunderBolts, who have the edge in postseason experience.

I'd love to know who the one person is who voted for Kalamazoo on this blog's poll to win the East Division title. Windy City was the favorite choice in the West.

Swan song for Chillicothe

It appears the Chillicothe Paints' 16-year run in the Frontier League will end tonight with a game against the Florence Freedom. Chillicothe is the last of the league's original franchises.

Unfortunately for the fine folks in Chillicothe, the Frontier League simply outgrew the Paints' market and budget. It has been rumored for much of the summer that Chillicothe would be pulling out of the league at season's end. The Paints are last in the FL in attendance at 1,283 per game.

The Paints have been the Wild Things' main and closest rival since Washington joined the league in 2002. The Paints and Wild Things met twice in the playoffs with Chillicothe winning both times.

This clears the way for the Paints to move to Avon, Ohio, for 2009.

Final game for Paints.

Final game for Paints2.

No rest for the weary

Here is a story from the Lancaster (Pa.) Intelligencer-Journal about the schedule in the Atlantic League, considered the top independent league. The Atlantic plays a 140-game schedule in 150 days. There is only one scheduled off day from July 29 to Sept. 21.

By comparison, the Frontier League plays 96 games in 106 days. There are three scheduled off days between July 29 and the end of its regular season Sept. 3.

The Frontier League prefers to run its league from the Wednesday before Memorial Day to the Wednesday after Labor Day, a span of 15 weeks. It will be interesting to see what the 2009 schedule looks like. Because of when the holidays fall next year, there is an extra week between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Do that mean more games?

Atlantic League schedule story.