Roster spot filled

The Wild Things have filled the roster spot left open when left-handed reliever Alan Williams had his contract purchased Sunday by the Milwaukee Brewers.

Washington has signed lefty pitcher Davis Bilardello (6-3, 200). He is the son of former major league catcher Dann Bilardello, who spent some time with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The younger Bilardello played at South Florida University and has been drafted twice, the last time in 2007 by the Cardinals. He spent 2007 playing in the New York-Penn League and had a 3-2 record and one save with a 4.15 ERA. He was promoted to high-Class A in 2008 and went 6-1 with two saves and a 4.25 ERA.

Bilardello hasn't pitched in a pro game since 2008. I found several stories that noted he was released by the Cardinals in the spring of 2009 and again this year. He was released by a team in the independent Can-Am League earlier this month.

From Washington to the major leagues for Cochran

It took exactly 10 years, but the Wild Things have sent a player to the major leagues.
On the 10th anniversary of Washington's first game in the Frontier League, former Wild Things pitcher Tom Cochran was promoted from Triple-A to the major leagues by the Cincinnati Reds.

Cochran is the first former Wild Thing to get called to "The Show." The Cincinnati Reds added Cochran to their 40-man roster early Sunday and then added him to the 25-man major-league roster prior to playing Sunday night at Atlanta.

Cochran spent two seasons (2006 and '07) as a starting pitcher with Washington, posting records of 8-5 and 6-8. He played in the 2007 Frontier League All-Star game.

One of Cochran’s best outings came in Game 2 of the 2007 championship series at Windy City when he took a no-hitter into the seventh inning of a Washington victory. He also threw a one-hit shutout with 11 strikeouts during a 2006 game at Kalamazoo.

Cochran moved his way up through the Reds’ system since being signed in 2009. He began this year at Class AAA Louisville and won his first five decisions. Cochran had a 5-1 record in eight games (four starts) for the Bats at the time of his call-up.

One thing I recall about Cochran during his days in Washington was that he was friends with former Pirates pitcher Ian Snell. The two had apparently played on the same team, either in high school or during a summer league (don't recall which). At the time, it had to seem like Cochran and Snell were worlds apart. One in the majors, one in the Frontier League. Now, Cochran is in the majors and Snell, who retired earlier this year only to change his mind, is pitching in Triple-A.

UPDATE: Prior to the Reds' game Tuesday in Milwaukee, Cincinnati optioned Cochran back to Louisville. He was active for two games but did not play in either contest.

We hardly knew ya ...

Alan Williams, the hard-throwing left-handed relief pitcher for the Wild Things who threw four innings of one-hit ball Saturday night, had his contract purchased today by the Milwaukee Brewers.

There was a Brewers scout at the game Saturday and left impressed with Williams, a 21-year-old who pitched last year at a junior collge in Mississippi.
Williams pitched in three games for the Wild Things, throwing 7 2/3 scoreless innings. Have gave up three hits and three walks, and struck out eight.

Are you experienced?

If experience means anything, then the level of play should be up in the Frontier League this season.

The league changed some of its player eligibility requirements during the offseason to make them less restrictive, and the result has been filled with more-experienced players, including several with more than 2,000 career at-bats as a professional, something almost unheard of in past seasons. Heck, one team even signed a player who had multiple at-bats against the Phillies' Roy Halladay this spring in a major-league spring training game.

In recent years, the Frontier League classified players as either Rookie, L1, L2 or Veteran, based on the number of the professional seasons they played. Rookies had less than one full year of experience, an L1 had one full season, an L2 had two years and a Veteran had at least three years. A full season was any in which a hitter accumulated more than 150 at-bats. For a pitcher, it was more than 30 appearances or more than 60 innings.

Teams were limited to 7 L1 players, 3 L2s and three Veterans, which included no more than one Super Vet.

There were some other rules, but these were the basic guidelines.

As you can see, it was hard to keep a team together. If you had seven good Rookies one year, you had to get rid of at least four the next season, and more if you signed an L1 released from an affiliated team.

This year, the Frontier league did away with the L1, L2 and Veteran classifications and replaced them with a class called Experienced. Teams are limited to 14 Experienced players. You can have 14 guys who were Veterans under the old system, if you can sign 'em and stay under the salary cap.

So with nothing better in my life to do, I recently spent one afternoon checking all Frontier League team rosters and seeing what they would look like under the old roster system. What I discovered is, most teams signed two more "Veterans" than in the past and one or two additional L2. The teams that stocked up on "old-system Veterans" are Rockford, Evansville and Southern Illinois. Rockford and Southern Illinois are the only teams with six "old-system Veterans" on their current active roster. Evansville started the season with six and has since released one, a pitcher who was Cleveland's 4th-round draft pick in 2006. The Otters also have two "old- system Veterans" on their disabled list.

Managers and coaches used to say that your L2s and Vets were the players who had to carry their ballclub. The teams currently with the most combined L2 and Vets under the former eligibility system are Rockford and Gateway.

Here's a look at what each team's current roster would look like under the old classification system:

East Division
Joliet
L1: 4
L2: 3
Veteran: 5

Lake Erie
L1: 3
L2: 4
Veteran: 4

Rockford
L1: 3
L2: 4
Veteran: 6
On DL: L2

Traverse City
L1: 2
L2: 3
Veteran: 5
DL: L1

WashingtonL1: 3
L2: 4
Veteran: 5
DL: L2

Windy CityL1: 5
L2: 5
Veteran: 3
DL: L1, 2 L2s

West Division
Evansville
L1: 3
L2: 4
Veteran: 5
DL: 2 Veterans

Florence
L1: 2
L2: 2
Veteran: 5
DL: Veteran

Gateway
L1: 1
L2: 5
Veteran: 5

Normal
L1: 4
L2: 2
Veteran: 5

River CityL1: 4
L2: 3
Veteran: 4

Southern IllinoisL1: 4
L2: 1
Veteran: 6
DL: 2 L1s, L2

Can he close the deal?

While Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward won ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" competition Tuesday night, the Wild Things have their own made-for-television reality show personality.

Remember Washington relief pitcher Nick Peterson (2009)? Well, Peterson is a contestant on ABC's "The Bachelorette" that airs Monday nights on ABC. Can't say I've ever watched the show that can best be described as competitive dating, but the Nick Peterson you'll see is the one who went 1-4 with 10 saves and a 5.31 ERA for the Wild Things in 2009. That was the year Mark Mason was the manager.

Peterson had a big first half of the season and was one of Washington's representatives in the Frontier League All-Star game before struggling down the stretch.

Peterson is a personal trainer in Tampa and has his own fitness blog:

http://www.peetystraining.com

All-Decade team thoughts

You probably saw on the team's website or in today's O-R that the Wild Things have released the results of the online voting for their All-Decade team. If you missed the story, here are the results:

Manager: John Masserelli
Left-handed starting pitcher: Jared Howton
Right-handed starting pitcher: Ryan Douglass
Relief pitcher: Jim Popp
Catcher: Josh Loggins
First baseman: Zach Cates
Second baseman: Michael Parker
Shortstop: John Cahill
Third baseman: Jason Kane
Outfielder: Mike Arbinger
Outfielder: Chris Carter
Outfielder: Chris Sidick
Designated hitter: Jacob Dempsey

My initial reaction was, how do you have an all-decade team when you've played only nine seasons? I guess what happens this year doesn't count. That's why I'll put together my Wild Things All-Decade team at the end of the season and include a full 24-player roster (so I won't tip my hand on my selections in this post). I also would have had Josh Loggins listed as an outfielder because he played a few more games there than at catcher during his two-year stay in Washington. Having him at catcher kept off a player who I think should have been on the team.

As for the results, the voters did a decent job. There is one glaring mistake (think pitcher) and one other position in which I thought there was a clear-cut choice (think an infield position) but that player didn't win the voting.

There were four other spots in which my pick didn't win the voting, but three of those were at positions for which you could make a strong case for the winner. There is one position (again, an infield position) that had a winner I didn't include in my top three picks.

The results show that fans weighed having played multiple seasons in Washington more heavily than having played one good season. That was something I struggled with when making my picks.

That's a long time

After Justin Hall's four-hit, 98-pitch shutout of the Joliet Slammers Friday night, one thing came to mind: When was the last time a Wild Things pitcher threw a nine-inning complete-game shutout on the road?

I knew that Jeff Sonnenberg's shutout of Lake Erie last August -- when he faced the minimum 27 batters -- ended a long streak of no nine-inning shutouts by Wild Things pitchers, but that game was at home. What about on the road?

I did some research and found a nine-inning whitewash by Aaron Ledbetter in a 3-0 victory at Evansville in a weekday afternoon game June 18, 2007.

Hall's shutout ended a streak of 169 consecutive road games for the Wild Things without a nine-inning shutout.

West Division preview

Evansville Otters
Location: Evansville, Ind.
Manager: Andy McCauley (1st full season - 521-540 career overall)
Stadium: Bosse Field (5,110)
Last year: 35-59, 6th in West
Key returners: DH Greg Alexander (.284, 7 HR, 41 RBI); OF Vinnie Scarduzzio (15 HR, 44 RBI).
Impact newcomers: OF Greg Burns (Florida Marlins’ 3rd-round draft pick in 2004); 1B Michael Durant (Philadelphia Phillies’ 4th-round draft pick in 2005); OF Jamar Walton (Florida’s 4th-round draft pick in 2004); P Michael Anton (8-20 in 41 career starts in Class AA); P Ryan Morris (Cleveland Indians’ 4th-round draft pick in 2006, 64 career starts).
Outlook: McCauley was named Evansville’s manager last July, replacing former major leaguer Wayne Krenchicki at midseason, and guided the Otters to a 19-31 record. Knowing the team lacked the talent to compete for a playoff berth, McCauley was busy during the offseason signing former high-round draft picks. The lineup changes make the Otters the favorite to show the biggest improvement this season, but in the rugged West it might not be enough to challenge for a playoff berth.
Did You Know? McCauley won championships in two independent leagues, the Frontier (London in 1999) and Northern (Kansas City in 2008).

Florence Freedom
Location:Florence, Ky.
Manager: Fran Riordan (1st year with Florence - 435-341 in Frontier League)
Stadium: Champion Window Field (5,000)
Last year: 38-58, 5th in West
Key returners: 3B Jimmy Baker (.325, 13 HR, 50 RBI); OF Michael Campbell (.317, 5 HR); SS Stephen Shults (.309, 23 HR, 65 RBI, league all-star); P Andy Clark (9-4, 3.41);
Impact newcomer: UTL Cole Miles (1,664 career at-bats, 104 career stolen bases); OF Drew Rundle (5 seasons in affiliated ball); OF Juan Valdes (Cleveland’s 5th-round draft pick in 2003, 1,849 career at-bats); P Preston Vancil (in Seattle Mariners’ system last year, threw no-hitter for Florence in 2009).
Outlook: The Freedom underachieved under former managers Toby Rumfield and Jamie Keefe, so ownership lured Fran Riordan back to the Frontier League. Riordan is the league’s winningest manager and won championships in Richmond (2) and Kalamazoo (1). He’ll put together another winning team here. The offense is solid, but as is the case with most teams, the pitching is the question mark.
Did You Know? This will be Riordan’s 10th season as a manager in the Frontier League, more than anyone else.

Gateway Grizzlies
Location:Sauget, Ill.
Manager: Phil Warren (5th year 208-168 career)
Stadium: GCS Ballpark (6,000)
Last year: 54-40, 3rd in West
Key returners: C Charlie Lisk (.303, 21 HR 88 RBI, league all-star, league’s all-time home runs leader); 1B Logan Parker (.305, 13 HR, 77 RBI, 16 SB); OF Jason Patton (.30 SB, 10 HR, 57 RBI, 22 SB, league all-star); P Mark Brackman (13-4, 3.18); P Jake Shafer (1-3, 11 Sv, 2.38); P Nick Walters (5-0, 3 Sv, 1.14).
Impact newcomers: INF Ryan Khoury (former top-10 prospect of Boston Red Sox, 911 at-bats in Class AA, 17 games last year in Class AAA, was in major-league camp this spring and had at-bat against Phillies’ Roy Halladay in spring training game); P Aaron Shafer (11 wins in Class AA in 2009); .
Outlook: The Grizzlies missed the playoffs by 2 1/2 games last year and have many of their key players returning. They’ve also made two major signings with the addition of Adam Shafer and Khoury. Should be able to top 55 wins and challenge for the division title.
Did You Know? Suaget (population 249 in the 2000 census) is the smallest city in the country to have a professional baseball team.

Normal CornBelters
Location:Normal, Ill.
Manager: Hall Lanier (2nd year – 44-52 in Frontier League)
Stadium: The Corn Crib (7,000)
Last year: 44-52, 4th in West
Key returners: 3B Daniel Cox (.323, 15 HR, 78 RBI, league all-star); OF Asif Shah (.316); P Ryan Sheldon (9-5, 2.21); P Tyler Lavigne (7-2, 1.38); P Brett Lester (7-7, 4.42).
Impact newcomers: OF Jeff Dunbar (16 HR in Northern League);
Outlook: If the name of the game is starting pitching and defense, how did Normal miss the playoffs last year? The CornBelters had enough the starting pitching and committed the third-fewest errors. The problem was, Cox was the only dangerous hitter in the lineup. Lanier has attempted to boost the offense by bringing in players from other independent leagues. If it works, then the CornBelters have a chance to finish in the top half of the division.
Did You Know? Lanier was the National League Manager of the Year with the Houston Astros in 1986.

River City Rascals
Location:O’Fallon, Mo.
Manager: Steve Brook (2nd year, 57-38 career)
Stadium: T.R. Hughes Ballpark (5,191)
Last year:57-38, 2nd in West, defeated Traverse City in finals.
Key returners: DH Stephen Holdren (.305, 16 HR, 72 RBI, 11 SB, league all-star); OF Chad Maddox (.311, 7 HR, 55 RBI); INF Chris McClendon (.279, 33 SB); P Josh Lowey (8-5, 3.55); P Derrick Miramontes (3-3, 5 Sv, 2.19); P Gary Moran (10-4, 2.68); P Zack Sterner (5-1, 3.61).
Impact newcomers:1B Joash Brodin (.301, 9 HR, 62 RBI, 29 SB, league all-star with Oakland County); INF Brandon Johnson (14 HR with Gateway in 2009); P Ryne Miller (15 starts in Class AA).
Outlook: Brook, a former Rascals pitcher, led River City to its first championship in his initial season as manager. So what can Brook do for an encore? There is plenty of experience on the team and a second consecutive championship is not out of the realm of possibility.
Did You Know? River City is trying to become the third franchise to win back-to-back league championships. The others were Richmond (2001-02) and Windy City (2007-08).

Southern Illinois Miners
Location:Marion, Ill.
Manager: Mike Pinto (5th year - 227-157 in Frontier League)
Stadium: Rent One Park (3,611)
Last year: 64-32, 1st in West.
Key returners: 3B Nate Hall (9 HR, 50 RBI); OF Jereme Milons .283, 11 HR, 60 RBI, 41 SB, league all-star); P Joe Augustine (10-3, 1.97, league’s Pitcher of Year)
Impact newcomers:C Sean Coughlin (103 games in Class AAA, 29 in Class AAA); 1B Matt Fields (164 career games in Class AA); OF Eric Suttle (.272, 38 SBs with Kalamazoo).
Outlook: Southern Illinois reminds us of Washington during the Wild Things’ early days. The Miners have averaged 59 wins over the last three years but don’t have a league championship to show for it. The Miners led River City 2-0 in the playoffs last year, then lost the next three games. Reaching 59 wins this year might be difficult. Though the Miners seemingly have gone through 50 players in the offseason, this is the least-experienced team Pinto has fielded since the team’s debut season in 2007. However, it’s certainly a strong playoff contender.
Did You Know? Former California University pitcher Rob Hedrick, who was with the Miners all last season, was released earlier this week.

Silver Cross Field

Here are some photos that Randy Gore of WJPA Radio took yesterday from Silver Cross Field in downtown Joliet, Ill. if I did this correctly, you should be able to click on each photo and get a larger image.

East Division preview

Joliet Slammers
Location: Joliet, Ill.
Stadium: Silver Cross Field (6,016)
Manager: Bart Zeller (1st year)
Last year: NA
Impact newcomers: OF Josh Flores (105 career games in Class AA); 1B Erik Lis (4 seasons, 1,208 at-bats in Class AA, 51 games last year in Class AAA); INF Hector Pellot (4th round pick of New York Mets in 2005); P Billy Petrick (3rd round draft pick of Chicago Cubs in 2002, pitched in eight major-league games in 2007); P Jake Renshaw (26 career wins in affiliated ball).
Outlook: The league’s newest team, the Slammers play in what is a former Northern League ballpark and market. Zeller was a coach with Southern Illinois for four years, so he knows the league and has put together what could be a good offense. The key will be the pitching. Teams new to the league have had a strong track record of making the playoffs, but since 2000, only Lake Erie (2009) has won a championship in its debut season.
Did You Know? Silver Cross Field is the largest in the Frontier League and has 14 luxury suites.

Lake Erie Crushers
Location: Avon, Ohio
Stadium: All Pro Freight Stadium (5,000)
Manager: John Massarelli (3rd year - 336-227 career in Frontier League)
Last year: 50-46, 4th in East
Key returners: 3B Andrew Davis (.285, 10 HR, 61 RBI); P Jeff Cinadr (4-3, 8 saves, 2.21); P Travis Risser (8-4, 2.70); P Josh Roberts (10-5, 2.62)
Impact newcomers: 2B Chase Fontaine (former 2nd round draft pick of Atlanta Braves); OF Kellen Kulbacki (former 1st round draft pick of San Diego Padres, 2 years in Class AA); C Chad Maddox (56 doubles, 21 HRs over last 2 seasons with River City); OF Patrick Norris (stolen at least 31 bases in all 4 pro seasons);
Outlook: The Crushers went 9-1 down the stretch last year to avoid their first losing season. Massarelli, who guided the Crushers to the league championship in 2009, said last year’s pitching staff was the best he’s had. The problem was the offense, which finished last in batting average and runs. Kulbacki and Fontaine, a pair of high draft picks, should jump start the offense and Norris should be a terror on the bases.
Did You Know? Last year was the first time a Massarelli-coached Frontier League team failed to make the playoffs.

Rockford RiverHawks
Location: Rockford, Ill.
Stadiums: Road Rangers Stadium (3.279).
Manager: Rich Austin (1st year)
Last year: NA
Impact newcomers:INF Jake Eigsti (.253, 11 HR, 52 RBI with Rockford in Northern League); 1B Jeremy Hamilton (5th round pick of Philadelphia Phillies in 2008); OF Freddy Parejo (2,252 career at-bats including 762 in Class AA); P Brett Durand (10 wins with Rockford in 2009); P Tony Marsala (10-8, 4.20 with River City); P Brian Parker (119 games in Baltimore Orioles’ system); P Brett Scarpetta (24-12 last 3 years with Southern Illinois);
Outlook: The RiverHawks returned to the Frontier last month after one season in the now-defunct Northern League, which did not have an age limit. Austin, who led the RiverHawks to the Frontier title in 2004, takes over as manager. He’s already put together a strong pitching staff, and Parejo should be an impact hitter. But you have to wonder if Rockford had enough time to slap together a winning team in only seven weeks.
Did You Know?Austin was the Frontier League MVP in 2004.

Travese City Beach Bums
Location: Travese City, Mich.
Stadium: Wuerfel Park (4,600)
Manager: Gregg Langbehn (3rd year - 97-94 career)
Last year: 55-41, 2nd in East, lost to River City in finals
Key returners: 1B Chase Burch (.299, 19 HR, 88 RBI); P Scott Mueller (4-4, 14 Sv, 2.04).
Impact newcomers: OF Zach Pace (.268, 30 SBs with Oakland County); 3B Jose Vargas (19 HRs last 2 years in Chicago White Sox system).
Outlook: After posting the worst record in franchise history in 2009, the Beach Bums gutted the roster last year as only two players returned. It proved to be the right move. Traverse City made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, thanks in large part to going 12-0 in games against Washington. This year’s team will relay heavily on Pace at the top of the order and Burch in the middle, but better seasons can be expected from outfielders Jason Codirolli and Matt Brown. The Bums have a very young pitching staff, but Wuerfel Park is a pitcher’s haven. Should be back in the playoff hunt.
Did You Know? Beach Bums pitcher Scott Dunn is a product of Slippery Rock University and South Side Beaver High School. He has relatives who live in Hickory.

Washington Wild Things
Location: Washington, Pa.
Stadium: Consol Energy Park (3,200)
Manager: Darin Everson (2nd year, 38-57 in Frontier League)
Last year: 38-57, 5th in East
Key returners: P Justin Edwards (5-2, 3.79); P Kevin Hammons (5-4, 2 Sv, 2.62); OF Chris Sidick (.300, 32 SBs, FL’s all-time leader in games, hits, runs, triples, walks).
Impact newcomers: DH Josh Banda (.270, 14 HR, 52 RBI with River City); 1B Ernie Banks (24 HRs in Frontier League in 2009); P Vidal Nuno (11-8, 3.92 in 2 seasons in Cleveland Indians’ system); P Mick Mattaliano (28 saves in 2008 while in Baltimore Orioles’ system); P Taylor Wulf (1-1, 2.66 with Oakland County).
Outlook:The Wild Things’ record has been on the decline for five consecutive seasons and they haven’t reached the playoffs since 2007. Washington finished 11th in the league in both runs and home runs last year, but both the offense and fielding should be improved as six-year minor-league free agents were signed at catcher, second base and shortstop. The bullpen will be solid, but can the starting pitching give them enough leads to protect?
Did You Know?Wild Things pitching coach Mark Dewey had seven saves for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1993.

Windy City ThunderBolts
Location: Crestwood, Ill.
Stadium: Standard Bank Stadium (2,598)
Manager: Mike Kashirsky (2nd full season, 98-53 career)
Last year: 56-38, 1st in in East, lost to Traverse City in first round of playoffs.
Key returners: OF Brandon Anderson (.275, 23 SBs); OF Ryan Basham (.302, 19 2Bs); P Dustin Williams (7-3, 2.39, league’s Rookie of Year).
Impact newcomers:P Paul Fagan (Frontier League Pitcher of the Year in 2009 with Lake Erie); Todd Privett (9-5, 4.06 with Joliet); OF Josh Womack (2nd round draft pick of Seattle in 2002, nine seasons as a pro, 2,497 career at-bats).
Outlook:The ThunderBolts won the East last year because of a smallball offense – they led the league in batting average but was last in home runs – and solid pitching. If Windy City can find a closer and a reliable RBI guy, the ThunderBolts will be back in the playoff hunt.
Did You Know? The ThunderBolts made the playoffs in each of the last four seasons, the longest current streak in the league.

Cutdown day

On roster cutdown days in the NFL, teams use someone from their personnel department to go into the locker room and ask players to report to the head coach or general manager. This messenger is called the "Turk."

Well, the "Turk" arrived at Consol Energy Park Monday and there were a few surprised people.

As expected, the Wild Things placed pitcher Justin Edwards on the disabled list while he works his way back from offseason shoulder surgery. Let go were pitcher Blake Hennington and outfielders Joel Hartman and Jeremy Richter. Catcher Greyson Schram was put on the suspended list, which means former California University catcher Stephen Hermann had his chances of making the roster for opening day greatly increase.

The biggest surprise was that pitcher Zach Groh, pictured, was released. Groh had spent three seasons in Washington, and had good results in a five-inning outing during a spring training game Friday against Lake Erie. Groh said afterward that it was only the second time during camp that he had faced hitters.

Groh's release was even more surprising when you consider Washington is two under the limit for players classified as "Experienced" by the Frontier League's roster rules. Only three of the Wild Things' pitchers are classified as "Experienced."

Monday's moves leave Washington with 27 active players. They must get down to 24 before Thursday's season opener. However, being two under the "Experienced" limit makes me think there will be a new player or two arriving before the team leaves Wednesday for Joliet, Ill.

Weekend washout

The Wild Things were rained out Saturday night in Avon, Ohio., and there were plans to play a doubleheader against the Lake Erie Crushers Sunday afternoon. To nobody's surprise, the DH was rained out. That means of the 36 innings the Wild Things and Crushers wanted to play during spring training, only 14 1/2 were completed. That will make cutting the rosters to 24 players more difficult. Those intrasquad games last week suddenly became more important.

Rain has been a pain throughout the league during spring training. A Windy City-Rockford doubleheader was rained out Sunday. Joliet and Normal played only 4 1/2 innings Saturday, and Evansville and Southern Illinois managed to play only three innings Friday night before being stopped because of rain.

Trimming the roster

Before leaving for tonight's exhibition game at Lake Erie, the Wild Things made three roster moves, releasing rookie shortstop Gerardo Caceres, rookie first baseman Jake Summers and utility player Wilson Matos, who was with the team last season. Caceres was the Wild Things' first pick in the Frontier League draft last week.

With the league changing its player eligibility rules during the offseason, the roster battles appear pretty clear. When the regular season begins, teams are permitted no more than 13 players classified as Experienced. Washington has 14, but one is pitcher Justin Edwards, who is coming off shoulder surgery and is no yet ready to pitch in a game.

As for the players classified as Rookies, teams must carry a minimum of 11 on the active roster. Washington currently has 19, so no more than eight can be released.

Judging simply by where players are listed on the roster, a backup middle infielder spot might come down to either Zack Stanton (Rookie) and Sean Allaire (Rookie). Rookie Joel Hartman is listed as an outfielder and played center field Thursday and Friday, but he can play the infield in a pinch. The best thing Hartman has going for him is he's a Rookie with experience who can play multiple positions.

It's likely that a rookie catcher will be on the roster when the season begins next week. That will be either Cal (Pa.) product Stephen Hermann or Greyson Schram.

There are only four Experienced pitchers (not a good sign), so there will be at least seven, and possibly eight, Rookie pitchers making the team. At least three Rookie pitchers will be cut.

Blue bayou

The O-R's Joe Tuscano snapped this photo today of the Wild Things' new home uniform. The pinstripes are royal blue.

I'm not much of a fan of the change for a couple of reasons: I've never liked pinstripes (maybe that's because they remind me of the Yankees) and I don't understand what blue has to do with the Wild Things. They went to a purple jersey a couple of years ago, and I can understand that move because purple was in the original logo.

At least the Wild Things will no longer have the same predominant color scheme as Lake Erie and Florence.

Let's Play Two, v2.0

The announcement Thursday night by the Wild Things that they re-acquired first baseman Ernie Banks in a trade with the Lake County Fielders of the independent North American Baseball League certainly was met with surprise.

It wasn't that Banks didn't produce in his first stint with the Wild Things. In 2009, Banks hit .343 with 19 home runs and 55 RBI in only 54 games with Washington before being sent to River City at the trade deadline. He helped the Rascals make the championship series.

Banks, however, is a guy who wears his emotions on his sleeve. When you're playing well and the team is winning, that often is a good thing. But when you're in a slump or the team is losing, those antics can often make things worse. Washington struggled in 2008 and Banks was suspended by then-manager Mark Mason for a stint that season.

Current Wild Things manager Darin Everson says he understands Banks. That's because he managed Banks in 2008, when both were with the Florida Marlins' affiliate in the New York-Penn League.

"Ernie and I have a great relationship," Everson said Thursday night. "He was with me in 2008 on a team that lost in the finals. I had him all through extended spring training that year. We have a lot of respect for each other.

"He's two years older than when he was here last time. My talk with Ernie was very productive. Everything he said was the right thing. He knows what kind of ship I run. He's at his best when all he has to do with work hard and go play.

"Our roster is filled with experienced players," he continued. "Ernie will be surrounded by guys who played multiple years, and guys he played with in the past. He should feel very comfortable here."

Everson said he likes the idea of plugging a player with Banks' power potential into the middle of the lineup.

"The goal when you put a lineup together is to have one that doesn't give the pitcher a break," Everson said. "Ernie helps lengthen our lineup."

Enough is enough

We've finally reached the point at which I must make some changes to this blog. To be more precise, put some rules in place.

I was thinking about the recent comments about people using this blog for their own personal agenda, and how that's probably chasing away people who want to talk about whatever the posted subject matter is, only to have the discussion ended by somebody "hijacking" the blog.

So here two simple rules that will be enforced beginning tonight:

* Discuss the topic in the post. You can go off-topic to discuss a game, series, player or something current. We've had enough "taxpayer turf" comments on every post to last a lifetime. The turf is in, I've blogged about it. You've commented about it … again and again. Until the topic is brought up again in a post, comments referring to "taxpayer turf" will be deleted.

* Do NOT snipe at other posters by calling them *$$, moron, or some body part. I'm not going to put up with comments that that sound as if they're written by a 10-year-old who wants to use words he overheard in the grade school restroom. In other words, do not engage in name-calling or use derisive nicknames. If you do, the comments will be deleted.

Play ball!

Blogger is back

Because of a "maintenance issue" with Blogger, this blog was not available the last 24 hours. It's back now, and I should be posting something in a few hours about the Wild Things bringing back Ernie Banks.

Another 'W' for Cochran

Former Wild Things pitcher Tom Cochran improved his record to 4-0 Saturday with six shutout innings in the Louisville Bats' 4-1 victory over the Buffalo Bisons.

Louisville is the Cincinnati Reds' Triple-A affiliate.

Cochran gave up three hits and three walks. He struck our four and lowered his ERA to a 1.15.

In only his second start of the year, Cochran took a no-hitter into the sixth inning.

Alright, raise you hand if you thought you'd ever see a former Wild Things pitcher with a 4-0 record in Triple-A.

I don't see any hands.

UPDATE: Cochran continued his stellar start to the season by picking up his fifth win Thursday when Luouisville defeated Rochester 5-2. Cochran pitched six strong innings to improve his record to 5-0. He gave up only three hits and two runs. Cochran had his scorless streak end at 16 innings, but his ERA is only 1.66.

Get to the park early

Anyone else notice the schedule on the Wild Things' website lists all home games (other than the three morning games) as 6:35 p.m. starts? I hadn't seen or heard about a change before this.

First day of camp

Saw roughly 2 1/2 hours of the Wild Things' first day of spring training Thursday (I was trying to put off mowing my lawn for as long as possible). The practice was notable only for what was worn and who wasn't there.

The players wore the traditional Wild Things hats with the familiar mascot-head logo on the front. The difference was the bill of the cap was royal blue instead of red or black. The socks that were visible on some of the players also were royal blue. I guess we now know why the "Wild Things" logo on the team's homepage is blue.

I didn't hear anything about a change in color schemes, and you'd think that wouldn't make sense when you have a red, black and white logo (the largest logo in baseball?) on the field behind home plate.

The biggest player news was significant. Right-handed pitcher Jeff Sonnenberg was not in camp. He was placed on the retired list. Word is he as a shoulder injury that required surgery and is out for the season.

That's a significant blow to the pitching staff, which is already short on starting pitchers with pro experience. A healthy Sonnenberg would have been expected to be the the ace of the staff. Last August, he threw what was the best game ever by a Washington starting pitcher at Consol Energy Park when he faced the minimum 27 batters in a two-hit shutout of Lake Erie.

I saw the first four innings of an intrasquad game. The dominant player during that period was left-handed pitcher Vidal Nuno, who threw four scoreless innings before being replaced. Nuno, who was signed after spending two seasons as a starter in the Cleveland Indians' system, worked fast and threw strikes. He gave up three singles, did not walk a batter and struck out five. He even picked off a runner.

The pitcher for the other team was another newcomer, Jhonny Montoya. The Miami, Fla., native looked good for three innings and struggled in the other (the third inning). In 3 2/3 innings, he gave up two runs (one earned) and three hits but walked four.

The best defensive play was made by right fielder Luis Rivera, who threw out Gerardo Caceres, who was trying to stretch a single into a double.

Draft results

The Wild Things made three selections today at the Frontier League's annual tryout and draft in Florence, Ky.

Earlier in the offseason, Washington traded its first-round pick to acquire Josh Banda from River City. According to the Frontier League's website, with the 4th pick in the second round, the Wild Things selected shortstop Gerardo Caceres. In the third round, Washington chose catcher Stephen Hermann. With its fourth-round pick – the last selection made in the draft – the Wild Things chose right-handed pitcher Keith Fenner.

Caceres played the last two years for West Virginia Tech, where he batted .345 and stole 15 bases as a senior in 2010. He also played for Miami Dade College.

Wild Things manager Darin Everson said "Gerardo’s a kid who I’ve seen perform well at multiple showcases this offseason. He’s a middle infielder with the skills to be able to compete at a high level.”

Hermann played at California University and Penn-Trafford High School. He was drafted out of high school by the Los Angeles Dodgers but did not sign. Hermann batted .285 with 10 home runs as a senior for Cal in 2009.

“I’m very excited to add some local flavor to our 2011 roster,” Everson said. “He did a great job at the tryout today and will have an opportunity to compete for quality playing time behind the plate.”

The Wild Things had only two catchers on the roster prior to drafting Hermann.

Fenner played at NCAA Division III Emory & Henry, where he had a 2-5 record and 4.35 ERA this spring. Fenner's pitching coach at Emory & Henry was Mark Dewey, who has the same job with the Wild Things.

“We had great reports on Keith from pitching coach Mark Dewey. ... We think he has the ability to fill many different roles on our pitching staff.”

Players taken in the draft usually don't make much of an impact in the league, if they even make a team. Washington, however, has a history of finding some players in the draft who eventually become key contributors, such as outfielder Jack Headley, second baseman Kyle Werman and pitchers Stephen Spragg and Justin Mattison.

One more signed

According to the Frontier League website, the Wild Things have signed outfielder Jeremy Richter.

Haven't heard anything official about this guy, but I suspect it's the Jeremy Richter who played for Wisconsin-Stevens Point, an NCAA Division III school. This would make sense because Wild Things manager Darin Everson is from Wisconsin.

Richter played primarily first base at Wisconsin-Stevens Point, where he was named the 2009 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year when he batted .333 with 17 doubles, three triples and nine home runs in 47 games. His senior season was 2010.

The Wild Things will add at least two more players Tuesday at the league's annual tryout and player draft. With only two catchers on the roster, I suspect one might be a catcher. Washington traded its first-round draft pick during the offseason to River City for Josh Banda.

Now, time for a little trivia: Can you name the former NBA all-star player and head coach who played at Wisconsin-Stevens Point?