Bridgeport thoughts

The news Thursday that the Wild Things have an agreement with Genesis Partners to bring Frontier League baseball to Bridgeport, W.Va., in 2014 came as a surprise, even if ownership had been working on this kind of deal since 2004.

The original plan was for a ballpark and upscale community development to be located in Fairmont, W.Va. The ballpark was to be shared by a Frontier League franchise -- owned by the Wild Things' group -- and Fairmont State's baseball team. Wild Things ownership thought a team in Fairmont would be ideal because it would be located between Morgantown and the Clarksburg/Bridgeport area.

That plan, however, was stuck in a West Virginia political power struggle, and the end result was the Bridgeport plan. The ballpark will cost $15 to $20 million and seat 3,5000. It will be located in the $1.4 billion Charles Pointe master-planned community (think Southpointe with a ballpark). Bridgeport is located 75 miles south of Washington.

The most interesting part of this announcement by the Wild Things is the timing. It comes on the heels of West Virginia University's announcement last month that it wants to build a ballpark at University Town Center, just off the I-79 Star City exit. The park would be home to the Mountaineers' baseball program and a minor league team. According to the Charleston Daily Mail, WVU athletic director Oliver Luck wants the ballpark to have a synthetic playing surface. Readers of this blog know that means an independent team would likely be the tenant.

The developers in Bridgeport are far ahead of WVU's, and the Wild Things have been working for years on the former project. But you have to wonder how the WVU situation will impact a Bridgeport franchise.

Barnes available

Former Wild Things pitcher Casey Barnes was included in the first round of cuts in the Philadelphia Phillies' minor league camp. Barnes had been signed by the Phillies late last summer.

Barnes would be a good pickup for the Wild Things if they could re-sign the right-hander, not only because he finished second in the Frontier League with a 2.34 ERA last year, but also because he still holds rookie roster status.

Barnes had a 5-5 record with Washington.

If the Wild Things can re-sign Barnes, it would give them the four of the five primary starters off of last year's pitching staff. And we all know that starting pitching wasn't the Wild Things' problem. They set the league record for quality starts.

All-Decade Team: Relief Pitcher

Talk to 10 Frontier League managers and you'll likely to get 10 different opinions on the importance of left-handed relief pitchers and how to use them at this level of baseball.

Some managers don't care if a reliever is a lefty or righty. In 2004, the Wild Things didn't have a left-handed relief pitcher and won the East Division title with their All-Right Bullpen. Other managers find lefty relievers to be a necessity and love playing the lefty-righty percentages late in games.

In Major League Baseball, there have been studies done that link a team's success to the number of left-handers they have in the bullpen. In the Frontier League, some managers simply want three reliable relievers to use late in games and it doesn't matter from which side they throw.

The Wild Things have had only a few reliable left-handers over their first 10 seasons, and the most effective was Kevin Hammons, who spent the last two summers in Washington.

Hammons, a former Florida Marlins minor leaguer, simply dominated left-handed hitters. The numbers show just how valuable Hammons was when former manager Darin Everson played the percentages late in games. Left-handed batters were a measly 6-for-54 (.115) against Hammons in 2010. Last year, lefties were 8-for-37 (.216) against Hammons, who did not walk a left-handed hitter all year.

For the two seasons, lefties batted only .154 against Hammons.

Of course, lefties weren't the only batters Hammons could retire. He had a 9-6 record, three saves and 2.62 ERA with the Wild Things. Those numbers, along with being the franchise's best lefty reliver, land him a spot on the all-decade team

All-Decade Relief Pitcher: Kevin Hammons (2010-11)

More from Chris Sidick

Here is the link to the story in Friday's O-R about Chris Sidick being placed on the retired list:

Read the story here.

Here are a few comments from Sidick that didn't make the O-R story:

ON DEVELOPING AS A PLAYER: When I came out of college I was someone who had a good swing but I didn't know the first thing about the game of baseball. (Former manager) John Massarelli and even (former general manager) Ross Vecchio taught me when to hit the ball to certain places on the field, and why to hit the ball there. Those were the things I was focused on as a player. I was never focused on statistics.

ON PLAYING IN THE FRONTIER LEAGUE: Every single year it got better. There was a new stadium to play in each year, bigger crowds. ... I've heard all the horror stories from players who came from affiliated ball. They would lose a game 17-1 and a teammate would be happy because he went 3-for-4. All the players and coaches in this league have the same goal, and that's to win a championship. I had a blast playing for seven years. I was never playing for myself. Even though we never won a championship, we tried every game and gave it all we had each night. Everyone put their heart and soul into this.

One thing I'm proud of is we never took a game off. You can't because the competition in this league was so much better each year. When I first started out in the league, there were teams that couldn't bunt, that couldn't move runners over. By my last year, you just accepted that the team was going to advance the runner, and you hoping the pitcher could get out of the jam.

ON PREPARING FOR THE 2012 SEASON: I was behind. Usually, by this time of year, I'm a month into hitting. I'd be taking two one-hour rounds of batting practice each day for a month. I haven't taken any batting practice yet this year. And being 100 percent committed to training is something I was always taking seriously.

Sidick placed on retired list

Outfielder Chris Sidick won't be returning for an eighth season with the Wild Things. He has been placed on the retired list, the team announced today.

Sidick is the Frontier League's all-time leader in many statistical categories, including games played (588), at-bats (2,225), hits (635), runs (414), triples (56), walks (328) and total bases (1,001).

The owner of C Side Sports Academy, a baseball training facility that recently moved to a new building in North Strabane Township, Sidick had originally hoped to play a limited schedule of about 60 games this season. According to the Wild Things, Sidick has instead opted to concentrate on his business.

“This was a tough decision,” Sidick said in a press release. “It took me the entire winter to come up with the answer. I talked with many people who are or had been involved with the Wild Things organization. ... I am excited to continue to be involved with the Wild Things. They are a huge part of my past and what defines me.”

Last year, Sidick played in 91 games and batted .291 with seven triples, nine home runs and 21 stolen bases. A product of Canon-McMillan High School and Marietta College, Sidick had a .285 career batting average.

“Chris has been a constant for the Washington Wild Things organization and baseball team,” said Stu Williams, the team’s owner. “We are sorry to see Chris retire. He has been an outstanding player for us and a record-setter. We wish him the very best in his business ventures and in his life."

Pitching in

It has been rather quiet lately in the Frontier League as teams await minor league cuts from spring training.

The Wild Things did make two significant signings last week when pitchers Justin Hall and Jhonny Montoya (pictured) agreed to contract extensions. Washington now has four starting pitchers -- Hall, Montoya, Gary Lee and Chris Smith -- back for 2012.

Smith and Lee were acquired during the 2011 season. Smith made only five starts late in the year, but Hall and Montoya were with Washington from start to finish. You could make a case that Hall (10-7, 3.22) was as good as any pitcher in the league over the second half of last year. Pitching for a team that provided almost no offensive support, Hall was 6-3 with a 2.40 ERA after the all-star break. In his final outing, on the season's last night, Hall pitched 11 innings to win at Windy City 6-2. Hall gave up only seven hits and one walk while striking out a team-record 14 batters.

The most impressive statistic from Hall's 2011 season had to be this one: only 22 walks in 145.1 innings.

We all know that in this league, if you consistently throw strikes and pitch ahead in the count, you'll be very successful.

Throwing strikes is what was a problem for Montoya (4-7, 3.77) last year. Though he was able to pitch in an out of trouble often enough to register 11 quality starts, Montoya too often left games early because of high pitch counts. He walked 51 batters in 117 innings. You have to expect that ratio will improve this year.

The Wild Things also continued to rebuild the Point Loma Nazarene Sea Lions by signing Allen Boyer. An outfielder, Boyer played for Point Loma in 2010 and 2011. He batted .312 with three home runs and 14 RBI last year, but did hit .350 with 13 doubles, 19 home runs and 51 RBI as a junior. Keep in mind that there was a significant change made to the aluminum bats in the college game last year, making them play more like wood.

Boyer gives Washington three former Point Loma Nazarene position players currently on the roster. A fourth was signed this offseason but recently traded to another league.

By my count, the re-signing of Hall and Montoya, and the signing of Boyer, give the Wild Things 30 players under contract. There are a four others players -- Steve Grife, Ross Gusky, Chris Sidick and Luis Rivera -- whose contract options have been picked up but have not yet signed for 2012. If Washington re-signs all four, picks up at least two more (which is mandatory) from the league tryout, then they'll have 36 players and that's not counting those signed after minor league spring training.

It's going to be very crowded inside the Wild Things' refurbished clubhouse in early May.

Alumni report

The Wild Things have five former players currently in minor league spring training, led by left-handed pitcher Tom Cochran (pictured).

Last year, Cochran became the first ex-Wild Thing to make it to the majors when he was with the Cincinnati Reds for two games. He did not, however, play in either game and was sent back to Class AAA Louisville, for whom he went 7-4 with a 3.55 ERA.

Cochran was a minor-league free agent after the 2011 season and has signed with the Philadelphia Phillies. He'll try to earn a spot on the Phillies' Class AAA affiliate Lehigh Valley.

Also with the Phillies is right-handed pitcher Casey Barnes, who was second in the Frontier League in ERA last year.

Milwaukee has two former Wild Things relievers in left-hander Alan Williams and righty Mark Williams. Alan Williams had an impressive season last year split between rookie ball and Class A, going 2-2 with six saves and 49 strikeouts in 32.2 innings in affiliated ball.

Lefty pitcher Vidal Nuno, who was the Wild Things' opening day starter last year, is in the New York Yankees' minor-league camp.

Sidick: One of 13 under 30

Wild Things outfielder Chris Sidick has been chosen by Whirl Magazine for its feature "13 under 30." The magazine features 13 "men and women, all under 30 years old, who are leading the way in their respective careers and community efforts in and around Western Pennsylvania."

Read the story here.

All-Decade Team: Relief Pitcher

When the Wild Things signed B.J. Borsa in April of 2004, they weren't sure what role the former University of Cincinnati pitcher would fill. Like many pitchers who come to the Frontier League, Borsa was a starter in college and a reliever in the minor leagues. In Borsa's case, he spent one year in the bullpen, with solid results, in the Cincinnati Reds' system.

In two years with Washington, Borsa was used a in variety of roles and situations. He spent one month as a starter, some time as a middle reliever and one spectacular season as a closer. It was that 2004 season, as the anchor of the Wild Things' bullpen, that landed Borsa a spot on the All-Decade Team as a relief pitcher.

Borsa was a hard-throwing, straight-over-the-top, maximum-effort pitcher. And he filled up the strike zone, which made him an ideal closer in the Frontier League.

Borsa's 2004 season was one of the best by a Wild Things pitcher. He had a 7-1 record, 2.12 ERA and led the league with 19 saves. He had 50 strikeouts and only 14 walks in 46.2 innings. His 5.79 hits allowed per nine innings is the third-best in franchise history, topped only by Jim Popp (5.43) in 2004 and Steve Grife (5.40) last year.

Borsa was converted to a starter in 2005, but he was only 1-3 with a 7.05 ERA in seven starts and was sent back to the bullpen in July. For the year, Borsa was 2-4 with one save and 5.53 ERA. He closed the season with a string of 12.1 consecutive scoreless innings, which included a four-inning save against Richmond.

But for his 2004 season alone, Borsa lands a spot on the All-Decade Team.

All-Decade Relief Pitcher: B.J. Borsa (2004-05).

Crowded outfield

The Wild Things have signed two experienced outfielders, Trevor Pippin and Nick Santomauro. Both players were former top-10 round draft picks whose careers fizzled quickly in affiliated ball and ended up in the independent Can-Am League last year.

Pippin (6-2, 185) was the fourth-round draft pick (148th overall) of the Los Angeles Angeles in 2007 out of Middle Georgia Junior College, the same school that produced former Wild Things pitcher Tom Cochran and a host of ex-major leaguers, including Kal Daniels and Jody Davis. Pippin, from Peachtree City, Ga., played two seasons in the Angels' system, each in rookie ball. He failed to hit better than .188 in either season and was released.

Pippin did not play in a professional league in the 2009 and 2010 seasons, but did get into 10 games last season for the New York Federals, the Can-Am League's traveling team. He batted .263 with three home runs in 38 games.

This is apparently the second try at the Frontier League for Pippin. He was released in spring training by the Florence Freedom in 2010.

Santomauro (6-2, 205) was the 10th-round draft pick of the New York Mets in 2009 out of Dartmouth. A three-time all-Ivy League first team selection, Santomauro led the conference in hits in 2009 and was third in batting average (.372) as the Big Green won the Ivy League title. Santomauro was the Ivy League Player of the Year in 2009. As a sophomore in 2008, Santomauro led the conference in RBI and was second in home runs.

During his first season as a pro, Santomauro batted .241 with six home runs for Brooklyn in the short-season New York-Penn League. One of his teammates was Wild Things outfielder Luis Rivera.

In 2010, Santomauro advanced to full-season Savannah of the Class A South Atlantic League but batted only .191 in 81 games. Santomauro's hitting coach that year was former Wild Things second baseman Ryan Ellis.

Last year, Santomauro played in 39 games for the New Jersey Jackals in the Can-Am League and batted .239.

The signings of two players who are classified as Experienced by Frontier League roster standards has to make one wonder what the status of Chris Sidick is for this season. I was told Friday that Sidick's situation should be determined sometime next week.

Did I say slow season?

The Wild Things made two more roster moves Monday, re-signing first baseman/outfielder Doug Thennis and acquiring another catcher, Michael Surina.

The re-signing of Thennis is important not only because the right-handed hitter led the team with a .304 batting average and 23 doubles, but he was the only position player last year who seemed to be on the upswing of his career. Thennis batted .338 from July 4 to the end of the season and his power numbers increased dramatically. He also showed some speed by stealing seven bases.

Surina fits the mold of what the Wild Things have signed in the offseason. He's a native Californian who played at an NCAA Division III school, La Verne College located near Los Angeles. He had a nice career, batting .401 as a senior. Since then, he's played briefly for three teams in two independent leagues and has a .214 career batting average.

Surina was acquired from Abilene of the North American League as the player to be named later in a trade made a few weeks ago that involved pitcher Mickey Jannis. Though we haven't seen either Jannis or Surina play, on the surface it appears the Wild Things got the short end of the trade as they dealt a pitcher who has two years of affiliated experience and pitched a couple of games at the high-Class A level.

Slow season

March might be a busy time in college basketball, but in the Frontier League it's the calm before the storm. In April, after minor league spring training ends, managers will be busy filling the remaining spots on their roster with players recently released from affiliated organizations.

Until then, there will be only a few signings, mostly players who are re-signing with their 2011 clubs.

The Wild Things have made a few roster moves in the last two weeks, including a trade announced today on the league's website. Washington shipped infielder Wes Kartch to Roswell, the defending champion in the Pecos League, in exchange for a player to be named later.

Kartch was signed in December by Washington. He was one of the many former NAIA players signed in the offseason. Kartch had last played at Point Loma Nazarene in 2010. At the time of his signing, Kartch was called a "gold glove" infielder by new manager Chris Bando. Apparently, the coaching staff decided Kartch's bat need some pro experience before joining the Wild Things.

Another player traded to the Pecos League was catcher Rob Herrmann, who also was acquired by Washington this offseason. Herrmann was traded to the Alpine Cowboys for a player to be named later.

Herrmann was traded back to the league in which he played in last year, only to a different team. He was a player I had questions about based on one statistic: He led the Pecos League in passed balls last year with 32. That's 32! In a shorter season than the Frontier League. The Frontier League leader in passed balls last year had 23 and the guy who was second had 18.

Washington did sign right-handed pitcher Eric Binder, lefty pitcher Daniel Schmidt and utility player Shain Stoner.

Binder is a pitcher who began his college career in the Big Ten at Northwestern and finished it at Division III Trinity University in Texas. He signed as a nondrafted free agent last summer with the St. Louis Cardinals and posted a 3-1 record and 7.07 ERA in a season split between rookie ball and the short-season New York-Penn League.

Binder pitched for Trinity in 2009 and 2010. His numbers those two seasons weren't good, 1-4 with a 7.36 ERA in '09 and 0-1 with a 9.35 ERA the next year.

Schmidt pitches for Perth in the Australian League in the winter and bounced around two independent leagues the last two summers. A possible connection for the Wild Things would former Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Grame Lloyd is the pitching coach at Perth and Washington manager Chris Bando is a former coach with the Brewers.

Schmidt was 6-2 4.08 this year in Australia. In independent ball in the states, Schmidt played in the American Association and Can-Am League, going 7-7 with a 6.00 ERA.

Schmidt will be the first native of Australia to play for the Wild Things.

Stoner is another product of Point Loma Nazarene, an NAIA power in California. Stoner played third base and led Point Loma with a .365 batting average along with 14 doubles and 10 home runs last year. Stoner also played in the NAIA at Southern Nazarene in Oklahoma.

The signing of Stoner and trade of Kartch leaves Wild Things with four infielders (five if you include unsigned Doug Thennis as a first baseman). Here's thinking that Washington will be in the market for two and maybe three infielders when the minor league roster cuts happen.

One player was re-signed for 2012. Pitcher Gary Lee will be returning fro a second season in Washington. Lee was 4-6 with a 4.18 ERA last year.

Lee will actually be playing for Bando for the second time. Lee began his pro career in 2007 by pitching in 35 games in relief for the Aiken Foxhounds of the now-defunct South Coast League. Bando was Aiken's manager.

Lee is only the second player from the 2011 team to agree to a contract extension.