Sometimes they do make it

Somebody commented today that Arena Football League players are closer to the NFL than Frontier League players are to the major leagues. They probably are. But, sometimes you do get players who make it from the Frontier League to affiliated ball and then up the ladder to the majors.

By my count, the Frontier League has had five of its former players in the major leagues this year, including three pitchers in Seattle.

If you watched the Pirates-Giants series over the weekend, you might have seen a former Frontier League player, Justin Christian, who is an outfielder for San Francisco. Christian batted leadoff for the Giants Friday night and reached base three times.

Christian began his pro career as a second baseman with River City in 2003 and 2004. He played four games against the Wild Things in 2003, including two at Consol Energy Park. He was 2-for-14 in those games. He didn't play against Washington in 2004 as he was signed by the New York Yankees after 30 games with River City.