Thursday, March 5, 2009

Trying times


Wannabe Frontier Legaue players will have three chances to try out for the Wild Things this year.

The first opportunity will be Saturday, April 4 at Sovereign Bank Stadium in York. The York Revolution of the Atlantic League will be running the open tryout but representatives of the Wild Things - I assume this means Mark Mason - and the Can-Am League's American Defenders of New Hampshire will be on hand to evaluate talent. The cost of that tryout is $45 and must be paid in cash only on the day of the tryout. York is managed by former major league catcher Chris Hoiles and the pitching coach is ex-big leaguer Tippy Martinez.

The Wild Things will hold their open tryout at Consol Energy Park on Saturday, May 2. The cost of that tryout is $35.

The Frontier League will hold its annual tryout and player draft at Consol Energy Park May 4-5. The cost of the league tryout is $60. This will be the third time the Frontier League has held its tryout in Washington.

Tryouts are a lot like, to quote Forrest Gump, a box of chocolates – you never know what you're going to get. Neither of the players signed from the Wild Things' open tryout last year made the opening day roster, but Washington did get productive guys like Brad Hensler and Matt Swope out of their tryout camp in previous years. Washington has been one of the better organizations, if not the best, at finding gems in the league tryout. That's where the Wild Things found Jack Headley, Kyle Werman, Stephen Spragg and Justin Mattison.

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2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

They sign guys from the camp each year because they always put a plant in there to try out. Hensler was all set to play but they made him go through the tryout so they could get some good press by signing a local kis

April 4, 2009 at 6:12 AM  
Blogger Chris Dugan said...

They don't always sign guys from the team tryout. An example was 2007. No players were signed that year. ... At the league tryout, each team is required to draft two players. ... Hensler was put through the team tryout because he had played catcher and, I think, outfield, while in the Mets' system and the Wild Things wanted to see his shortstop skills compared to the others at the tryout.

April 4, 2009 at 11:37 AM  

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