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Patrick Stanley, who spent parts of two seasons with the Wild Things, set a Newark Bears franchise record Saturday night by striking out 15 batters and tossing a three-hitter as Newark defeated Lancaster 7-1 in the independent Atlantic League. The Atlantic is considered the top level of independent baseball. Among Stanley's temmates in Newark are former Pirates infielders Randall Simon and Bobby Hill.

Cheers to the cherring section

A search through the boxscores shows that the announced crowd for last night's game between the Wild Things and Florence Freedom wasn't the smallest for a Saturday night game at Consol Energy Park. For the record, attendance was announced at 2,908. However, the number of people in the ballpark was significantly smaller, in large part because of the Penguins-Red Wings Stanley Cup finals game, and in small part because of the weather (a brief but heavy rain hit Washington around 5 p.m.).

The Wild Things rallied to beat Florence 10-6 by getting eight shutout innings from the bullpen. Eight batters into the game, Washington trailed 6-0 and it seemed like it was going to be a long night for the Wild Things. Instead, it was another game in a long list of improbable come-from-behind wins at home for Washington. And it seems more of these whacky wins come on Saturday than any other night.

Manager Greg Jelks tried to explain how the Wild Things win so many games at home with late-inning comebacks. It was interesting that he didn't say it's because of hitting, pitching or fielding. He says it starts with the crowds.

"There was what, about 1,500 people in the stands at the end? But when you get great baseball people who still cheer you on, anything is possible," Jelks said. "It would have been easy to boo us early, but the people in the stands continued to cheer. That gets noticed. And that's why, over a period of years, Washington has won games like that."

The crowd was the smallest for a Saturday since June 30 of last year when 2,907 were on hand for a game against Slippery Rock. The smallest for a Saturday game in the ballpark's history is 2,525 on May 29, 2003 against the Richmond Roosters.

Another roster move

The Wild Things continue to patch their pitching staff. Prior to the game Saturday night against the Floence Freedom, Washington placed right-handed pitcher John Leonard on injured reserve and signed right-hander Mike Schellinger.

Leonard has been bothered all spring by a sore shoulder. He left an outing Wednesday night when the injury flared up.

Schellinger began the year with Joliet of the independent Northern League and had an 0-1 record and 15.63 ERA in four games. A Syracuse native, Schellinger spent three years in the St. Louis Cardinals’ system after playing three seasons at SUNY-Oneonta. He had a 6-4 record with one save and a 3.62 ERA in 33 games last year for Quad Cities of the Class A Midwest League.

Schellinger missed the entire 2006 seasonbecause of microfractures in his elbow that required surgery.

Roster moves

The Wild Things made the first of what could be several roster moves (just a hunch) prior to next week's road trip to Southern Illinois and River City.

Kevin Reese, a right-handed pitcher who played this spring for Lafayette College, has been signed and outfielder Mike Butia (right) has retired.

Reese had a 4-5 record and 2.90 ERA this year at Lafayette. He gave up only 55 hits in 68.1 innings pitched. As a junior, Reese had a 7-1 record.

Butia, a former 5th-round draft pick of the Cleveland Indians, was a player the Wild Things long coveted and was supposed to be a power bat in the middle of the lineup. The former North Allegheny High School standout was batting only .174 (4-for-23 with 8 strikeouts).

Butia was one of three veterans - players with the equivalent of at least three years of pro experience - on the Wild Things' roster. Veterans are typically the most reliable and productive players on the roster, and Washington has rarely been without the league-limit of three veterans. Thus, it's likely a vet will soon be added to the roster.

Butia's retirement means the Wild Things have only three outfielders (don't count Jacob Dempsey, he's a designated hitter). That means infielder Phil Butch will be the emergency outfielder.

Why is this man smiling?

Greg Jelks, the first-year Wild Things manager, was upset with his ballclub after a Memorial Day meltdown against Traverse City. Jelks said his team wasn't prepared to play and hinted that changes would be in store if the situation happens again.

If Jelks was angry after the 13-3 loss to the Beach Bums, how is he feeling today?

Washington followed the setback against Traverse City with two losses in a 15-hour span in Kalamazoo. During a lackluster 10-0 loss Tuesday night, Washington was one-hit by the Kings' Trent Lare. The Wild Things mustered only two baserunners all night, including just one after the first inning. Washington played much better Tuesday morning but some of the same old problems – too many walks by the starting pitcher, a lack of clutch hitting and inconsistent relief pitching - led to a 6-5 loss.

This leaves the Wild Things with a 1-6 record and its worst start in the franchise's seven seasons.

Yes, 1-6 is lousy. No one wanted or expected this kind of start, but it's not predictive of anything. The sky is not falling. The season is not over. Keep in mind that Washington was saddled with a 1-5 record during its inaugural season (2002) and ended up setting the league record for wins.

Is this a team that can rebound from a 1-6 start to be a playoff contender? Is this even a good team? We don't know. It's too early in the season to draw any definitive conclusions. It will take more than one week's worth of games to find out. There are, however, some things that must change. Washington entered Wednesday's game last in the Frontier League in runs scored, home runs, walks drawn and stolen bases. The Wild Things were next-to-last in ERA and quality starts.

The Wild Things' track record indicates that no major roster overhaul is in the works. The theory in Washington has been stick with the core group of players and add a couple of former college guys following Major League Baseball's first-year player draft (which will be held next week). After all, baseball is always about the long haul and patience is required. You don't blow up your roster after one week.

For openers...

Three games does not a make a season, or even a week, but here are some early impressions and notes on the Wild Things and their opponent this weekend, the Traverse City Beach Bums:

* Washington is off to its usual slow start, though it is 0-3 for the first time in its seven-year history. About the start, manager Greg Jelks hit on something interesting following a 13-3 loss to the Beach Bums in the home opener Saturday. He said the disjointed schedule has hampered his team. The Wild Things had a rain-plagued spring training, then played two road games in less than 16 hours, then took four days off before the home opener. It was sit and watch it rain for two weeks, then hurry and play two games, then sit and wait for four days. It's hard to build any momentum that way.

* I like the Wild Things' offense. This team is going to score a lot of runs. There is speed at the top of the order, and if Robbie Knapp is hitting all the way down in the No. 7 spot - as he did Saturday - then there must be some punch in the middle of the lineup.

* I wonder if Traverse City designated hitter/outfielder Jake Whitesides is the first nine-year pro to play in the Frontier League.

* Having second baseman Steve Young healthy for an entire season will be a huge boost for Traverse City. Young, who missed most of last season with an injury, made two stellar defensive plays against the Wild Things.

* The most impressive part of the Beach Bums' 13-3 win was that it was done following a 15-hour bus trip from Traverse City that included a breakdown near Toledo. The Beach Bums didn't reach Washington until 2:30 p.m. Saturday. It would have been easy for Traverse City to simply go through the motions, but all the Beach Bums did was hand the Wild Things their worst home loss in nearly a year.

* The crowd of 3,119 was the smallest for a home opener at Consol Energy Park but still respectable when you consider the Penguins were playing Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals Saturday night. The previous low attendance at a home opener was 3,207 in 2005.

This and that

A few random thoughts and notes:

* Here is one example of why making accurate preseason predictions for the Frontier League are so difficult: Evansville and Traverse City, a pair of last-place teams last year, are a combined 6-0 this year. Washington, Windy City and Gateway, the three teams with the best records in the league last year, are only 1-7.

We're only one series into the season for each team and it's far too early to call Evansville and Traverse City the top two teams in the league, but nobody expected the Otters to open the season by sweeping Windy City. Not with the TunderBolts having 12 players back from last year's championship team.

What makes it so hard to judge the talent level in the FL from year to year is, this is a league in which players rarely see their production remain the same. Guys who were marginal or role players one season come back the next and are often top-level in the league. It works the other way too. Often guys who were among the best in the league see their production tail off significantly for various reasons, whether they didn't work hard enough in the offseason or the league figures out how to get them out. And it always seems that guys who were released in spring training by affiliated clubs have the huge head start on FL veterans and make immediate impacts.

That's what makes players like Washington's Aaron Ledbetter, Chillicothe's Travis Garcia and Gateway's Mike Breyman so impressive. They have been among the best in the league for at least three years and their numbers have been consistent throughout their FL careers.

* One day after saying John Leonard will pitch the first game of the series at Kalamazoo on Tuesday, manager Greg Jelks has made a change to the Wild Things' rotation. Chris Rivera will start Tuesday's game with Leonard pitching out of the bullpen the first time through the rotation. The plan is for Leonard to take the No. 4 spot in the rotation the second time around, which will be Sunday, June 1 against Florence. Rivera will then return to the bullpen.

For openers

Manager Greg Jelks has set his pitching rotation for the upcoming series against Traverse City and the road trip to Kalamazoo.

Aaron Ledbetter will pitch Saturday night's home opener with J.J. Hollenbeck throwing Sunday evening. Alan Stidfole will go to the mound in the Memorial Day afternoon (2:05) game.

The Wild Things begin a three-game series Tuesday night in Kalamazoo. John Leonard will pitch the opener with Michael Eisenberg set to be activated from injured reserve to pitch the middle game of the series.

That means that Chris Rivera, who started two games for Washington last year before having his contract sold to the Chicago Cubs, will be used as a reliever. Rivera pitched in relief in the Cubs' system.

"Our original plan was to use Rivera as a reliever and spot starter," Jelks said. "That was, until Eisenberg was injured and Leonard developed a tender shoulder. When those things happened, we decided we were going to use Rivera as a starter. But we thought it would take longer for Eisenberg and Leonard to get back. With those guys returning, Rivera goes back to being a reliever."


One roster move has been made during the current four-day break between series. Right-handed pitcher Travis Miller has retired for "personal reasons." The Wild Things will go with only 23 players on the roster until Eisenberg (strained groin) is activated Wednesday.

As of Thursday afternoon, tickets remained for the home opener. With the Penguins playing Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Saturday night, filling Consol Energy Park could be a difficult task. The weather forecast is calling for a nice night, so we'll see how much of a draw fireworks and a home opener can be. At the five home openers Wednesday in the Frontier League, the average attendance was 3,653. Chillicothe drew 2,647 for its opener Sunday.

Slow out of the blocks

Two down, 94 to go. So what have we learned from the Wild Things' first two games?

* Washington is off to what has become its typically slow start. In seven seasons, the Wild Things have started 0-2 three times. With the exception of last year and 2005, they have struggled to get to .500 by June. The franchise's worst start was back in 2002 - the inaugural season - when they began 0-2 and 1-5 but ended up setting the league record for wins in a season.

* If Frontier League games were only seven innings, then the Wild Things would be 2-0. The bullpen had a rough two days in Chillicothe. If you throw out the outing by Chris Rivera - a starter who made a relief appearance in the opener - the bullpen's ERA was 10.38 with two blown saves.

Ouch!

The Wild Things didn't have their second blown save last year until July 17.

* The biggest surprise from the two games in Chillicothe was that outfielder Matt Sutton did not start either contest.

* It appears the plan is not to use Ian Heisel in back-to-back games, at least early in the season. Heisel is coming off an injury that ended his season in July last year and the coaching staff doesn't want to overwork him in the first half of the season.

* Kris Rochelle is going to be a solid defensive catcher and tough to steal bases against.

* Washington had baserunners thrown out at third base in each game. A trend that has carried over from last year?
* Robbie Knapp still kills Chillicothe pitching.

* When you put 1,800 rowdy school kids in V.A. Memorial Stadium for a morning game, it makes WJPA Radio's Randy Gore sound like he's broadcasting from inside a Chuck E. Cheese.

* The above photo is from our friends at the Chillicothe Gazette.

Disc is a hit with Dempsey

Here's a shor Youtube video from a couple of years ago with Jacob Dempsey endorsing a product called "The Hitting Disc."

Check out the video here.

Letter from camp

Some final thoughts about the Wild Things' spring training and final roster cuts:

* It was insane to attempt to play exhibition games on the kind of field conditions that existed Friday and Saturday at Consol Energy Park. The conditions in the outfield were more suited for fishing than baseball. Perhaps that's why one Wild Things player attempted to turn a baseball bat and some string into a makeshift fishing pole Friday morning. I don't like artificial turf for baseball, but if there is one field that needs the fake grass, then it's CEP. If money is going to be spent on renovating or changing the playing surface, my first choice would be to tear up the outfield, install an adequate drainage system and then put sod back down. What is under the outfield now is not a drainage system. It's on par, in terms of drying power, to a roll of paper towels.

* Biggest surprise of camp? It's that both players selected in the Frontier League draft – right-handed pitcher Kyle Dempsey and left-handed pitcher Dan Horvath - made the team. Each had three fewer days of spring training than their competition. Dempsey is the hardest thrower on the team, which is amazing when you consider he's the smallest pitcher (6-0, 180) and has been pitching for only two years. Though Horvath's numbers last year as a senior at Bowling Green were mediocre, he's shown an ability to consistently throw strikes. You know what they say about lefties who throw strikes, right?

* I can't say there was a surprise among the final cuts. I think Jared Shaffer had made the team until he gave up five hits and three walks in two innings of his start Friday night against Chillicothe.

There's no doubt that several players released by the Wild Things can contribute in the league. Outfielder Nate Parks has a lot of potential but he's a rookie. Parks' fate was probably sealed when Washington signed Adam Heffron, an outfielder who played parts of two seasons in the Frontier League, including one under Wild Things manager Greg Jelks.

Left-handed pitcher Matt Foard can help some clubs. I didn't see enough of lefty Matt Nelson, a Ringgold High School product, to make an evaluation but he did retire the Paints in order before the rain came Saturday night.

* Nathan Messner was in town this week. The Wild Things' first baseman last year got a second opinion on his sore shoulder. Apparently, he doesn't have a torn labrum after all. He could return after a rehabilitation program that begins next week.

* I'm sick of rain. At least it's not snow.

Opening roster set

Here is the Wild Things' roster for the season opener Sunday at Chillicothe:

Pitchers (11)
Corey Bachman
Kyle Dempsey
Ian Heisel
J.J. Hollenbeck
Dan Horvath
Aaron Ledbetter
John Leonard
Matt Maradeo
Travis Miller
Chris Rivera
Alan Stidfole

Catchers (2)
Pat O'Brien
Kris Rochelle

Infielders (6)
John Alonso
Jeff Beachum
Phil Butch
Chris Carrara
Robbie Knapp
Rene Quintana

Outfielders (5)
Mike Butia
Jacob Dempsey
Adam Heffron
Chris Sidick
Matt Sutton

Injured Reserve (1)
P-Michael Eisenberg

Released in the final cut:
LHP-Ryan Davis
LHP-Matt Foard
LHP-Matt Nelson
RHP-Kevin Salmon
RHP-Jared Shaffer
OF-Nate Parks

Normal for the Frontier League

Here's a story about Mike Veeck, of the famous Veeck family, wanting to put a Frontier League team in Normal, Ill.

Check out the story here.

Frontier League East Divsion preview

Chillicothe Paints

Last year: 47-49, 2nd in East
Manager: Mark Mason (2nd year)
Key returnees: 3B Adrian Cantu (.303, 13 HR, 61 RBI); RHP Ryan Flanigan (9-2, league-best 1.28 ERA, 4 saves); SS Travis Garcia (.307, 19 HR, 70 RBI, 12 SB, league MVP); RHP Brian McCullough (4-2, 2.01); 1B Jon Poterson (.231, 27 doubles, 65 RBI).
Newcomers: LHP Joe Brown (46 strikeouts in 38.1 IP for Lincoln of American Association); LHP Brian Gartley (10-3, 2.31 for Bradenton of South Coast League); 2B Drew Saylor (first team All-American at Kent State in 2006).
Noteworthy: Chillicothe is the only franchise from the league's first season (1993) that is still in its city of origin.
Outlook: Much of the blame for the Paints' struggles last year was directed at the starting pitchers, who combined for a 5.14 ERA. The hitters, however, contributed to a slow start too and finished 10th in the league in average. Expect a better year from Poterson and Saylor will be an impact newcomer. The addition of former Wild Thing reliever Stephen Spragg makes an already good bullpen even better. To beat the Paints, you have to get a lead before the seventh inning, which means it all comes down the starting pitching for Chillicothe. Doesn't it always come down to pitching?

Florence Freedom

Last year: 42-54, 3rd in East
Manager: Jamie Keefe (4th year)
Key returnees: OF Ryan Basham (.298, 17 HR, 74 RBI); LHP Josh Bruns (5-2, 3.65); 3B Tim Grogan (9 HR, 45 RBI).
Newcomers: LHP Chris Ingoglia; SS Jeff Landry (.291, 18 doubles for River City); OF Garth McKinney (6 years as pro, hit 23 home runs in Class A Florida State League in 2005); OF Angel Molina (8 years as pro, 78 games at Class AA, 301 career RBI).
Noteworthy: Basham was the league's Rookie of the Year last season.
Outlook: The Freedom had a chance to make the playoffs for the first time in team history but stumbled down the stretch, going 9-24 over the last 33 games. Keefe has stocked up on experienced power hitters to take advantage of Champion Window Field's small dimensions. Florence also signed five left-handed pitchers, perhaps with the lefty-oriented lineup of Washington in mind. The Freedom is always tough to figure out but one thing is certain this year: There will be plenty of homers flying out of Florence. If enough of them are hit by the home team, then Florence could slug its way into the postseason.

Kalamazoo Kings
Last year: 51-45, 3rd in Central
Manager: Fran Riordan (5th year)
Key returnees: OF Jeff Grose (.314, 13 SB); RHP Jeff Long (11-5, 3.85); RHP Sam Mann (6-2, 3.65); C Mike Russell (.255, 17 HR, 61 RB); 3B Joe Ramos (.302, 34 doubles, 32 SB).
Newcomers: OF Casey Bowling (.267, 9 HR for Slippery Rock); RHP Brandon Parillo (10-9, 3.38 in 3 years in Brewers' system); 1B Chad Rothford (.273, 9 HR in Class A).
Noteworthy: Riordan played in more games (411) than any player in Frontier League history.
Outlook: The Kings went 3-12 down the stretch and faded from the playoff race. That they stuck around that long with a rather pedestrian pitching staff was a credit to the offense and Riordan, who consistently produces competitive teams. He's won three league championships, but don't count on No. 4 for Riordan this year. Then again, never count out a Riordan-managed team, especially this one because it will hit.


Midwest Sliders

Last year: 29-66, 4th in East as Slippery Rock Sliders
Manager: Eric Coleman (1st year)
Key returnees: OF Anthony Albano (.282, 15 doubles); C Bryan Vickers (.254, 9 HR)
Newcomers: RHP Albert Ayala (5-5 for River City); LHP Drew Bigda (1st pick in league draft, 3 years in Devil Rays' system); 3B Angel Colon (.245, 7 HR for River City); OF Rob Vernon (.258, 15 SB for Washington).
Noteworthy: The Sliders will relocat to Holland, Mich., next season and be renamed the Oakland County Cruisers
Outlook: Coleman has the toughest job in the league as the Sliders will play all 96 games on the road. The team is the youngest in the league, though there is some proven players, such as Albano and Vernon. The Ohio Valley Redcoats were a travel team in 2005 and managed to stay in the playoff race until August. Don't expect the Sliders to be near the top of the standings that long.


Traverse City Beach Bums

Last year: 46-50, 4th in Central
Manager: Jon Cahill (2nd year)
Key returnees: LHP Ryan Gehring (7-8, 4.50); RHP David Nathanson (5-2, 2.95); RHP Bryan Rembisz (7-0, 1.87).
Newcomers: OF Mike Epping (25 games at Class AAA last year); OF Mike Goetz (.318, 11 SB in rookie league); OF Jake Whitesides (8 years as a pro, led Frontier League in triples in 2003);
Noteworthy: The Beach Bums, who will host the all-star game July 16, have installed an artificial turf playing surface at Wuerfel Park. They are one of three teams in the league to play on fake grass.
Outlook: The busiest team in the offseason, the Beach Bums have upgraded their offense with the addition of Epping, Goetz and Whitesides. The latter has been an oustanding hitter throughout his career. Having speedy and slick-fielding 2B Steven Young healthy is a must. He was injured last year. Traverse City closed the 2007 season by going 21-13 and will carry momentum into this year. Don't overlook this team.

Washington Wild Things

Last year: 55-40, 1st in East, lost to Windy City in finals
Manager: Greg Jelks (1st year)
Key returnees: 3B Robbie Knapp (.306, 13 HR, 66 RBI); RHP Ian Heisel (1-1, 6 saves, 2.14); RHP J.J. Hollenbeck (6-4, 3.41); RHP Aaron Ledbetter (14-2, 2.71, Pitcher of Year); OF Chris Sidick (.244, 13 HR, 22 SB, league-leading 75 walks); OF Matt Sutton (.295, 12 HR, 26 SB).
Newcomers: OF Mike Butia (27 HR in 4 season in Indians' system); DH Jacob Dempsey (.262, 7 HR for Class A Batavia in 2006); RHP Matt Maradeo (0-3, 2 saves, 2.96 for Class A Peoria).
Noteworthy: The Wild Things' .630 all-time winning percentage is the best in league history.
Outlook: Can the Wild Things make it to the playoffs for a record seven years in a row? The talent is comparable to past editions, but the league is expected to be more competitive this season. Ledbetter is the winningest pitcher in league history and Hollenbeck has developed into a quality starter, but the remainder of the rotation is unproven. A key could be the health of closer Ian Heisel.

West Division preview

Evansville Otters

Last year: 34-62, 4th in West
Manager: Jason Verdugo (1st year)
Key returnees: SS Ryan Bethel (.247, 45 RBI, re-acquired from Washington); RHP Justin Jordan (6-8, 3.13).
Newcomers: LHP Ben Foster (9-5 for Evansville in 2005. Retired after 2 games in 2006); OF Trey Hendricks (.258, 10 HR for River City); OF Jose Pineda (7 years in Athletics' system, 35 HR over last 2 years in Class A).
Noteworthy: Though he spent eight years in professional baseball, Verdugo is better known for being the backup quarterback at Arizona State, behind starter Jake Plummer, in the mid-1990s.
Outlook: Verdugo, who was the pitching coach for St. Paul of the independent American Association the last three years, inherits a major rebuilding job. The Otters were next-to-last in the league in batting average (.241) and hit the fewest home runs (43) in 2007. Pineda was brought in to boost the offense and the addition of Hendricks should help, but there are still too many areas that need major upgrades. More wins are likely but asking for a .500 season might be too much.

Gateway Grizzlies

Last year: 64-29, 1st in West, lost to Washington in playoffs
Manager: Phil Warren (2nd year)
Key returnees: 1B Mike Breyman (.331, 22 HR, 70 RBI); RHP Eric Dessau (14-2, 3.13); OF Stephen Holdren (.311, 23 HR, 73 RBI); 3B Manny Paula (.299, 15 HR); RHP Eric Ridener (2-1, 20 saves, 2.11); OF Jeff Vincent (.279, 21 SB).
Newcomers: OF Michael Campbell (Male Athlete of Year at South Carolina in 2006); 2B Ryne Malone (led Florida State in home runs in 2006).
Noteworthy: The Grizzlies play in Sauget, Ill., - population 249 acording to the latest census - the smallest town with a professional baseball team.
Outlook: There is no shortage of offense with the Grizzlies, who return six starting position players from a club that hit 75 more home runs than any other team last season. Just how far the Grizzlies go depends on the pitching staff. Dessau tied for the league lead in wins, but the pitchers couldn't keep the ball in the park in the playoff loss to Washington. Will battle for the division title.

River City Rascals

Last year: 36-60, 3rd in West
Manager: Toby Rumfield (2nd year)
Key returnees: RHP Mike Benacka (2-5, 5.01, 20 saves, 60 strikeouts in 41.1 IP); SS Brad Hough (.285, 10 HR, 18 SB); OF Phil Laurent (.341, 12 HR, 46 RBI); OF Jeff Miller (.307, 7 HR); 1B Bobby Mosby (.273, 19 HR, 53 RBI).
Newcomers: OF Luke Barganier (.292 for Bradenton in South Coast League); RHP Armando Carrasco (6-2, 2.19 for Class A Quad City); LHP Scott Fogelson (6-7, 3.90 for Kalamazoo and Florence); RHP Danny Powers (34 games at Class AA last year); SS Greg Stone (.271 for Florence).
Noteworthy: River City has not made the playoffs since 2000, the longest postseason drought in the league.
Outlook: With a lineup that includes Hough, Laurent, Mosby and Barganier, the Rascals will score runs in bunches. The question is can anybody here pitch? Or play defense? Last year, the Rascals used 20 starting pitchers who combined for a 24-42 record and 5.66 ERA. And that was with a defense that led the league in errors. Carrasco and Powers should be two impact newcomers. If the pitching and defense improves significantly, then the Rascals could find their way into the pennant race.

Rockford RiverHawks

Last year: 52-43, 2nd in Central, lost to Windy City in playoffs
Manager: Bob Koopman (1st year)
Key returnees: RHP Garrett Bauer (7-5, 4.15); SS Brad Dutton (.288, 20 SB); OF Jason James (league-leading .345, 23 doubles, will be used as pitcher this season); RHP Mike Marksbury (0-0, 1.34, 14 saves, 32 strikeouts in 20.1 IP); RHP Robert Wooley (4-2, 3.51 for Southern Illinois).
Newcomers: RHP Jim Paduch (23 wins in 5 years as pro); 1B Chris Raber (17 home runs for Coastal Carolina University last spring); RHP Chris Schutt (30 wins in 5 years as pro); OF Corey Stang (.313 in 2 years in independent ball).
Noteworthy: Kurt Carlson, one of the RiverHawks' owners, is the brother of Bun E. Carlos, the drummer for Cheap Trick.
Outlook: The RiverHawks made an interesting coaching move after advancing to the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year. Bob Koopman, who managed the RiverHawks to the championship in 2004, returns as manager after spending the last two years as a coach. J.D. Arndt goes from manager to coach. It doesn't seem to matter who the manager is, the RiverHawks are always competitive. A replacement must be found for pitcher Tanner Watson (11-3, 2.17), who was Baseball America's Independent Player of the Year. Will be in the playoff hunt again, though likely will not have enough offense to surpass Gateway and Windy City.

Southern Illinois Miners

Last year: 49-47, 2nd in West
Manager: Mike Pinto (2nd year)
Key Returners: 1B Tim Dorn (.349, 12 HR in 39 games before being signed by Cardinals; homered in 5 consecutive games); RHP Travis Hope (5-3, 1.61, 14 saves); RHP Chris Little (8-8, 3.80); 1B Joey Metropoulos (.326, 9 HR in 39 games); SS Mike Scanzano (.309); RHP Nick Tisone (8-3, 3.82).
Newcomers: 3B Brandon Jones (.266, 8 HR with Sioux City of American Association).
Noteworthy: The Miners' logo was named the best in minor-league baseball as determined by fan voting on the CNBC web site.
Outlook: The Miners were the league's success story last season, setting attendance records by averaging more than 5,000 fans per game in the franchise's first year. On the field, the Miners had a potent offense but the pitching was way too inconsistent - 5.90 ERA on the road - to make the playoffs. Pinto believes he's fixed the pitching staff. A sure sign of trouble will be if the Miners use 13 different starting pitchers again this year.

Windy City ThunderBolts
Last year: 68-28, 1st in Central, won league championship
Manager: Brian Nelson (1st year)
Key returnees: OF Mike Coles (.330, 9 HR, 69 RBI, 27 SB); RHP Eric Fussell (12-2, 3.26); 1B Phil Hawke (.290, 10 HR, 78 RBI); RHP Brock Hunton (10-6, 2.96); SS Wes Long (.334, 36 2B, 67 RBI, 31 SB); RHP Matt Petty (2-2, 2.66, 26 saves).
Newcomers: C Ben Barone (NCAA Division Player of the Year in 2007); C Carlos Medina (former 8th-round draft pick of Dodgers); RHP Ross Stout (11-4, 2.38 with Macon of South Coast League).
Noteworthy: Last year was the first season in which the ThunderBolts had a winning record. They joined the league in 1999 as the Cook County Cheetahs.
Outlook: The ThunderBolts, who set the league's single-season record for wins, are loaded again with eight returning midseason all-stars. The biggest change is at manager, where Nelson replaces Andy Haines, who took a coaching job in the Flroida Marlins' system. Nelson was the hiting coach last year for Gary of the Northern League. The ThunderBolts won't win as many games because the West Divsion should be tougher than year's Central and the bullpen is unlikely to repeat its numbers (27-3 with 33 saves), but this is the team to beat.

Pat's back in win column

Former Wild Things pitcher Patrick Stanley threw seven shutout innings Wednesday night for the Newark Bears of the independent Atlantic League against the York Revolution to earn his first victory since 2006 with Washington. The following story mentions some of Stanley's injury problems last year.

Check out the story here.

Olympics or World Baseball Classic?

Two weeks ago, the United States Olympic women's softball team was in Washington to play an exhibition game before more than 4,000 people at Consol Energy Park. The players and head coach Mike Candrea were more than willing to talk about the decision by the International Olympic Committee to drop softball and baseball from the Games beginning with London in 2012.

They called the decision unfair, they suggested it was a aimed at the United States because of its dominance (in softball) and even mentioned that it might be money-driven because most potential host countries would have to build ballparks for the two sports.

Eliminating softball from the Olympics takes away the sport's biggest stage. For that reason, softball should stay in the Games. Softball is a growing sport internationally and its games have been well-attended at the Olympics. Softball needs the Olympics.

Baseball is a different story. The Olympics will never draw major league talent. Baseball doesn't need the Olympics. And the IOC's decision has shown it doesn't need Major League Baseball.

So it was interesting to hear Wild Things manager Greg Jelks talk about the Olympics and the recent World Baseball Championships. Jelks has experienced both. He was a player/coach for Australia - he has dual citizenship - in the 2000 Sydney Olympics and a coach in the WBC in 2006.

"Being in the Olympics, you can't describe how big of a thrill that was," Jelks said. "I played in the big leagues, but the Olympics was the most thrilling thing that could have happened to me. I took part in the opening, the closing, everything. And living in Australia, and participating in the Games in Australia, just added to the experience."

Though he was glad to have taken part in the Olympics, Jelks wasn't sad to see baseball dropped from the Games. The baseball tournament in the Olympics left a lot to be desired when compared to the World Baseball Classic.

"I knew that when Major League Baseball started the World Baseball Classic, it wasn't good for the sport in the Olympics," Jelks said. "From a competition standpoint, the World Baseball Classic was so much better. You had guys like Big Papi (David Ortiz) and Manny Ramirez and the best players in the game participating. In the Olympics, it was mostly first- and second-year pros, maybe some Double-A and Triple-A guys. Major League Baseball is never going to let its players participate in the Olympics.

Plus, the atmosphere in Orlando - where we were for the World Baseball Classic - was unbelievable. You had 10,000 fans there from the Dominican Republic and Venezuela. Fans would drive cars through the streets honking horns when their country won a game."

Jelks added this story about the Olympics:

"I was in the cafeteria - and this is a cafeteria designed to hold 10,000 people, so you know its huge - when they brought Muhammad Ali in. When he entered, the whole place went silent. You could have heard a pin drop. You talk about a highlight. That sent cold chills up my spine."

Schaumburg Wild Things?

The independent Northern League begins its regular season Thursday night and three former Wild Things have made the Schaumburg Flyers' opening day roster. Pitchers Jim Popp and Walt Novosel are joined by catcher Lance Koenig.

There is one other interesting name on the Schaumburg roster that diehard Pirates fans might recall. Jermaine Allensworth is a 36-year-old outfielder for the Flyers. Allensworth was the Pirates' first-round draft pick in 1993 and was supposed to be the center fielder who would replace Andy Van Slyke. Allensworth played only parts of three seasons with the Pirates.

Frontier League team previews

With the regular season beginning Sunday – at least for Washington and Chillicothe, but Wednesday for the other 10 teams – I will be posting team previews for the West Division on Friday and the East on Saturday.

New infielder?

Though nothing has been released by the Wild Things, it appears Washington has picked up the rights to a middle infielder, Jeff Beachum, from Winnipeg of the Northern League in exchange for a player to be named. The trade is listed on the Northern League's homepage and mentioned deep in the following story:

Check out the story here.

Beachum, 24, returns to action after taking the 2007 season off. He was signed by the Yankees in 2006 out of Middle Tennessee State and made four stops in their system that year, batting .202 in 37 games.

Attention, campers

Three days into spring training and it's already apparent there will be difficult decisions for first-year Wild Things manager Greg Jelks next week when he cuts his roster to 24 players for opening day May 18. There will be several quality players, capable of playing significant roles for other Frontier League teams, who will be looking for jobs after cutdown day.

"I'd rather be in this situation, one in which you can make the decision on what kind of club you're going to have," Jelks said Tuesday. "You don't want to be trying to put your team together in spring training."

The toughest decisions appear to be in the pitching staff and the outfield.

Under former manager John Massarelli, Washington usually carried only four outfielders. Currently, there are six players listed as outfielders on the roster, though Jacob Dempsey is now considered a designated hitter/first baseman. With Chris Sidick and Mike Butia being two of the Wild Things' three players classified as veterans, you would think their roster spots are safe. Matt Sutton also will have a roster spot. That leaves former Evansville Otter Adam Hefron and former Virginia Tech center fielder Nate Parks battling for the fourth outfield position and possibly the last roster spot. Both the speedy Parks and Hefron have been impressive during intrasquad scrimmages.

Washington will carry either 11 or 12 pitchers. There are 17 still in camp.

There was one roster move Tuesday as former Duquesne University pitcher Alex Sharick was released. That leaves 31 players in camp, including pitchers Dan Horvath and Kyle Dempsey, who were selected Monday in the Frontier League draft.

With Eric Earnhart placed on the retired list, Robbie Knapp - last year's designated hitter - has been moved to third base.

"We'll start out with him," Jelks said. "Robbie is in great shape and has been playing well. I'm sure he's able to play third base."

Alumni report

Travis Risser was off a sensational start for the Columbus Catfish (Tampa Bay) in the Class A South Atlantic League, posting five saves and a 1.64 ERA in nine appearances. Risser, however, was sent back to extended spring training on May 1. At this point, I don't know if he was injured or not. In an interesting twist, the player who went from extended spring to Columbus to replace Risser is Aaron Hinkle, a former teammate of Risser's at Coastal Carolina University.

* Pitcher Patrick Stanley has made three appearances (one start) for the Newark Bears of the independent Atlantic League. Stanley is 0-0 with a 4.00 ERA but has given up only seven hits and struck out 10 batters in nine innings.