DiMatteo to the Frontier
Former California University of Pennsylvania standout outfielder Sam DiMatteo (picture) has signed a contract with the Traverse City beach Bums of the Frontier League.DiMatteo played his first season of professional baseball this year. He was in spring training with the Washington Nationals but was released. He eventually found a spot on the roster of the Ruidoso Osos of the independent Pecos League. DiMatteo played in 40 games for Ruidoso, batting .333 with eight home runs, 29 RBI and eight stolen bases.
DiMatteo was one of the best players Cal has ever produced. The Beaver County native was the first player in PSAC history to steal 100 bases in a career, and batted .375 with 31 home runs and 161 RBI. He helped Cal win the PSAC championship in 2010.
This is a good signing by Traverse City. Based on what he did at Cal, I felt DiMatteo was good enough to make a Frontier League roster and contribute.
Labels: California University, Sam DiMatteo, Traverse City Beach Bums
posted by Chris Dugan at
1:19 PM
25 Comments:
Congratulations to Sam. It's a shame he won't be playing in a Wild Things uniform. Traverse is getting a good one.
H'mmm:
Another local product missed by the Things.
Why?
No GM, no manager?
Why are you so hung up on local players?
Anonymous, if we sign all players from Australia, Japan, or Puerto Rico, you would complain we have no local players.
May times, people in the stands complain because we had very few local players.
Chris even commented about the CUP connection to Lake Erie.
having "local" players has only been an issue since the wild things quit winning with regularity.
if (when) the team puts a winning product on the field night in and night out, the championship starved masses will appear, cheer and celebrate, and rightly so.
if the organization parades out 3 guys from peters township, 3 from california, 3 from ringgold, 4 from cecil, 3 from lincoln hill, 2 from the 'hill', and 4-5 from greene county and they can't win, the stands will look like they have the past three seasons...
Local yokels will NOT bring a winning team to Washington. DisaPointed, and others seem to think that if it’s from the local area then it just HAS to be good. Typical thinking from folks in the ever provincial SW Pa.
I don’t care where a player is from so long as he can get the job done. I sure hope the thinking is not that the reason the WT have performed poorly is just because there are few local products. Having the very good Chris Sidick has sure not made much of a difference. The WT things need people that know how to teach the game as well as those that can be taught. Dumping Everson was a good first step in correcting the dire situation the WT now face. If the best players are from Oregon, Maine, or Florida, who cares?
There is no way a team comprised of player from western PA is going to win a championship! Some of you folks need to broaden you horizons – there is life (real life) beyond the borders of Pennsylvania. Common sense starts at about Columbus, OH and spreads west from there.
Perhaps Disa Pointed is only trying to say that nobody seems to be doing a lot of searching for talented players right now. There is a lot of effort being expended on trying to put a new face on the Wild Things but we need quality players as a foundation to build on. The only sure way to get folks into CEP is a winning team. Last year, Todd Marlin told me before the season started that Blake Ochoa was a very talented catcher and would help establish the basis for a winning team. We all know how well that worked out….. We need baseball people that really know how to evaluate young players before signing them up.
Ima Fraid
The reason you obtain local players in a league such as this is numerous. It's great to have some locals around for community relations activities throughout the off-season months and nice to have a face or two for the franchise besides the mascot. You save money on housing/it's one less host family you need. I'd rather have a local guy than a non-local guy any day of the week. Plus, they usually bring more people into the ballbark and you often get more press locally. We're talking about the frontier league, a small step above decent college ball, not saying the entire roster needs to be locals but without a doubt I'd fill my subs/back-up position players such as relief pitchers utility infielders and backup catcher with these players (if at all possible).
Food for thought: Any mentions of Dewey as manager (I know he has 1000 kids and it probably stinks to deal with that from a expense/operations standpoint) but look what he has done with the WT's pitching staff; plus I've personally never seen players (especially pitchers) train like that. After every game the pitchers seem to be out there working out until I leave the park, very impressive). It seems like Dewey's a leader, a very good spokesman, has the right attitude to grind it out for a long season, and has the ties to MLB since he was an ex-big leaguer. He may be Darin's guy, but has he ever been given a chance to run his own show? People with his attitude succeed.
I've seen this kid play and he has unbelivable power for his size . He has the speed and size of a lead off hitter and the power of a number 4 or 5 hitter . Don't walk him either . He'll be on 3rd in 2 or 3 pitches. Would have loved to see him sign here with Washington.
What I was trying to point out is it is a shame to lose a local player with talent to another team within the league. Ross, working for CUP and the connection with John Maz with Lake Erie is an example of the local pipe line gone to a Cleveland suburb.
CUP plays their home games at Consol. Apearantly no one in the Wild Things organization cares to watch or even scout the local scene.
I don't say you have to have all or any local players, but it is a shame to let any local talent get away when you can bring in a catcher that is washed up from across the southern pond.
wow , have seen dematteo play , has power and speed ,rare combination.
too bad wildthings didnt grab him ?
I agree ,not a lot of local talant lately but this guy is the real deal, reminds me of Pete Rose, very aggressive.
I'll come watch him play when he comes here to play the wildthings.
Lots of good baseball players in pa. they just don't get the opportunity /experiance to play as much as the southern state players because of the lousy weather plus football get all the attention around here. Good luck Sam , If anyone can pull it off it will be YOU.
I still haven't read a GOOD reason to have local players unless of course, they ARE qctually really good and not just local hype.
All the WT have to do is win - the fans will pour into the park and won't give a damn where the good players are from. I'm sick of hearing about Maz, Teke, Terry Bradshaw and all the other heros from a bygone era. Time to realize that the World does revolve around the Pittsburgh area. The glory of the past is gone, never to return.
Joe Montana saw the light, Bill Cower has seen the light, just to mention a couple. They say nice PC things about the area but you will notice they live in the real world far away from here.
"they just don't get the opportunity /experiance to play as much as the southern state players because of the lousy weather"
So? What's stopping them from going to play in the south, or to California after their college days are over. They are still going to be young enough. Just because you are born here does not mean you have to stay here. Gotta cut those apron strings sometine!
Ima Fraid
New Wt manager - Terry Falcona!!
win, and they will come. any other questions?
"New Wt manager - Terry Falcona!!"
At least he would sure have some 'contacts'
Ima Fraid
The problem with this entire DeMatteo situation is that the kid can play in the Frontier League. Traverse City sees this. The Wild Things would have seen this had anyone in the organization bothered to look out the window of the office and watch a Cal game. Shame on the Wild Things.
the wild things are about to name their new manager, and he's got contacts/connections aplenty--most recently with arizona as a scout, also with cleveland and milwaukee. the new skipper also has managing stints in the american association, the eastern league and the ny-penn league. any day now, the new manager will be announced and his initials are cb.
CB?
Two thoughts come to mind: Chris Bando and Chris Blaine.
I hope it's Chris Blaine!
I think Ron Wilson should be the next manager.
Ima Fraid I would not be Disa Pointed.
Me too!
Ima Fraid
If it's Chris Blaine, I will buy 20 season tickets and brings 19 of my closest friends every night.
found this artical while surfing the net.
dimattio was a hell of a high school baseball player. he was the WPIAL AA-player of the year in 2005
He was also a 2005 PA first team all-state selection . My son played at blackhawk and this guy was the only player we didn't want to pitch to .
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