Best season ever?
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| Stewart Ijames |
For those who play in the Frontier League, it could be a second chance, a way to get back to affiliated ball. Or it can be a way for a player, such as former Wild Things outfielder Stewart Ijames, who slipped through the cracks and went undrafted as a college senior to make a better impression and get his first shot in the affiliated ranks. Or it could simply be a way for a player to keep playing the game he loves and maybe move to a better-paying job in another independent league.
Or in the case of Windy City pitcher Josh Spence, it could be a way to get back to the major leagues.
The primary on-field purpose of the Frontier League is move players to some major-league team's minor-league affiliate. And this year, the league is having players sold to major league organizations at a record pace.
When Normal pitcher Ethan Elias had his contract purchased Wednesday by the Miami Marlins, he became the 29th player since the start of spring training to be moved to affiliated ball. That's a record for this point in the season.
According to Frontier League deputy commissioner Steve Tahsler, there were 12 players who had their contracts purchased at this point last year, 10 in 2012, 12 in 2011 and only 5 in 2010.
Of the 29 players who have been picked up this year, 13 have been right-handed pitchers, six have been infielders, three have been outfielders, three have been catchers and there were three left-handed pitchers.
The team that has lost the most players is River City, which has moved six, including catcher Josh Ludy, who was picked up this week by Oakland. Ludy is leading the league in batting average and home runs (one more than Ijames). That the Rascals are only a half-game out of first place in the West Division at the time I write this is a credit to the work of manager Steve Brook, who does a solid job every season.
Every Frontier League team except two (Lake Erie and Traverse City) has had at least one player sold to the affiliated ranks.
UPDATE: The Traverse City Beach Bums sold the contract of closer D.J. Johnson to the Minnesota Twins on July 25. That leaves the Lake Erie Crushers as the only Frontier League team that has not moved a player to affiliated ball this season.
posted by Chris Dugan at
9:19 AM
6 Comments:
Not sure what I love more; the articles on this blog that have nothing to do with how good the team is doing or the senseless comments made about concessions/parking/other issues.
You got a winning squad, give them that respect. If the community or media doesn't want to embrace them, kick bricks.
And yes I am a former player. Interacted with great families and fans from the area. Proud to be a WT Alumni.
Don't believe a word of this unless you tell us who you are.
If you're so proud then prove it.
So proud that he's afraid to put his name to his comment.
And yes I am a former player. Interacted with great families and fans from the area. Proud to be a WT Alumni.
I can claim that too.
I played for the Podunk Wildcats in 1889. I was a Hall of Fame bat boy. Clem Kadittlehopper is the name. Hope some of you have read about me. I have since changed my name. Proud to be a Wildcat Alumni.
But I still hate pitching coaches that duke it out with their manager. Following in their tradition of never doing the right thing, that low life coach has been allowed by the WT to remain with the team. Some of the players even still speak to him. This just proves that you can't fix stupid.
Ever wonder just who the 3 Modern Day Stooges are:
1. Stu Williams - because he can't even play owner right.
2. Steve Zavacky - because him and Williams are joined at the hip.
3. Kevin Gryboski - because you can't get any more dumb than him.
My apologies to the real 3 Stooges that were a lot smarter than the ones named above.
Why is Steve Zavacky asking us to invite people to the games at a discount? We have to pay full price plus parking, why should we help someone who really doesn't want to come to the games? I have better things to do with my hard earned money. Let them pay their own way the same way we do.
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