Trying times in Washington
The Frontier League will hold a two-day open tryout today and Tuesday at Consol Energy Park. After the tryout, a draft will be held with each of the FL's 14 teams required to select at least two players.
While the tryout and draft provides any player who shows up in Washington -- provided they are less than 28 years old -- the opportunity to take a shot at living their dream and play for a professional baseball team, the odds are stacked against these guys.
There was a time when Frontier League teams stocked much of their roster with players from the tryout. In 1994, before the league's second season, there were only 100 players who showed up for the open tryout at Chillicothe's V.A. Memorial Stadium. More than half of those players were drafted.
Today, FL teams build much of their roster long before the tryout. Those rosters are heavily stocked with players released from major league organizations. Even with the Frontier League's Rookie rules, it has become increasingly difficult for players with only college experience to make it through a tryout camp and onto a FL roster, then stick around for more than a few games or weeks.
The Wild Things have been one of best teams over the last 10 years at finding diamonds in the rough at these tryouts, and even their success rate is less than stellar. There were, however, a few impact players for Washington who took a chance and attended the league tryout with only a glove, a bat and plenty of hope.
Here are the 8 best draft picks made by the Wild Things and the year they were selected:
1. Jack Headley (2004) - The Wild Things selected Headley, who had played at Santa Clara University and spent one year in the Philadelphia Phillies' system, with the 11th pick. The outfielder batted .325 and stole 18 bases, despite missing part of the season with an injury. He made the league's end-of-season all-star team.
2. Stephen Spragg (2005) - Spragg was a steal in the 2nd round out of NCAA Division II Augusta State. The sidearming right-handed relief pitcher played two seasons in Washington, winning 13 games and saving 16 others.
3. Kyle Werman (2006) - One of the Wild Things' first-round picks that year, Werman was a sure-handed second baseman who started for 1 1/.2 seasons.
4. Justin Mattison (2006) - The left-handed relief pitcher was drafted by the Wild Things in2006, but he didn't play in Washington until 2007. Mattison signed with San Diego after the Frontier League draft, was released at seasons' end and then joined the Wild Things. He played one season, going 6-1, 2.37 with two saves as a reliever.
5. Rene Quintana (2007) - A valuable backup infielder, Quintana was selected in the first round out of Union (Ky.), an NAIA school. Quintana batted .286 in 87 games over two seasons.
6. T.J. Graves (2005) - The corner infielder was at the league tryout for only one day but was still drafted by the Wild Things in the first round. Graves spent the entire season on the roster and batted .309 with 11 stolen bases.
7. Dan Horvath (2008) - Lefty reliever out of Bowling Green was drafted in the first round (4th overall). He pitched in 38 games over one season had a 4-1 record.
8. Mike Grady (2005) - Another lefty reliever. Was Washington's third-round draft pick but made the team and had a 3-2 record over 26 appearances.
While the tryout and draft provides any player who shows up in Washington -- provided they are less than 28 years old -- the opportunity to take a shot at living their dream and play for a professional baseball team, the odds are stacked against these guys.
There was a time when Frontier League teams stocked much of their roster with players from the tryout. In 1994, before the league's second season, there were only 100 players who showed up for the open tryout at Chillicothe's V.A. Memorial Stadium. More than half of those players were drafted.
Today, FL teams build much of their roster long before the tryout. Those rosters are heavily stocked with players released from major league organizations. Even with the Frontier League's Rookie rules, it has become increasingly difficult for players with only college experience to make it through a tryout camp and onto a FL roster, then stick around for more than a few games or weeks.
The Wild Things have been one of best teams over the last 10 years at finding diamonds in the rough at these tryouts, and even their success rate is less than stellar. There were, however, a few impact players for Washington who took a chance and attended the league tryout with only a glove, a bat and plenty of hope.
Here are the 8 best draft picks made by the Wild Things and the year they were selected:
1. Jack Headley (2004) - The Wild Things selected Headley, who had played at Santa Clara University and spent one year in the Philadelphia Phillies' system, with the 11th pick. The outfielder batted .325 and stole 18 bases, despite missing part of the season with an injury. He made the league's end-of-season all-star team.
2. Stephen Spragg (2005) - Spragg was a steal in the 2nd round out of NCAA Division II Augusta State. The sidearming right-handed relief pitcher played two seasons in Washington, winning 13 games and saving 16 others.
3. Kyle Werman (2006) - One of the Wild Things' first-round picks that year, Werman was a sure-handed second baseman who started for 1 1/.2 seasons.
4. Justin Mattison (2006) - The left-handed relief pitcher was drafted by the Wild Things in2006, but he didn't play in Washington until 2007. Mattison signed with San Diego after the Frontier League draft, was released at seasons' end and then joined the Wild Things. He played one season, going 6-1, 2.37 with two saves as a reliever.
5. Rene Quintana (2007) - A valuable backup infielder, Quintana was selected in the first round out of Union (Ky.), an NAIA school. Quintana batted .286 in 87 games over two seasons.
6. T.J. Graves (2005) - The corner infielder was at the league tryout for only one day but was still drafted by the Wild Things in the first round. Graves spent the entire season on the roster and batted .309 with 11 stolen bases.
7. Dan Horvath (2008) - Lefty reliever out of Bowling Green was drafted in the first round (4th overall). He pitched in 38 games over one season had a 4-1 record.
8. Mike Grady (2005) - Another lefty reliever. Was Washington's third-round draft pick but made the team and had a 3-2 record over 26 appearances.
posted by Chris Dugan at
8:34 PM
3 Comments:
OT: Tuesday will be May 1st. Time for P.T. Barnum and his ringmaster Stu Williams to begin their ad campaign in which they will attempt to sell us another bag of peanuts to feed to their elephants, and the other critters. We will be told that CEP will be ‘the place to be’ in Washington County this summer.
Yes Ladies and Gentleman step right up and be entertained by the best in the business. Since we can’t seem to put together a good baseball team to perform here in Washington, we might just as well turn CEP into a three-ring circus. So, after ten years of failure after failure, we have decided to present the kiddies with a circus. BUT WAIT! There’s more! We will also have pro wrestling too! Almost as phony as the pro baseball we will have on the phony grass. It will be fun for all but don’t let the kiddies eat the peanuts ‘cause they are almost as stale as the annual hype
I’ll be showing up just for the fireworks. Gave up hope about seeing good baseball. Any, Mr. Williams doesn’t care why you show up – just show up. He is throwing enough stuff against the wall that some of it just has to stick.
I believe Brad Henzler (may not be spelled wrong) in the first season.
The Wild Things were going to sign him, but had him come to the tryout and made him their first draft choice and only had to sign one more player to conform to the rules.
Am I right or wrong?
Hensler was actually signed out of Wild Things' open tryout, not the league tryout. He was one of four players Washington signed that day.
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