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Sometimes the best laid plans can go awry in a hurry.

The Wild Things had been planning to go to a six-man pitching rotation beginning last night. Those plans were scrapped before they were put into motion.

Washington had signed right-handed pitcher Chris Smith to a contract Wednesday and had planned to have him start last night's game against Rockford. Smith first had to pass a physical, which is something he still hasn't done.

According to manager Darin Everson, Smith has inflammation in his shoulder and will be put on a seven-day program and then re-evaluated. Because he didn't pass the physical, Smith's contract was voided and he hasn't been placed on the disabled list.

"He probably could have pitched, but we don't want to put a guy out there who's not 100 percent," Everson said.

Prior to coming to Washington, Smith pitched in five games for the White Sands Pupfish of the Pecos League, an independent league based in New Mexico. In his next-to-last outing with White Sands, Smith pitched a nine-inning complete game and threw 141 pitches -- a total unheard of in minor-league ball for a 22-year-old pitcher. You have to wonder if that had anything to do with the injury.

Everson said he's still considering the six-man rotation but will keep the five-man setup through at least the open date on Aug. 8. There were several reasons for going to a six-man rotation, one of which being the doubleheader against Joliet in mid-August.

I was interested to see how a six-man rotation would work. I recall asking former Wild Things manager Jeff Isom back in 2003 if he had ever considered using a six-man. The reason being, it seems many starting pitchers in this league develop dead arms late in June. That, I reasoned, was because many were relief pitchers in affiliated ball and had not been a starting pitcher in at least two years. Plus, any college guy you put in the rotation probably has 80 to 110 innings for the year already on his arm.

Isom shot down the idea, saying scouts want to see guys pitch every fifth day, plus that's what the players want.

Another former Wild Things manager, John Massarelli, has made a habit of using a four-man rotation in the season's second half.

Banks gone, Smith signed

Ernie Banks' second stint with the Wild Things ended in the same fashion as his first -- with a trade.

Banks (above left) was traded Wednesday by Washington to the Southern Illinois Miners. In exchange for the first baseman, the Wild Things acquired rookie relief pitcher Joe Tarallo and the Miners' first-round draft pick next year. That pick will likely be No. 10 or 11.

Unlike his first go-around in Washington, Banks struggled mightily at the plate, hitting only .207 in 42 games. He had two home runs (each during the last road trip) and only 13 RBI.

Banks will be heading to Southern Illinois for the second time. He started last season with the Miners, playing 29 games before ending the season in another independent league.

Banks will have an opportunity to play regularly as Southern Illinois has lost first basemen Matt Fields (wrist) and Gordon Gronkowski (foot) to injuries.

"We were definitely looking for another pitcher, and there was some interest from other teams in Ernie," Washington manager Darin Everson said. "He's going back to a place he's been before. The trade narrows out lineup a little bit. Instead of having two experienced hitters on the bench each night we only have one. What is means for the guys who are here is more playing time. It's time to make a push."

In Tarallo (0-0, 3.38), the Wild Things get a pitcher who has appeared in 16 games with Southern Illinois and Florence. He averages more than one strikeout per inning.

The trade was part of a flurry of moves by the Wild Things.

Relief pitcher Michael Cotter (0-0, 6.35) was released. Washington picked up Cotter in a trade with a team in another league only three weeks ago.

The Wild Things signed Chris Smith, a right-handed pitcher who had been playing in the independent Pecos League after beginning the year with Traverse City. He was released by the Beach Bums after only two relief appearances, including one against the Wild Things at Consol Energy Park.

Smith was a draft pick of Lake Erie last year but lasted only one outing. He will start Friday night against Rockford as the Wild Things switch to a six-man pitching rotation.

TRIVIA: Banks is not the first player traded twice by the Wild Things. I can think of one pitcher. Anyone willing to guess who that might be?

Big inning

If you were wondering, yes, the 11-run seventh inning by Lake Erie Sunday night was the most runs the Wild Things have given up in an inning during a game at Consol Energy Park.

The previous record was 10 runs by Windy City in the fourth inning of a game Aug. 9, 2008. Windy City won that game 22-7, which came on the heels of a 13-5 win over the Wild Things one night earlier. That 10-run inning by the ThunderBolts included three home runs, including a grand slam. There were seven hits, three walks and an error in the frame.

The offensive numbers by Lake Erie in the seventh inning weren't as impressive: Three hits (one an infield single), no extra-base hits and only two batted balls that reached the outfield. There were eight walks, a hit batsman and two errors. For the night, Washington pitchers issued 13 walks.

Washington manager Darin Everson admitted after the game that he's concerned about the confidence of some of his relief pitchers. The Wild Things have had two bullpen meltdowns in the last five games.

"Definitely," he said. "We're trying to figure out what's going on with 'em because what's happening isn't what they've shown before. We have to figure out if it's a mental thing or there's something wrong from a physical or mechanical standpoint.

"The best thing is, tonight was just a big bump in the road. It looks worse because we had a 5-1 lead and was in command."

One guy in particular who is going through a rough stretch is Davis Bilardello. Through is first 13 outings with Washington, Bilardello had a 2.89 ERA and had not allowed more than two hits or two walks in a game. In his last three outings, Bilardello has pitched two innings, allowing nine hits, three walks and 12 runs (eight earned).

Bilardello's struggles are happening at the wrong time for Washington. With Kevin Hammons being placed on the DL Sunday, Bilardello is the only lefty the Wild Things have in the bullpen.

Useless information, V2.0

Some random thoughts and notes about the Wild Things and Frontier League:

* Has any Wild Things player ever had a better road trip than the one Chris Sidick (pictured) is having? In the first five games of the current six-game trip to Traverse City and Rockford, Sidick is 14-for-21 with 11 runs, 5 RBI, 2 home runs and 5 stolen bases. He has raised his batting average from .243 to .286.

A few other guys I recall having good road trips were Josh Loggins, Chris Carter and Mike Arbinger.

Loggins had a trip to Evansville and Chillicothe in 2003 in which he went 7-for-17 with 3 home runs and 9 RBI and was signed by Colorado during the trip.

When Washington ran off a 13-game winning streak in 2005, Arbinger and Carter were the catalysts. During a nine-game road trip to Gateway, River City and Mid-Missouri, Arbinger was 17-for-44 with 2 homers and 16 RBI. On the same trip, Carter went 15-for-38 with 5 homers and 15 RBI.

* According his Twitter account, Chris Smith, a right-handed pitcher who has been playing with the White Sands Pupfish of the independent Pecos League, has signed a contract to play with the Wild Things. Smith, who is from Louisville, was Lake Erie's first-round draft pick in the Frontier League draft in 2010. He played two games for Traverse City this year, including a rough outing out of the bullpen against the Wild Things at Consol Energy Park in May. Smith later signed with White Sands. In the Pecos League, Smith had a 3-0 record and 1.39 ERA in four outings. He struck out 28 in 26 innings.

According to the Twitter post, Smith said he will be a starting pitcher with the Wild Things.

* Former Wild Things relief pitcher Alan Williams, who was signed by the Milwaukee Brewers early in the Frontier League season, has been promoted from rookie ball to Class A. Williams was sent from Helena (Mont.) to Appleton (Wisc.), where he will play for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers of the Midwest League. Williams pitched in nine games with Helena and had a 1-1 record, 4 saves and 2.57 ERA. He struck out 28 in only 14 innings.

* When Luis Rivera homered in the fifth inning Wednesday at Traverse City, it was the first time all season the Wild Things received a home run from the cleanup spot in the batting order. That one came 52 games into the season.

* Remember Steve MacFarland, who pitched for the Wild Things last year until an injury ended his season? McFarland was the Pittsburgh Pirates' 9th-round draft pick in 2006 but never made it past low-Class A with the Bucs. He was traded by Washington to another independent league last offseason. Since then, MacFarland has been released from three different indy leagues but is back in the Frontier. He was signed this week by the Florence Freedom.

Of round numbers

For some reason that I can't understand, people get a kick out of noting when things happen for 100th, 200th, 300th time or any other number that ends with multiple zeroes. I'll follow suit with a couple of milestones from Washington's win Thursday night over Rockford.

First, the win was the 500th in Wild Things history. They are 500-393 (.556) since joining the Frontier League in 2002. Washington has the best winning percentage of any FL franchise that has played 893 games.

The FL's all-time wins list:
1. Chillicothe, 688
2. Evansville, 677
3. River City, 581
4. Cook County/Windy City, 575
5. Washington, 500
6. Gateway, 499
7. Richmond, 483

Another round-number note: When Washington's Chris Sidick homered in the first inning Thursday night, it was the 700th home run in Wild Things history. Washington is 9th on the FL's all-time HR list by franchise.

Ready to rumble

Maybe it was the heat. Maybe it was the game. Whatever it was, something made tempers flare Wednesday in Avon, Ohio during a game between the Lake Erie Crushers and the Rockford RiverHawks (the Wild Things' opponent tonight).

According to the Chronicle-Telegram, a benches-clearing brawl started in the third inning after Lake Erie had already forged a big lead. Lake Erie’s Evan Sharpley (recently picked up after being released by Traverse City) was walked on four inside pitches by Rockford starter Joe Scumaci while the Crushers had already forged a big lead. Sharpley and Rockford catcher Carlos Dominguez -- they were involved in a home-plate collision an inning earlier -- then got into an argument. Sharpley tackled Dominguez and the benches cleared. Five players were ejected. You can expected some suspensions.

Here is a link to the story. Make sure you check out the photos from the brawl. They have more than 70.

Read the story here.

If you don't build it, they will leave

In its 20 or so years of existence, independent baseball has had its share of success stories (see places like Lincoln, Neb., or some of the franchises and leagues that have been around for a decade or more). However, without ties to major league organizations to help pay the bills, indy baseball is crapshoot at best. At its worst, it's a mess for all involved. An example of the latter can be found in Zion, Ill., home of the Lake County Fielders of the North American Baseball League.

How the Fielders' situation is tied to the Wild Things and ends up on this blog is this: Steve Grife, a relief pitcher who re-joined the Wild Things Friday, spent the first half of the season with Lake County after being traded there by Washington late in spring training. The Fielders' story and Grife's recounting of his experience with the team makes you appreciate the Wild Things and the Frontier League.

A little background on the Fielders: The team was an expansion outfit last year, billing itself as having actor Kevin Costner as one of its owners. The primary owner, however, is a guy named Rich Ehrenrich, who left a trail of unpaid bills after owning the Northern League team in Schaumburg, Ill.

The Fielders lured Fran Riordan away from the Frontier League to manage the team last season. They played much of the season's first half on the road while a "temporary" ballpark was being built. Riordan got out of Lake County after the season and returned the Frontier League as the Florence Freedom's manager. It was the best move Riordan has ever made.

This year, Lake County joined the new North American Baseball League and was put in a division with teams in Calgary, Edmonton and Hawaii (can you see how money is going to be a problem?). The Fielders and the league, from what I can gather, were told that their temporary ballpark would be completed by midseason. So the NABL scheduled the Fielders to start the season with a 31-game road trip.

That's right, 31 consecutive games on the road. Two trips to Hawaii, trips to Canada, Arizona and California. The team flew from city to city, except for a bus trip from Edmonton to Calgary.

"The flights were hectic," Grife said Saturday. "We didn't always have the players and coaches on the same flight. One time, when we went to Hawaii, we were split, on two flights. By game time, we had only half the team there and no coaches. All the position players were there plus two or three relievers. The players made out the lineup. The manager got there sometime in the first inning. We ended up winning the game in 14 or 15 innings."

Throughout their seven weeks on the road, there was one serious problem: a lack of money. In part because they were on the road and not generating revenue from home games, and in part because of lousy ownership, the Fielders were rarely getting paid or their $20 meal money per day.

According to Grife, sometimes the money was there, sometimes the paychecks bounced. Meal money was always a problem.

At one point, the Fielders held a team meeting and discussed whether they should play that night's game or not, and whether they should quit or continue the season. But as Grife pointed out, how would the players get home if they decided enough was enough and they were quitting? After all, they weren't getting paid.

"Our coaches were phenomenal," Grife said. 'They were behind us 100 percent. They paid for some of our meals out of their own pockets. They kept us afloat."

So the Fielders marched on, hoping that things would change when they returned to Zion for their home opener July 3 against the Yuma Scorpions and their player/manager Jose Canseco.

Through all the troubles, the amazing part of the Fielders' story is they returned home in first place in the NABL's East Division.

"We took an attitude of us against the world," Grife said. "The team was awesome. We knew we were going to win. We would hit three or four home runs a night, steal some bases and our starting pitchers would go eight or nine innings."

The Fielders finally made it to Illinois and found that their ballpark was still a "temporary" facility. But, the home opener drew approximately 5,000 fans. And, during one game in the middle of the seven-game homestand with Yuma, Grife capped a Fielders victory by striking out Canseco to end the game.

"I kept throwing him fastballs and he kept nipping 'em and fouling 'em off," Grife recalled. "I know a younger version of (Canseco) would have hit a couple of those fastballs out of the park. I finally got him on a fastball up and in. I think he he got tired from swinging and fouling off so many pitches. He got worn out."

Still, though they were playing at home, the Fielders weren't getting paid. Shortly before the July 9 against Yuma (the next-to-last of the series), Fielders manager Tim Johnson quit. It was reported that Johnson, the former manager of the Toronto Blue Jays, hadn't been paid since May.

Out of protest, 11 Lake County players refused to play that night.

Hiting coach Pete LaCock, a former Chicago Cubs player (and son of longtime Hollywood Squares host Peter Marshall) ran the team that night. With a limited roster, he put pitchers in the field. Grife played five innings at shortstop. Some non-pitchers pitched.

To level the playing field, Canseco decided to let some of his pitchers play the field. Canseco even pitched six innings, throwing fastballs and knuckleballs. Grife had one hit off Canseco.

LaCock quit after the game but was fined $2,500 by the league for "making a farce of the game."

Earlier that day, the Fielders players had filed for free agency because they were not being paid. By Monday (two days later), 13 of them became free agents. Nine others were traded. Grife was among those released.

In all, the Fielders had four managers in less than a week and either released or traded 23 players in three days.

"It came down to a lot of promises that weren't kept," Grife said. "When we became free agents, you should have heard the cell phones ringing. A lot of teams were looking for players. We had two pitchers go to Windy City, one to Normal."

Grife called Washington manager Darin Everson, who offered the right-hander another shot with the Wild Things and, yes, a regular paycheck.

Here are a few links to stories about the Fielders' fiasco:

Read the story here.

Read the story here.

State of the Penn League

Here is the link to an excellent story written by the Centre Daily Times' Guy Cipriano (a Washington County native who got his start in the biz at the Observer-Reporter). Guy writes about how changes in the first-year player draft, signing date and the college season have caused the level of play to drop in the New York-Penn League.

It's interesting that the Wild Things have more outfielders (2), who were drafted in the first three rounds than the State College Spikes (Pirates affiliate) have players on their 31-man roster who were taken in the first three rounds of any draft.

Read the story here.

Useless information

Cleaning out the notebook prior to the restart of the Frontier League season Friday night:

The topic of discussion in manager Darin Everson's office prior to the Wild Things-Gateway game Sunday was how many wins will it take for a team to secure a playoff berth from the East Division?

The Frontier League went to a 96-game schedule in 2004, and since then the playoff team with the worst record each season has averaged 52 wins. There was a low of 46 (Evansville in 2006) and it took 56 wins to make the postseason in 2009. It doesn't look like the East will have a team pull away from the pack, or one that finishes with less than 30 wins, so the magic number will likely be closer to 52 than 56.

What does that mean for the Wild Things? To get to 52 wins, they need to go 33-16 after the all-star break.

* In Wednesday night's Frontier League All-Star game in Avon, Ohio, Washington's Casey Barnes and Jhonny Montoya each pitched a scoreless and hitless inning. Justin Hall gave up one solo home run in his inning. Catcher Blake Ochoa went 1-for-2 with a walk, and second baseman Scott Lawson was 0-for-1 with a throwing error.

* Washington does not have a home run from the No. 4 spot in the batting order all season.

* Remember Joel Hartman, who was a utility player for the Wild Things last year before suffering a season-ending finger injury? He joined a team in the Pecos League, based in New Mexico, after being released in spring training by the Wild Things. Hartman suffered another season-ending injury recently. According to the Pecos League website, Hartman broke a leg during a play at home plate.

* In Ernie Banks' first 128 at-bats with the Wild Things in 2009, he hit 12 home runs. In 128 at-bats this year, Banks does not have a home run.

* Both Vidal Nuno and Alan Williams -- the two Wild Things pitchers signed this season by MLB organizations -- are off to strong starts with their new teams. Nuno is playing for Staten Island (Yankees) in the Class A New York-Penn League. In five relief appearances, Nuno is 4-0 with one save and a 0.98 ERA. He has 17 strikeouts in 18 1/3 innings with only three walks. Williams is with Helena (Brewers) in the rookie-level Pioneer League and has a 1-1 record with three saves in seven outings. The lefty has pitched 11 innings and struck out 24 with only three walks.

Former Wild Things pitcher Tom Cochran, who is in Class AAA with with Cincinnati, took the loss last Saturday in Louisville's 2-0 setback against Indianapolis, the Pirates' top affiliate. Cochran started the game and gave up only one run in five innings to drop his record to 6-2.

* Rockford, which is in fifth place in the East, made a key signing over the weekend, bringing back Jason James. The outfielder has one Frontier League batting title and finished second twice.

* In 46 games this season, Everson has used 45 different batting orders.

* Gateway manager Phil Warren on starting the season with three former West Virginia players and an ex-Pitt player on the Grizzlies' roster: "This is an area of the country that seems to get overlooked in the (major league) draft, for whatever reason."

* Despite losing Nuno, the opening day starter, Washington is tied for second in quality starts with 24. Florence also has 24. Windy City is tops with 28.

Wild Things Average Attendance
at the All-Star Break:
2002 - 2,942
2003 - 3,390
2004 - 3,242
2005 - 3,048
2006 - 3,133
2007 - 3,180
2008 - 2,899
2009 - 2,734
2010 - 2,373
2011 - 2,176

You thought the Wild Things had it bad ...

Here are two stories about the Rockford RiverHawks' bus trip home from Evansville Ind., Sunday night. Players and coaches talk about getting hot around the all-star break, but this isn't what they mean.

Read the first story here.

Read the followup story here.

Battle lines

You can designate July 8 as "Circle the Wagons Day" for the Wild Things.

After falling into last place in the Frontier League's East Division, though only a half dozen games out of first place, the Wild Things made three roster moves Friday they hope will pump some life into their offense and deepen their bullpen for the season's second half. Traverse City had a significant roster shakeup last week. This week, it was Washington's turn.

The Wild Things signed a pair of outfielders, Tim Battle and Estee Harris, who were high draft picks and once highly regarded prospects in the New York Yankees system. Also signed was Michael Cotter, the relief pitcher we noticed on another independent league's website as being traded to the Wild Things several days ago.

Here's a little background on the new outfielders:

Harris and Battle were the Yankees' 2nd- and 3rd-round draft picks, respectively, in 2003. Harris out of a high school in New York, and Battle out of high school in Georgia. It's interesting to note that in that same draft, the Yankees selected a pitcher named T.J. Beam in the 10th round. Beam played for the Pirates in 2008. In the 19th round, the Yankees drafted pitcher Jeff Karstens, and in the 47th round the Bronx Bombers drafted but did not sign pitcher Daniel McCutchen.

Harris and Battle each had their careers fizzle out in high-Class A but not before some good seasons. Harris, at one time, cracked Baseball America's top-10 Yankees prospects, and Battle was among the top dozen. Harris' last season in affiliated ball was 2006, while Battle stuck around a while longer, playing through 2008.

At one time, Battle was rated the fastest baserunner and best athlete in the Yankees' system. He had a 16-homer, 40-stolen base season in low-Class A and spent 2 1/2 seasons, playing 274 games, in high-A before the Yankees released him. Battle's strikeout totals were high and on-base percentage low in the minors, but you could tell in only one game with the Wild Things that he has the look of a "toolsy" kind of player that scouts like.

Harris and Battle have been bouncing around the independent leagues. Harris had a good year in 2009 against older players in the Atlantic League, then played for Evansville last year (hitting .270) before going back to the Atlantic League last July.

Battle played last year in Edmonton and Hawaii.

To make room for the new guys, Washington released designated hitter Bryan Fogle, outfielder Derek Perren and pitcher Ryan Thomas. Fogle hit .241 with no extra-base hits in 29 at-bats; Perren batted .245 in 31 games and Thomas, a Beaver County native, pitched in only four games. Perren was probably the most disappointing of the three. He batted. 362 his senior year at Southern California (the first former USC guy to play for the Wild Things) and had a pair of .300 seasons in indy leagues before being picked up by Washington last offseason.

The newcomers didn't exactly change much for the Wild Things' offense Friday as Washington beat Gateway 1-0, getting its second two-hit shutout in three games. Casey Barnes threw a complete-game gem. It was the league-best sixth shutout for Washington.

Will these moves be the spark for a second-half surge or just another failed series of changes? Only time will tell, but give the Wild Things credit for going with a couple of players with interesting and higher-profile backgrounds instead of guys fresh out of small colleges.

A new pitcher?

Found this on the American Association website:

Tuesday, July 5 - The Wichita Wingnuts trade RHP Mike Cotter to Washington (Frontier League) in exchange for future considerations.

The trade hasn't been listed on the Frontier League site, and Cotter isn't listed on the Wild Things' roster. I didn't listen to all of the game Tuesday night, so I didn't hear if Randy Gore mentioned this transaction.

Cotter was a rookie for Wichita, signing last month after his senior season at Emporia State in Kansas. With Wichita, Cotter pitched in seven games out of the bullpen and had a 5.19 ERA. Wichita, by the way, is the same team the Wild Things' Gary Lee played for earlier this year.

At Emporia State, Cotter had one of the strangest statistical seasons I've seen in quite some time. This year, the 6-6, 215-pound Cotter pitched in 18 games. He had a 1-0 record and saved 14 of those games. But his ERA was 6.43 and opponents batted .341 against him.

It's almost impossible to save 14 games and not lose one with a 6.43 ERA.

5 Wild Things named to All-Star Game

The Frontier League announced Monday the initial rosters for its all-star game and the Wild Things will have five representatives, including three pitchers.

Selected for the game as position players were second baseman Scott Lawson and catcher Blake Ochoa. Both will be backups for the East Division team that will play the West July 13 at All Pro Freight Stadium in Avon, Ohio.

Washington pitchers Casey Barnes, Justin Hall and Jhonny Montoya will be on the East's staff.

Lawson leads the Wild Things with a .319 batting average, and his .425 on-base percentage is fifth-best in the league.

Ochoa is batting only .198 but is second on the Wild Things with 21 walks and has thrown out 22 percent of opposing base stealers.

Barnes (2-3) is second in the league in ERA at 1.91. Hall (4-2, 3.27) is tied for the league lead with two shutouts and is tops on the Washington pitching staff in wins. Montoya (1-1, 2.20) is fourth in the league in ERA and second on the team in strikeouts with 32 in 49 innings.

The final three rosters spots for each team will be chosen by the game's managers Thursday.

Getting offensive

The rock group Blue Oyster Cult had a hit in 1977 with its song "Goin' Through the Motions." The Wild Things, their manager suggested, had not hits over the last six innings Thursday night against River City in part because they went through the motions at the plate.

"We need to become more offensive and be able to make adjustments throughout the game, not just go through the motions with our swings," Everson said following the 7-1 loss to the West Division-leading Rascals.

Thirty-seven games into the Frontier League's 96-game schedule, the Wild Things' offense is producing at a rate clip. But it's the wrong kind of record pace.

Washington is batting an anemic .225 as a team. The league record for lowest batting average for a season was set by Lake Erie last year at .229. That the Wild Things are even five games from .500 with that kind of offense is a credit to its pitching staff. Despite losing two lefties to affiliated ball, Washington is second in the league in ERA (3.35) and quality starts (21). The pitching staff deserves better support than it's getting.

The Wild Things' offense has been so poor this season that it would take their first 39 batters reaching base via hits tonight just to raise the team batting average to tie Rockford (.249) for 11th place in the 12-team league.

I don't think that's going to happen.

Second baseman Scott Lawson (.310) and center fielder Chris Sidick (.283) have been the only consistent threats in the lineup, and the former has had trouble staying on base because of baserunning mistakes. Other than those two, the offense has struggled mightily all seasson.

Even the designated hitter position has been a bust. Washington's DHs are hitting .191 with one home run, seven RBI and 41 strikeouts in 136 at-bats.

So what is manager Darin Everson to do about his offense? He brought in DH Bryan Fogle (.292) and third baseman Ryan Ditthardt (.143) last week. Does Everson continue to make changes or hope that his current players can fight their way out of what has been a collective funk?