Wild about Things

Springing forward

2012-01-27T10:58:00.000-08:00

Here's a sign that spring is just around the corner: The San Diego Christian College baseball team that new Wild Things manager Chris Bando coaches is scheduled to play its season opener this afternoon.

All-Decade Team: Starting Pitcher

2012-01-26T19:39:00.000-08:00

While sitting in the upper deck of Altoona's Blair County Ballpark in 2004 and watching the Curve play Harrisburg in a Class AA Eastern League game, I scanned my program and noticed a local pitcher listed on the Senators' roster. A guy named Ryan Douglass, who was listed as being from Pittsburgh.

This was the same Ryan Douglass who was a standout pitcher at Canevin High School almost a decade earlier. I couldn't help but think that a guy who was pitching out of the bullpen in Double-A after being a pro for eight seasons might be at the end of his run in affiliated ball.

"I wonder if the Wild Things could get him to play in Washington if he gets released," I said to my oldest son, Brian, who was 10 years old at the time and had no idea what I was talking about. It was nothing more than wishful thinking, I reasoned. If Douglass would get released, then he'd probably end up with another organization, in a different independent league or retire.

Douglass pitched that night, throwing three innings of relief. He did give up a two-run homer to Brad Eldred (remember him, Pirates fans?), but struck out five and did not walk a batter. Douglass showed the kind of presence, poise and command that you don't see from typical Frontier League pitchers. That left me believing that seeing Douglass in a Wild Things uniform was a longshot at best.

A few months later, Washington beat the odds and hit the jackpot.

Former general manager Ross Vecchio lured Douglass, who had been released from the Montreal Expos system after the 2004 season, to the Wild Things and Frontier League. The opportunity to pitch close to home was the sales pitch.

While Douglass didn't have the same velocity on his fastball that made him an 18th-round draft pick out of high school by the Kansas City Royals, he did show pinpoint control and the savvy learned from 64 outings at the Double-A level.

Douglass played only one season for Washington and posted an 11-3 record with a 3.25 ERA and yielded only 16 walks in 119 innings (just three walks in his last 40 innings). He was a big reason the Wild Things won the East Division with a 63-32 record.

Douglass was the starting pitcher for the East in the All-Star game, which was played at Consol Energy Park. He also won the opening game in the division playoff series against Chillicothe.

That was enough to land Douglass a spot on the All-Decade Team.

Only one starting pitcher spot remains on the All-Decade team. Who should fill it? Ben Ally? Tom Cochran? Patrick Stanley? Justin Hall, Casey Barnes or Justin Edwards from the 2011 team? Somebody who hasn't been mention?

All-Decade Starting Pitcher: Ryan Douglass (2005)

Turn out the lights ...

2012-01-24T10:53:00.000-08:00

Here's a link to a story from the Chronicle-Telegram about all of the lights and light poles being taken down at All Pro Freight Stadium in Avon, Ohio, home of the Lake Erie Crushers.

One of the light poles was damaged last year by high wind and came toppling down last month, falling inside the stadium.

Read the story here.

Where's Wulf? In London

2012-01-24T10:37:00.000-08:00

Wondering why Taylor Wulf, who was the Wild Things' closer last year, wasn't listed among the players who had their contract option picked up or declined by Washington last month? Here's why:

Wulf played for Oakland County in 2010 and was acquired by the Wild Things in a special draft of Cruisers players last year. The Cruisers franchise, though dark last year, was purchased in the summer of 2011 by the London Rippers, who will make their debut in 2012. By doing this, the Rippers re-acquired the rights to the players from the 2010 Cruisers who are still in the league. Those players are Wulf, first baseman Joash Brodin (River City in 2011), catcher Dan Killian (Evansville) and pitcher Wayde Kitchens (River City).

The Rippers also picked up Nick Schreiber, a right-handed pitcher who played last season with the Lincon Saltdogs of the American Association. Schreiber played in the PSAC at California University, where he was 10-8 with five saves over his junior and senior seasons. At Lincoln, Schreiber had a 6-1 record.

C-Side Sports Academy

2012-01-23T19:43:00.000-08:00

Here's a story about Chris Sidick's C-Side Sports Academy and his future with the Wild Things, plus a look inside the new building located off Mansfield Road and Route 19. Photos are by the O-R's Jim McNutt.

Read the story here.

All-Decade Team: Starting Pitcher

2012-01-17T14:00:00.000-08:00

Quiz time:

Only two pitchers have won at least 20 regular-season games with the Wild Things and two more in the playoffs. Who are they?

(Insert final Jeopardy theme music here).

One, obviously, is Aaron Ledbetter, the Frontier League's all-time winningest pitcher. The other is a right-hander who came from an NCAA Division III school and spent two stints in affiliated ball.

Dave Bradley, who set the Division II single-season wins record (18) and had a 29-3 record over his final two years at Marietta College, was the mainstay of the Wild Things' pitching staff in 2002 and 2003.

Bradley was the first of many former Marietta standouts to sign with the Wild Things. After being released by the Cincinnati Reds, Bradley opted to continue his career with a first-year Frontier League team and be coached by another former Marietta pitcher, Kent Tekulve.

Bradley had a 21-9 record with the Wild Things and finished no lower than second in the Frontier League in wins each of his two seasons. Bradley was the winning pitcher in Game 2 of the Wild Things' playoff series against Kalamazoo in 2002. In the finals that year against Richmond, Bradley relieved Jared Howton in the rain-suspended Game 1 and was the winning pitcher.

Bradley was charged with the loss in Game 4 of the finals, and was a hard-luck loser in Game 1 of the playoffs series against Gateway in the 2003 playoffs. The latter game was played in rain and swamp-like field conditions.

After his days in Washington, Bradley was signed by the Milwaukee Brewers and made the Class AA Southern League All-Star game in 2005. After that season, Bradley was selected by the Oakland Athletics in the Class AAA phase of the Rule 5 Draft. He never did play at Class AAA, instead spending 2006 back in Class AA with Midland of the Texas League, where he had a 6-11 record as a starting pitcher.

All-Decade Starting Pitcher: Dave Bradley (2002-03)

Lefty signed

2012-01-17T07:42:00.000-08:00

The Wild Things continued their run of signings by adding pitcher Nick Cicio, a 5-9, 170-pound lefty from Baltimore, Md. Cicio was signed as a nondrafted free agent last summer by the Minnesota Twins after finishing his college career at Central Florida.

This is a signing that intrigues me. Cicio played two seasons at Central Florida and had a good senior year out of the bullpen with a 4-3 record and 2.23 ERA and four saves. He struck out 56 batters in 60.2 innings. Cicio also led the Golden Knights in appearances with 28.

Those are excellent numbers when you consider he pitched in Conference USA, which is a very under-rated league, better than some of the "BCS" conferences. One of Cicio's losses was in the NCAA tournament against Alabama, but he gave up only one run in five innings in that game.

Cico then put up good numbers in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League for the Twins. Though I've written about rookie league stats not giving a good indication of a player's ability in the Frontier League, Cicio's statistics make you wonder why he wasn't kept around by the Twins and invited to minor-league spring training. He pitched in 13 games and had a 2-0 record, gave up less than one hit per inning and struck out 20 batters in 20.2 innings. The most impressive statistic is Cico walked only two hitters. That should be enough to keep you in the organization for a few more months.

Remember the post about Jared Howton and the All-Decade Team? There's an interesting comment in there about left-handers who throw strikes, which is why Cicio is one of the most interesting players the Wild Things have signed this offseason.

Wild Things sign catcher

2012-01-13T14:17:00.000-08:00

The Wild Things have signed another rookie player, Justin McDavid, who played the last two seasons at West Virginia University.

McDavid (6-3, 190) is from Queen Creek, Ariz. He batted .290 in 2010 and .276 last year for the Mountaineers. He had five home runs and 53 RBI in 2010, averaging more than one RBI per game.

“He’s a local kid and is a strong left-handed hitting catcher who is versatile and athletic enough to play corner infield,” new Wild Things manager Chris Bando said. “He has a strong arm and is a gap-to-gap hitter.”

All-Decade Team: Starting Pitcher

2012-01-11T15:20:00.001-08:00

During the Wild Things' first spring training, back in 2002, I asked manager Jeff Isom what kind of pitcher has a track record of success in the Frontier League. It didn't take him long to come up with an answer. Isom said that left-handers who throw strikes on a consistent basis usually dominate the league.

Maybe Isom was saying that because he was a former left-handed pitcher in the Pirates' system. But, Isom did sign two left-handed starting pitchers for the Wild Things' inaugural season. One was Jason Hickman, a former 8th-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who was Washington's No. 5 starter, had a 6-6 record and threw a no-hitter.

The other lefty was a player who spent one season as a reliever in the Cincinnati Reds' system. Jared Howton had signed with the Reds as a free agent after being a fifth-year senior at Texas-San Antonio.

Howton made only one start for Billings (Mont.) of the rookie-level Pioneer League, but he flourished in the rotation for the Wild Things. Howton was the Frontier League's 2002 Pitcher of the Year after posting an 11-3 record and amazing 1.89 ERA. The latter remains the record for a Washington starting pitcher.

Only one of Howton's first three appearances for the Wild Things was as a starter, but once inserted into the rotation for good on June 7, Howton dominated. His ERA from June 7 on was only 1.45. Only twice in Howton's final 13 starts did he give up more than two runs.

Perhaps Howton's best outing for Washington came in an August game at home against Johnstown when he tossed a three-hit shutout, did not walk a batter and struck out a team-record 13 batters. He retired 16 of the first 17 hitters.

Howton also pitched a five-hit complete game at Kalamazoo to beat the Kings in the first playoff game in Wild Things history.

In Game 1 of the 2002 championship series against Richmond, Howton pitched four effective innings before rain forced the game to be suspended. He never pitched again in the series.

Injuries were the other story with Howton. Bothered by a shoulder impingement that eventually ended his 2003 season at midseason, Howton was limited to 11 starts. He still managed to pitch through the pain and post a 7-2 record.

For two seasons, Howton was 18-5 in the regular season, 1-0 in the playoffs and the 2002 Frontier League Pitcher of the Year. That was more than enough to earn a spot on the all-decade team.

All-Decade Team Starting Pitcher: Jared Howton (2002-03)

All-Deacde Team: Catcher

2012-01-11T15:18:00.000-08:00

NOTE: Thought I had published this two weeks ago, but did not. Better late than never, I guess.

Former Wild Things manager John Massarelli was a catcher in the minor leagues. So was ex-manager Darin Everson. So it shouldn't be a surprise that the Wild Things have put a emphasis on the position when building their teams.

Catcher was one of the Wild Things' strengths during the franchise's first 7 1/2 seasons. Things started going sour after Kris Rochelle left the team midway through the 2009 seasons, but overall Washington has been much better at catcher for a 10-year period than almost all the other Frontier League franchises.

Some years, such as in 2005 with Randy McGarvey and Pat O'Brien and 2007 with O'brien and mario Garza, the Wild Things had a nice platoon situation at catcher. Others years, they went with just one primary catcher. When Massarelli was the manager, you could his influence on the catchers. He would often have them on the field prior to batting practice working on blocking pitches and even blocking home plate. Mazz kept a large foam dummy in his office that was called "Johnny Baserunner." The dummy/pad was used when teaching the catchers how to protect themselves during a collision and how to block the plate.

But when choosing the Wild Things' all-decade catcher, I have to go with a guy who played for a manager who no catching background.

Shaun Argento was the Wild Things' catcher during their first season in 2002. He played for manager Jeff Isom, who was a former pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates' system.

One of four holdovers from the Canton Crocodilles franchise that was sold and moved to Washington, Argento had already made his mark in the Frontier League, having been named to the league's 10th anniversary team. However, 2002 was Argento's best.

Argento finished third in the league with a .352 batting average in his only season in Washington. He also was second in triples with five, which is amazing considering he was a catcher. Argento hit 20 doubles, five home runs, drove in 62 runs and even stole 10 bases. A former Atlanta Braves farmhand, Argento was the leader – both on the field and in the locker room – of the 2002 team.

Argento landed a spot on the FL's postseason all-star team in 2002. Though the league doesn't release such information, I'd be surprised if Argento didn't finish second to Richmond's Phil Willingham in the MVP voting. He was that important to the Wild Things' success.

A good defensive catcher, Argento called the first no-hitter in Wild Things history, thrown by Jason Hickman at Kalamazoo. It was the third time a no-hitter was thrown in the Frontier League while Argento was behind home plate. Argento also was the best of the Wild Things' catchers at picking runners off first base.

Perhaps the best game Argento played was one at home against Johnstown Aug. 6, 2002. he hit a two-run homer early int he game, picked a Johnnies runner off first base int he sixth inning, and then picked another runner off third base in the seventh.

Unfortunately, the Wild Things' chances of winning the league championship took a huge hit only 17 days later when Argento broke a thumb while sliding into third base during a game at Chillicothe. It was a season-ending injury.

With Argento gaining on spot on the roster, the next question is, who is the backup catcher?

All-Decade Team Catcher: Shaun Argento (2002)

Frontier League tryout returns to Washington

2012-01-09T13:26:00.001-08:00

The Frontier League's annual open tryout and player draft will be returning to Washington's Consol Energy Park April 30-May 1.

This will be the first time the tryout has been held in Washington since 2009.

All 14 Frontier League teams will be represented at the tryout, and Major League Baseball scouts have been in attendance each of the past seven years. Advance registration is available on the Frontier League's website under the ”tryouts” link. Walkup registration will begin at 8 a.m. April 30 with the workouts beginning at 9 a.m.

Following the second day of workouts, the league draft will be held. Each team is required to draft a minimum of two players. With the league expanding this year to 14 teams, at least 28 players will be selected. With the league at either 10 and 12 teams, an average of 35 players have been drafted and signed to spring training contracts over the past seven years. Several draftees have gone on to be signed by major league organizations, including pitcher Chris Jakubauskas who has pitched in 69 games in the majors.

And, keep in mind, no metal cleats will be allowed.

3 more signed

2012-01-07T10:11:00.000-08:00

The Wild Things recently signed three more players, bringing the total of newcomers already under contract for spring training to 15 (and possibly 16 -- still not sure of Mike Bando's status).

Nothing about the latest signings has been released by the Wild Things, but here's what my research has revealed: The three signees follow a familiar pattern for new manager Chris Bando. Each of the three players is from California. Two played small college ball in California. Two of the three do have pro experience.

Signed were right-handed pitcher Alan Gatz, catcher David Peters and utility player Garrett Jenner.

Gatz is from Torrance, Calif., and played at El Camino Junior College and Cal State-Dominguez Hills University, the latter an NCAA Division II school. Last year, Gatz played for Ruidoso in the independent Pecos League and had a 6-3 record in 13 starts. The Pecos League is a hitters league and Gatz's numbers reflect as much. In 73 1/3 innings, he gave up 102 hits and nine home runs. He walked 32 and struck out only 50, but was selected for the midseason All-Star game.

Peters was drafted by the Florida Marlins out of Lakewood (Calif.) High School in 2009 and signed. He spent two years in rookie ball and put up respectable numbers in his second year, which was 2010. I could find nothing that showed Peters played pro ball last summer.

Jenner has an interesting background. In 2009, he played at William Penn University, which is an NAIA school in Oskaloosa, Iowa. He put up good numbers, leading the team with 14 home runs and 49 RBI. But in 2010, Jenner was playing for a barnstorming team called the "Heroes of the Diamond," a military team similar to the one the Wild Things played an exhibition game against a few years ago.

I found no record of Jenner playing in 2011, so he was likely serving in the military.

With the 15 (or 16) newcomers, the Wild Things have at least 25 players on their roster.

All-Deacde Team: Starting Pitcher

2012-01-03T14:46:00.000-08:00

If there is one phase of the game the Wild Things have built each of their 10 teams around, then it's starting pitching. It's why Washington has finished among the Frontier League's top four teams in ERA seven times.

That's also why choosing five pitchers for the all-decade team's starting rotation will be difficult. There are at least eight pitchers who have legitimate cases for being on the team. The No. 1 spot in the rotation, however, is not open for debate.

Aaron Ledbetter, the Wild Things' and Frontier League's all-time leader in wins, gets the top spot in the rotation.

Ledbetter was acquired by Washington in 2006, in what turned out to be a steal of a trade. Washington sent pitchers Greg Lasinski and Shawn Phillips to River City in exchange for Ledbetter, who already was an all-star pitcher with the Rascals. Lasinski and Phillips combined for four wins with River City. Ledbetter, a right-hander from Fort Smith, Ark., had a 27-9 record in 2-plus seasons with Washington.

After being acquired in early August 2006, Ledbetter went 4-1 down the stretch with the Wild Things and helped them win the East Division title by a half-game over Chillicothe. In 2007, Ledbetter had a phenomenal year, going 14-2 with a 2.71 ERA and was named the league's Pitcher of the Year. Ledbetter also pitched Washington to road wins in the playoffs over Gateway and Windy City in 2007.

Though he slowed a bit in 2008, Ledbetter still managed a 9-6 record.

While most Frontier League pitchers rely heavily on two pitches, Ledbetter's strength was his ability to throw four pitches for strikes. In his first 29 regular-season starts with Washington, Ledbetter issued more than two walks only two times.

Another thing the separated Ledbetter from other pitchers was his ability to pitch on three days rest without a dropoff in effectiveness. In 2007, Ledbetter made three starts on three days rest. He won all three games, and in doing so didn't give up a run (19 scoreless innings). Ledbetter's last six regular-season starts with Washington in 2006 were made on three days rest. In those outings, Ledbetter was 3-1 with a 2.23 ERA.

All-Dacade Team Starting Pitcher: Aaron Ledbetter (2006-08)

All-Decade Team: DH

2011-12-26T09:48:00.000-08:00

If there is a position that should be one of strength for a Frontier League team each season, then it has to be designated hitter. After all, it's much easier to find a guy who can only hit than find one who can hit and play quality defense for 96 games, right?

For most of their 10 seasons, the Wild Things have had a productive designated hitter. Choosing a DH for the all-decade team is a process that starts with four candidates: Jay Coakley, Jacob Dempsey (pictured), Robbie Knapp and Matt Swope. Each put up good numbers, and all but Swope played at least parts of two or more seasons in Washington.

Swope was the Wild Things' DH for the a portion of the 2005 season. An outfielder by trade, Swope was signed after playing in the Montreal Expos' system. He was working his way back from a shoulder injury that prevented him from playing the outfield for the first two months of the season, but when healthy enough to hit, Swope was inserted as the DH. Swope batted .309 with eight home runs, 54 RBI and 11 stolen bases from the leadoff spot. He also holds the team record with a 26-game hitting streak.

However, Swope, who these days hosts a radio talk show on the ESPN affiliate in Baltimore, played only 36 games at DH (played 25 in the outfield), and that's not enough to win the all-decade spot.

The same situation involves Knapp, who played multiple positions for Washington in 2007 and again in '08 before being traded to Rockford. Knapp could hit. He batted .306 with 13 home runs and 54 RBI in '07, and .296 with 15 extra-base hits the following year before being traded. Knapp, however, played only 52 games with Washington at DH.

That leaves Coakley and Dempsey. Coakley was one of the first pickups for Washington after its 2002 season began. A former NCAA Division III Player of the Year at Marietta College, Coakley spent three years with the Wild Things and carried better batting averages than you might think (.307, .284 and .274). He hit 30 home runs and drove in 127 runs. The latter total would have been larger had he not batted behind Josh Loggins for his first two seasons.

While Coakley's numbers were very good, they don't' match those of Dempsey. The lefty swinging power hitter played three years in Washington and produced some eye-popping numbers: 61 doubles, 57 home runs, 221 RBI, 170 walks.

Dempsey put up huge numbers at Winthrop University, then played in the Philadelphia Phillies' system before being released. The Wild Things tried hard to sign Dempsey shortly after he was released, but he opted to return to college for a year. After sitting out one summer, Dempsey signed with Washington. He proved to be worth the wait.

Dempsey's first two seasons with the Wild Things were remarkable, and he was named to the league's postseason all-star team each year. In 2008, Dempsey batted .310 with 17 home runs and 88 RBI. In '09, it was .281 with 31 home runs and 81 RBI.

Dempsey was slowed by an injury in his final season and retired before it's conclusion. But for two years, Dempsey was one of the best hitters in a hitter-friendly league.

Now, it's time to put together a five-man pitching rotation.

All-Decade Designated Hitter: Jacob Dempsey (2008-10)

Who are these guys?

2011-12-20T08:04:00.001-08:00

In case you haven't noticed, new Wild Things manager Chris Bando has been busy signing players at a rapid pace. According to the Frontier League's website, Washington has signed 12 players since Nov. 8. I even found a 13th player mentioned on a different website.

If they continue at the current pace, the Wild Things will have more than 50 players in spring training.

So who are these new guys?

Not all the signings have been released by the Wild Things, so finding information about several players was difficult, but here's what we know about the 12 or 13:

The majority of the players are rookies with no pro experience. Only three are classified as Experienced by the FL's guidelines. Many of the 12/13 played small- college baseball, mainly at the NAIA level. Seven of the players are from California.

Here's a quick background for each player:

* INF Nick Spears: From Santee, Calif. Played at Southern Nazarene, an NAIA school in Oklahoma. Senior year was 2010. Put up big numbers in college. Drafted out of high school but did not sign. Played 11 games for St. George of the independent Golden League in 2010 but the team folded. Did not play in a pro league last summer.

* OF Trevor Bloom: From Palmdale, Calif. Played at four different colleges, including San Diego Christian College, where Bando is the athletic director and baseball coach. Did not play pro ball in 2011.

* OF Rashad Taylor: From San Francisco, Calif. Played at Point Loma Nazarene, an NAIA school in California. Was drafted twice but did not sign. Senior season was 2011 and was not drafted. Was a standout high school football player who reportedly had several Division I offers but decided to go the baseball route. In a press release, Bando was quoted as saying "I look for Rashad to catch everything in the outfield, steal bases and drive in runs. It is not often you see a 6-4 frame that athletic on a baseball field." In another story, Bando said "Rashad Taylor will be one of the most exciting players players in the league ... He might be one of the league leaders in stolen bases. ... He'll be one of the more exciting players in the league, if he lives up to his potential."

* RHP Mickey Jannis: From Sparks, Nev. Has the best background of any player on this list. Spent two years in the Tampa Bay Rays' system, reaching high-Class A. Had a 7-4 record, 5 saves and 3.00 in the minors.

* C Rob Herrmann: From Trumansburg, N.Y. Played at Fredonia State in New York. Signed last summer with Las Cruces of the independent Pecos League.

* RHP Ryan McCarney: From Acton, Calif. Coached last season at San Diego Christian College. Did not play professionally in 2011. Played his junior season of college at Cal State-Northridge in 2009 before transferring to San Diego Christian. Drafted twice but did not sign.

* LHP Matt Kretchmer: From Carmel, Calif. Played last spring for Cal State San Marcos, an NAIA school. Played one year at New Mexico State.

* INF Matt McConnell: From Mesa, Ariz. Spent two years in the Philadelphia Phillies' system. Apparently, he did not play in 2011. Played at Metro State, an NCAA Division II school in Denver. His younger brother, Mickey McConnell, was a starting guard for the St. Mary's (Calif.) basketball team that made a run to the Sweet 16 of the 2010 NCAA basketball tournament, upsetting Villanova along the way.

* LHP Shawn Smith: From Saugus, Ariz. Was a 9th-round draft pick out of high school by Tampa Bay. Never advanced out of rookie ball. Did not pitch in 2010 (injured?). Though he has three seasons of pro experience, Smith will be classified as a Rookie because of his age (21).

* RHP Mickey Cassidy: We believe this is a player from Toledo, Ohio, who has three years of independent experience. Played last summer for Rio Grande Valley of the North American Baseball League.

* 3B Wes Kartch: From Irvine, Calif. Played at Point Loma Nazarene. Senior year was 2011. Was not drafted last June.

* RHP Ryan Turner: From North Richland Hills, Texas. Has been drafted four times, including three times by Tampa Bay. Played last spring at Tarleton State in Texas. Was then drafted by Rays and posted 1-1 record and 6.35 ERA in rookie ball. Was released this fall. Though given a quick release by Tampa Bay, his solid college numbers and the fact he was drafted four times makes me think he has a chance to stick on the roster.

* INF Mike Bando: Played at San Diego Christian College. Wild Things have not announced his signing and he's not listed on the FL website as having signed a contract. On the SDCC baseball website, there is a story that says Bando, Bloom and McCarney signed with Washington.

Option plays

2011-12-13T19:38:00.000-08:00

The Wild Things announced Tuesday that they have picked up the option on 10 players for the 2012 season. They also declined the contract option on 15 players, making these guys free agents. Some of the players who had their options declined either never played a game with Washington last year or were not with the team at year's end.

Washington also signed two players.

The Wild Things picked up the option on pitchers Steve Grife, Ross Gusky, Justin Hall, Gary Lee, Jhonny Montoya and Chris Smith, second baseman Scott Lawson, first baseman-outfielder Doug Thennis and outfielders Chris Sidick and Luis Rivera. Picking up a player's option doesn't guarantee the guy will be back in Washington. It only allows the Wild Things to retain the player's rights. He can be signed, released, traded or retired.

The Wild Things let go pitchers Matt Barnes, Davis Bilardello, Kevin Hammons, Jake Ramsey and Ryan Gardner, catchers Blake Ochoa, Jonathan Cisneros and Grayson Schram, infielders Ryan Ditthardt, Kevyn Feiner, Emilio Ontiveros and Eric Stephens and outfielders Estee Harris and Tim Battle.

Were there any surprises? A few small ones, though I have no idea who, if anybody, said they had decided to quit playing baseball and thus were dropped from the roster. Hammons' family situation likely prevented him from returning. Bilardello aged out, so it appears the Wild Things couldn't get any takers in other leagues in exchange for him.

The only other guys who I might have done something different with are Lee, Gusky, Cisneros, Rivera and either Harris or Battle.

I thought Harris and/or Battle would be kept because they have some value and could eventually be traded. Harris has played in the Atlantic League and Battle is a "tools guy" that scouts like. With Sidick being retained and new manager Chris Bando raving about new signee Rashad Taylor, I thought Rivera might be the odd-man out in the outfield. You have to remember that most teams usually sign an outfielder in April who has been released from Class A ball and becomes an everyday player in the Frontier League. Plus, Thennis can play left field.

I know Lee is a favorite of pitching coach Mark Dewey, but if I was confident that I could sign two or three starting pitchers after minor league spring training, then I would have declined Lee's option because I don't see him as a relief pitcher. Keeping Lee is not exactly a bad thing. You can never have too much pitching.

Gusky was wildly inconsistent last year but did show some promise and is a local guy.

Word was that Cisneros fell out of favor with the coaching staff at Florence, which is why he was released by the Freedom last season and ended up in Washington. I do think he has some potential and value as a left-handed hitting catcher, so I might have kept him.

As for the two signings, Washington has picked up right-handed pitcher Mickey Cassidy and lefty pitcher Shawn Smith. The Wild Things didn't announce the signings but Cassidy could be the player of the same name who is from Toledo, Ohio, and bounced around four indy leagues the last three years. Last year, Cassidy was 3-2 4.25 for Rio Grande of the North American Baseball league.

Then again, he might be some other Mickey Cassidy.

Shawn Smith appears to be a 21-year-old pitcher was drafted in the ninth round out of a California high school in 2008 and signed with the Tampa Bay Rays. Smith never made it out of rookie ball but put up decent numbers last year. Rookie-league statistics, as we have learned, are often more deceiving than short-season or full-season Class A statistics.

All-Decade Team: Outfield

2011-12-08T14:05:00.001-08:00

Nobody has played in more Frontier League games than Washington's Chris Sidick. So it's no surprise that Sidick's name is found frequently in the league's record book.

Sidick holds Frontier League career records for:

Games (588)
At-bats (2,225)
Runs (414)
Hits (635)
Triples (56 - the player in second place has only 24)
Total bases (1,001)
Hit by pitch (57)
Walks (328)
Strikeouts (375)

Sidick also is second in stolen bases with 166, only 12 behind all-time leader Doug Schutt, and is fourth in sacrifices with 43, seven shy of the league record. And he holds the single-season record for triples.

So with all the games played, hitting and baserunning numbers to his credit, I find it odd that the first thing that comes to mind when analyzing Sidick's play is not his offense, but rather his defense.

For seven seasons, Sidick has roamed center field and covered more ground than any other outfielder in the league. After signing with the Wild Things in 2005 following a standout two-sport career at NCAA Division III Marietta College, Sidick quickly established himself as one of the most exciting players in the league as the Wild Things' center fielder and leadoff hitter. His ability to run down balls in the deep gaps of Consol Energy Park also drew raves from opponents. For example:

The Kalamazoo Kings were taking batting practice prior to a game in Washington a few years ago. On his final swing before exiting the batting cage, a slap-hitting rookie for the Kings smacked a ball about as far as he possibly could, driving it the opposite way to the warning track at the angle in right centerfield. The rookie, wearing a wide smile as if to say he had just laced a triple, quickly exited the cage. A Kings teammate and Frontier League veteran saw this and yelled, "Don't smile! Chris Sidick caught that ball in his back pocket."

The rookie probably might have never heard of Chris Sidick prior to that.

Sidick's offense hasn't been as consistent as his defense. He's had several very good years at the plate, some average ones and a couple of seasons when his average dipped to the .240s. He's also hit as many as 13 home runs in a season, stolen at least 30 bases twice and hit an unthinkable 16 triples in 2006.

For his longevity and all-around play, Sidick gets a starting spot in the outfield for the Wild Things' All-Decade Team.

Sidick currently owns C-Side Sports Academy in North Strabane Township.

All-Decade Team Outfielder: Chris Sidick (2005-11)

All-Decade Team: Outfield

2011-12-08T13:43:00.001-08:00

Who was the best player in Wild Things history?

There are several ways to answer this. You can say Chris Sidick because he holds numerous Frontier League career records. You also could answer Mike Arbinger because he was an impact player for three seasons and the only Wild Thing to be named MVP in an All-Star game. Maybe you like pitching and prefer Aaron Ledbetter and his record-setting career. And let's not forget that pitcher Tom Cochran is the only former Washington player to make it to the major leagues, albeit for only two days.

Each of those would be a good answer. However, if you've followed the Wild Things for all 10 of their seasons in the Frontier League, your answer to the above question should be Josh Loggins.

Loggins joined the Wild Things in late June of 2002 after being released from the New York Yankees' Class AA affiliate. He was the final piece to Washington's push to the East Division title. Playing center field, Loggins batted .347 with five home runs and 45 RBI in 60 games.

In 2003, Loggins became the only Wild Things player to be named the Frontier League's Most Valuable Player when he batted .331 with 24 home rusn and 75 RBI in 74 games. He also stole 15 bases.

Loggins was signed by the Colorado Rockies in late August because the Rockies had an injury to their Class AA first baseman and needed a replacement with experience at that level. When Loggins left Washington, he took with him the Wild Things' chance to win the Frontier League championship. It was too late in the year to make a trade or sign an impact player to fill the void in the middle of the lineup.

Loggins' value to the Wild Things can be seen in his offensive numbers, but a better set of statistics are these: The Wild Things' record in 2002-03 without Loggins on the roster: 19-16. With Loggins on the roster: 91-46.

While Loggins was shifted to catcher in 2003, he ended his Washingtob career having played 68 games in the outfield and 60 at catcher, thus he qualifies for the All-Decade Team as an outfielder.

Loggins currently works for Prudential Financial and was a coach for the Lafayette (Ind.) team in last year's Colt League World Series.

All-Decade Team Outfielder: Josh Loggins (2002-03)

All-Decade Team: Outfield

2011-11-29T14:53:00.000-08:00

When the Wild Things opened camp for the 2004 season, there were two burning questions: 1. Could new manager John Massarelli continue the success started by Jeff Isom, who left Washington for Joliet and the Northern League? 2. Could the Wild Things find a replacement for slugger Josh Loggins, who won the Frontier League's MVP Award the previos season?

Both questions were quickly answered in a resounding yes.

Massarelli took the Wild Things to the playoffs for four consecutive seasons, and Washington found another power bat in the middle of the lineup by making a seemingly minor trade after camp began to acquire Mike Arbinger from Gary of the Northern League in one of the those famous player-to-be-named-later deals.

If I recall correctly, Arbinger originally wasn't excited to be in Washington because the pay was better in the Northern League and it was a little closer to his home of Toledo, Ohio. However, Arbinger quickly took a liking to the Wild Things, and their fans made the lefty hitter one of their favorites.

Arbinger, who spent two seasons in the Pirates' minor-league system, batted .299 with six home runs in his first year in Washington. Then, in 2005, his power numbers went to 12 home runs and 29 doubles. He batted .317 that year and drove in 88 runs, which was the franchise single-single record.

Also in 2005, Arbinger played in Frontier League All-Star Game at then-Falconi Field -- the only one held in Washington -- in which he was named MVP.

After the season, Arbinger became the second Washington outfielder to be selected for the all-league team, following Jack Headley in 2004.

Arbinger's production slipped in 2006 to .273 with 22 doubles, eight home runs and 53 RBI -- most players would love to have such a "down year" -- and he was released during the 2006-07 offseason.

The first three-year starter for the Wild Things, Mike Arbinger earned a spot on the all-decade team.

All-Decade Team Outfielder: Mike Arbinger (2004-06)

All-Decade Team: Shortstop

2011-11-22T07:10:00.000-08:00

As I wrote in an earlier post, the biggest dilemma you have when choosing an all-decade team in minor-league baseball is weighing a one-year wonder against guys who were quality players for two or three seasons. Do you put more value on having the best overall season or being a longtime contributor and fan favorite? That's the question that comes into play at shortstop.

There are only three players to consider for the position: Brad Hensler (2002), Jon Cahill (2003-04) and Brett Grandstrand (2006, 08-09). Let's examine each player:

* Hensler was only a one-year player, but what a year it was. The best-hitting shortstop the Wild Things have ever had, Hensler batted .313 with 25 doubles, four triples, eight home runs, 54 RBI and 15 stolen bases. Each statistic is a record for Wild Things shortstops. The Chartiers Valley High School graduate helped Washington win the East Division and reach the Frontier League championship series. Hensler, who had no professional experience as a shortstop prior to joining the Wild Things, also is the lone Washington shortstop to be named all-league.

* Cahill followed Hensler in 2003 and actually improved Washington's defense at the position, which was hard to belive at the time considering Hensler's play. While Cahill didn't match Hensler's offensive production, he batted .287 and .274 in his two seasons and hit 10 home runs over that period. Cahill was Washington's best shortstop at turning the double play as his 61 DPs (team record) in 2004 shows.

* Grandstrand played three seasons in Washington and his strength was an ability to turn in the spectacular play on defense. He had more range than any Washington shortstop, and his .967 fielding percentage in 2008 is the team record. Granny also was better with the bat during his first two seasons -- which were wedged around a one-year stint in the Tampa Bay Rays' system -- when he batted .284 and .295, than you would think. The latter number is the second-best average for any shortstop. Grandstrand's average dipped all the way to .237 in 2009, but he did have 22 extra-base hits.

So who do you go with?

No matter who you pick, you're probably not wrong. There is a solid case for each.

With shortstop being such a difficult position to play well for an extended period of time, I'm going with Grandstrand, the guy with the most range and was better offensively than he was given credit for.

The question now is, can Chaill or Hensler land a spot as a reserve on the all-decade team?

All-Decade Shortstop: Brett Grandstrand (2006, 08-09).

London team name gets ripped

2011-11-16T10:38:00.000-08:00

The new London (Ont.) franchise has announced its nickname, and it has not been well-received by some folks.

The team will be known as the London Rippers.

Apparently, the nickname did not go over well at London's City Hall. City officials, though a written statement, have asked team owner David Martin to change the name. Officials took the time out of their finance and administration committee meeting to announce the following:

“On behalf of London City Council, we want to express serious concerns about the name of London’s newest baseball team. While the team owner’s intention may not have been to draw a connection to Jack the Ripper, we believe this name is unfortunate particularly in light of our focus on ending woman abuse.”

Let's start by simply rating the nickname. It's not good. Let's call it bad. You'd think people who are paid to make advertising decisions could come up with something better than Rippers. There are a lot of terms in baseball, and "rip" or "ripped" is far down the list of marketable ones.

When I think of Rippers and baseball, the first thing that runs through my mind is a line-drive double being ripped into the right-centerfield gap. The second thing is flatulence, which speaks volumes about my childish sense of humor and is a good reason not to use the nickname.

On down -- way down to be more accurate -- the list of things I associate with the London team's nickname is Jack the Ripper. But the more you think about the infamous serial killer who was noted for murdering prostitutes in London (England) during the late 1800s, maybe the criticism of the nickname has at least some merit.

Then again, I wouldn't be surprised if you asked people under the age of 35 who Jack the Ripper was and the majority would answer he was a professional wrestler.

Here is one comment from a newspaper article about the nickname:

"There are three reasons why this is a bad choice for a team name. 1) Regardless of whether or not this is offensive to women, the fact that the name references a serial killer is in poor taste. Even if the reference wasn't intentional, people are clearly interpreting the team name in this way. 2)The idea of Diamond Jack (this is the team's mascot) is confusing, and kind of creepy. So the mascot "lurks" around the grandstand? Phantom of the Opera? It just doesn't really make sense. 3)Lots of people call strip clubs the "rippers" these days. So, not only has the team made reference to a serial killer, it's tale of Diamond Jack is strange, and people will confuse the team with a bunch of strippers. Perhaps a meeting is in order?

On a website of another newspaper, this comment was left:

"I was really looking forward to taking in some games with my wife. Now we'll look forward to doing other things instead. This has got to be one of the stupider moments in sports history."

Really? I can think of thousands of moments dumber than the naming of a team's nickname.

Another person wrote:

"The Rippers? What is this - an episode of Family Guy? We have the London Majors so why do we have to expose ourselves to this character and his goofy ideas? He's determined to make a fool out of Londoners. It was a mistake from the get go to let this character come to London with his non-existent team and this is playing out as a failure already."

The London Majors are an amateur baseball team that plays about 20 home games at Labbat Park, where the Rippers also will play.

Lastly, we have one more comment:

"HAHA REALLY.......as if anyone is making a big deal of this??? its a sports teams name!!! I can hardly believe people are wasting their time making this an issue. Open your eyes people!!! This city has bigger issues to put your time and effort into! Not only that, no matter what the team name is none of you will go out and support them anyway."

Any comments from this blog's readers?

All-Decade Team: 2nd base

2011-11-11T13:24:00.000-08:00

When deciding to select a Wild Things All-Decade Team, I knew there would be two positions where some extra thought would be required before settling on a starter. One is shortstop, where there are three deserving players. The other is second base.

Only one player (Michael Parker) was the Wild Things' second baseman for two full seasons. Ryan Ellis did play in three seasons, but only half a season in 2003 and just one game in 2004. Kyle Werman missed a chunk of one season because of a shoulder injury and left during his second year to become a college coach.

There is a variety of guys who have played second base for the Wild Things. There are the fan favorites (Werman and Phil Butch). There was Ellis, a slick fielder who had more range than any Wild Things second baseman and might be the best fielding position player Washington has ever had. There was Blake Woods, who was here for only half a season but batted .378 with 10 doubles and 14 stolen bases. There was Brian Stoecklein, who had had an excellent year with the bat in 2004 (.295, 21 doubles, 10 home runs, 43 RBI) and was better defensively than the Wild Things expected.

Then you could consider Lance Koenig, who had a team-record 125 hits in 2005. Koenig, however, played more games at catcher during his career than at second base, so I'm not going to consider him a second baseman. Plus, Koenig's fielding eliminated him from consideration.

There's also Parker, who had a very good season in 2009, as his .298 batting average, 75 runs and 22 doubles each were the second-best totals by a Washington second baseman. However, Parker's average dropped by 40 points in his second season in the Frontier League and his defensive range was only average.

Scott Lawson, the starter last season, also has a strong case for a spot on the team. He carried Washington offensively for much of the season and delivered some clutch home runs. His defense was excellent as only Ellis prevented more runs from scoring than Lawson. The only drawback with Lawson is he had what has to be considered the worst baserunning year of any Wild Things player in their history.

Choosing a starter comes down the slick-fielding Ellis, Stoecklein or Lawson. Though Lawson had to do more for his team to win, Stoecklein's bat gives him a slight edge. Stoecklein's offensive numbers also dwarf those of Ellis, so the starting nod goes to the former California University standout who is the only Wild Things second baseman to be named all-league.

All-Decade Second Baseman: Brian Stoecklein (2004)

Wild Things sign first 2

2011-11-08T13:34:00.000-08:00

The Wild Things and new manager Chris Bando have signed their first two players for 2012. They are shortstop Nick Spears and outfielder Trevor Bloom. Neither player has professional experience.

Spears played at Southern Nazarene University, located in Bethany, Okla., and was a first team NAIA All-American in 2010 and named the Sooner Athletic Conference’s top shortstop after batting .442 batting.

"He has great make up, a powerful bat and arm and is a sure fire ML prospect,” Bando said. “His athleticism will enable us to play Nick at multiple positions.”

Bloom spent a year each at New Mexico State, College of the Canyons, Sacramento State and San Diego Christian College. The latter is where Bando is the head coach. At College of the Canyons, Bloom was named to the Southern California All-American team as an outfielder, and also was the Player of the Year for the Western State-South Conference in 2009.

“He is the ultimate 'gamer.' He plays the game hard, is a consummate team player and was one of the best hitters in college baseball last season,” Bando said. “He can play infield, outfield and pitch. He is a winner and will play everywhere for us this year. He hits everything hard.”

All-Decade Team: Third base

2011-11-07T06:04:00.000-08:00

Which position is the toughest for a Frontier League team to fill with an above-average player?

Your first two guesses are likely to be shortstop and catcher. Those two positions, at any level of baseball, are difficult to fill with quality defensive players. The Frontier League usually has two or three good defensive catchers with the others being hitters who spend some time behind home plate. In recent years, the play of Frontier League shortstops has improved significantly.

For the Wild Things, and many Frontier League teams, the position that has been the biggest trouble spot is third base. Washington has had only a few guys who played the hot corner and displayed the arm strength to throw from foul line to foul line. Several others, such as Chad Ehrnsberger and Chad Kinyon, could hit but didn't have either the range or the glove to be considered better than average. A few, like Eric Earnhardt and John Delaney, were decent fielders but didn't hit. And there were some guys, such as Kevin Feiner last year and Lance Koenig, who were not natural third basemen but played there because there was nobody else on the team who could play the position regularly.

One guy who did a little of everything as a third baseman was Pat Peavey.

A one-year (2006) player for the Wild Things, Peavey came to Washington after his career in the Houston Astros' system topped out at Class AA. Though he had the reputation of being more hitter than fielder, Peavey showed that he had all the tools to be a top-flight Frontier League third baseman. He had a strong arm, good range and was the best fielding third baseman to play for Washington. He committed only nine errors in his one season, led the league in fielding percentage and was involved in 18 double plays (by far the most for a Washington third baseman).

And did I mention that Peavey could hit?

As the cleanup hitter in the Wild Things' lineup, Peavey had a pedestrian .262 batting average but belted 10 home runs, 21 doubles and won the Frontier League's RBI title by driving in 83 runs -- at the time the second-best total in team history. He was named the all-league third baseman.

Though he was only here one year, Pat Peavey gets the nod as the starter on the all-decade team.

All-Decade team 3rd Baseman: Pat Peavey (2006).

All-Decade Team: First base

2011-10-29T08:38:00.000-07:00

First base, in theory, should be one of the easiest positions for a Frontier League team to fill with a quality player. After all, it's one of the toughest positions for a young player to advance through the minor league system. There are so many quality first basemen in the majors (except in Pittsburgh) that many good prospects never make it to the big leagues or they eventually get switched to other positions.

There also are many college first basemen who are excellent hitters but don't have the defensive skills necessary to become a prospect. These guys often get shuffled to the independent leagues.

The Wild Things, as expected, have had some quality first basemen in their first 10 seasons but by no means has it been a position of strength each year (see 2011).

Finding a starting first baseman for the All-Decade team wasn't easy. Two players (Andy Hudak and Nathan Messner) played two seasons here and had similar results. Each put up big numbers in their first years, only to have the batting average dip by at least 55 points in the second go-around.

One of the things I had forgotten about Washington first basemen before I began researching the numbers was just how good of a base stealer Zach Cates (2003) was for a big guy. Cates, a power hitter, swiped 20 bases. He had a big first half of the season but tailed off considerably in the second half, batting only .170 in August.

From a numbers standpoint, the best season (at least part of one) for a Washington first baseman was by Ernie Banks in 2009 when he hit .343 with 19 home runs, both highs for the position. However, Banks was suspended by the team during the season and eventually traded after he played in only 54 games. Banks returned in 2011, but his bat had slowed considerably. He hit only .207 and was traded.

So who is the all-decade first baseman? I'll have to go with a guy who spent only one season in Washington, but it was a very consistent and highly productive campaign by the the best defensive first baseman to play for the Wild Things: Bill Greenwell (pictured).

Greenwell played for Washington in 2004 and put up good numbers, batting .293 with 15 doubles, 13 home runs and 72 RBI. The latter number is the record for Washington first basemen and was third-best total in the league in 2004.

Greenwell led the Frontier League in RBI in 2003 while playing for Mid-Missouri, then was acquired during spring training by Washington in steal of a trade for pitchers Jason Elkins and Brian Dorsey. Greenwell's most memorable game with the Wild Things, oddly enough, had to be the first time he wasn't in the starting lineup. That August night he sang the national anthem prior to the game, then came off the bench to hit a walkoff home run to beat Chillicothe.

All-Decade First Baseman: Bill Greenwell (2004)

Former Wild Thing named coach at Massillon

2011-10-27T09:28:00.000-07:00

Here's a story about former Wild Things relief pitcher Ryan Hartzell, who has been named head baseball coach at Massillon High School in Ohio. Though more famous for its football program, the Tigers have a strong baseball tradition.

On a side note, current Waynesburg University football coach Rick Shepas was the head coach at Massillon when the documentary "Go Tigers" was filmed and can still be seen from time to time on television.

Hartzell played for the Wild Things in 2004 and pitched in 18 games out of the bullpen.

What I remember most about Hartzell was that he was signed out of the Wild Things' tryout after having a successful career at Ashland University. Washington knew it would sign Hartzell before the camp even began, as long as he did reasonably well at the tryout. When it was time for Hartzell to throw, a hard-driving rain began. You could see sheets of rain moving from the first-base line across the pitcher's mound to left field. Hartzell, however, kept pitching. They never did stop because of the rain.

Read the story here.

All-Decade Team

2011-10-25T12:48:00.000-07:00

The 2012 schedule has been released, the new manager has been hired and the Frontier League's two new teams have been revealed. It seems the next season of Wild Things baseball is just around the corner.

Before we think too far ahead, let's spend some time looking back on Washington's 10 seasons in the Frontier League. A good place to start is with an all-decade team.

I've been mulling who should and shouldn't be on the all-decade team and what format such a list should take. I've decided on a 24-player team, though I'm not sure if it will have 10 or 11 pitchers.

When doing an all-decade team, one thing that is always tough to weight is years of service to the club. Is a player who spent two or three years in Washington with inconsistent results more deserving of being on the all-decade team than a player who spent one very good season with the Wild Things? And how do you factor in guys who were signed by major league affiliates after a half season or less with the Wild Things? They were obviously very good with Washington, but do they deserve to be on the all-decade team if they were here for only four weeks?

Any thoughts from the loyal blog readers?

Later this week I'll begin posting my all-decade team, one position at a time. We'll begin with the starting position players. First up will be first base.

New manager hired

2011-10-18T13:46:00.001-07:00

Chris Bando, a former major league catcher and coach, has been hired as the Wild Things' manager for the 2012 season.

Bando becomes the sixth manager in the Frontier League team's 11-year history. He follows Darin Everson, who was not retained after two seasons.

A nine-year (1981-89) veteran of the major leagues as a player, Bando was catcher for the Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers and Oakland Athletics. He played in 498 major league games, with his best season being 1984 when he hit 12 home runs and drove in 41 runs for Cleveland.

Bando also has major-league coaching experience as he spent three years on the staff of the Milwaukee Brewers, including two as the team's third-base coach.

The 55-year-old Bando also brings managerial experience to Washington. He spent six years as a manager in the Brewers' system, including three at Class AAA. Bando even was the winning manager in the Class AAA All-Star game. At one point, Bando was named the No. 2 managerial prospect in Class AAA by major league general managers. The guy at No. 1? It was Terry Francona.

Bando also was a manager at Class AA Akron and short-season Class A Mahonning Valley in the Indians' system.

Bando's only experience as an independent league manager was in 2007 with the Aiken (S.C.) Foxhounds of the South Coast League, which lasted only the one season. One of Bando's pitchers in Aiken was Wild Things pitching coach Mark Dewey.

The new manager is currently the athletic director and head baseball coach at San Diego Christian College.

Bando is the younger brother of Sal Bando, who played in three World Series in the 1970s as a third baseman for the Oakland Athletics.

Talkin' schedule, alignment

2011-10-14T15:40:00.001-07:00

The Frontier League's 2012 is out, and it shows two news teams, two seven-team divisions, six teams switching divisions and some interesting road trips for the Wild Things.

The two new teams are Schaumburg (Ill.) and London (Ontario). Both ownership groups were approved in August, though London originally had plans to play in the Detroit area but was rebuffed by Clawson, Mich. Schaumburg will play in the West Division and London in the East.

Moving to the West Division will be Windy City, Rockford and defending league champion Joliet. Going from the West Division to the East will be Florence, Evansville and Southern Illinois. Florence and Evansville have previously been in the East. This will be the first time Southern Illinois won't be playing with the St. Louis-area teams.

The alignment is basically the Chicago and St. Louis teams in the West Division, and everybody else in the East.

The Wild Things open the season Friday, May 18 at Evansville. The home opener will be Tuesday, May 22 against Gateway.

Washington will play 42 games against teams from the West -- one home and one road series against each team. There will be an unbalanced schedule against East foes. The Wild Things will play four series each against Florence, Lake Erie and London. They will play only two series against Evansville, Southern Illinois and Traverse City.

One thing that has plagued the Wild Things during their current run of nonplayoff years is poor starts to the season. In 2012, the Wild Things will need to win a lot of games on the road to avoid another bad start. There is a stretch in June in which the Wild Things play nine consecutive road games, each against division opponents. Twelve of Washington's first 15 division games will be played away from Consol Energy Park.

The Wild Things also have a tough stretch that begins July 31 during which they make two trips to St. Louis. Each series in St. Louis is followed by a home game without a travel day in between.

Frontier League goin' north of the border?

2011-09-28T09:23:00.000-07:00

We know the Frontier League will be adding a team in Schaumburg, Ill., next season. That team's name will be announced next month.

That brings the league to 13 teams, but you can't have a baseball league with an odd number of franchises. So where will the 14th team be located?

If a Michigan man has his way, it will be in Canada.

David Martin, who bought the Oakland County Cruisers, is trying to put the franchise in London, Ontario. Martin already met opposition for his team in Clawson, Mich. He had hoped to renovate a town park in Clawson but his plan was shot down by locals.

Martin then shifted his target to London, which hosted a Frontier League team from 1999-2001 and won the league championship in '99. If you actually trace the Wild Things' roots, you'll find that the franchise goes back to London. That team moved to Canton, Ohio, and later to Washington.

Martin, whose ownership group has been approved by the league, wants to play in 5,200-seat Labbat Park. The stumbling block at this time is an amateur team plays at the park.

Here are a couple of links:

Read the story here.

Read the story here.

DiMatteo to the Frontier

2011-09-26T13:19:00.000-07:00

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.

Another managerial change

2011-09-22T22:11:00.000-07:00

After missing the Frontier League playoffs for the first time since 2006, the Windy City ThunderBolts have decided to change managers.

Gone is Mike Kashirsky, who had a 141-100 career record, one league championship and two division titles.

Kashirsky's replacement is Morgan Burkhart, who is widely considered the best player the Frontier League has ever produced. Burkhart was most recently manager of the Calgary Vipers of the North American Baseball League. Burkhart won one league championship with Calgary.

Burkhart played for the Richmond Roosters from 1995 to ’98 and was named the league’s MVP three times. He had a .353 career batting average and his 36 home runs in 1998, when he won the triple crown, still stands as the single-season league record. That same year, Burkhart had a .404 batting average.

After playing in the Frontier League, Burkhart went on to play in 42 major league games with the Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Royals.

Everson out as manager

2011-09-22T13:55:00.000-07:00

The worst-kept secret in the Frontier League became official today as the Wild Things announced that Darin Everson will not return for a third season as the team's manager.

Everson managed the Wild Things to an 80-110 record and a pair of fifth-place finishes in the East Division during his two seasons with Washington. A former manager in the Florida Marlins' minor-league system, Everson guided the Wild Things to a 38-57 record in 2010. This year, Washington improved to 42-53 and were 13 1/2 games behind division winner Joliet.

“After several discussions, we decided it would be better to part ways,” said Stuart Williams, managing partner of the Wild Things. “Darin is a fine man, and we wish him the best as he moves on.”

While Everson was able to put together highly competitive pitching staffs, his teams were never able to generate enough offense to become a playoff contender in a league long known for its high-scoring games. In 2010, Washington finished next-to-last in the 12-team league in runs scored. This season, the Wild Things were last in batting average, runs, hits, walks, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.

The lack of offense was why Washington, despite having perhaps the best starting pitching in the league, never topped the .500 mark all season. The Wild Things led the league in ERA and set the league record for most quality starts.

Everson, who acted as his own director of baseball operations this year, seemed to be hamstrung by a lack of connections to pro scouts and affiliated organizations. Far too often during the season, the Wild Things signed players with little or no pro experience instead of players recently released by major league organizations.

Despite this, Washington did have a successful season this year in one area: Everson helped four pitchers -- Vidal Nuno (Yankees), Alan Williams (Brewers), Mark Williams (Brewers) and Casey Barnes (Phillies) -- get signed by major league organizations. Until this year, Washington never had more than two of its players picked up during a season.

Washington already has started its search for a new manager, the sixth in franchise history.

"I want to thank the front office staff, the fans, and especially the players we have had in Washington the past two years," Everson said. "They have made my two seasons there very special. I will be exploring other baseball opportunities in the future and will always wish the Wild Things the best."

Next on 60 Minutes ...

2011-09-21T08:19:00.000-07:00

More of the hard-hitting investigative journalism you can only find only television:

That's quality

2011-09-19T09:50:00.000-07:00

Solid pitching has been a staple of the Wild Things. During their first six seasons, the Wild Things didn't finish worse than fourth in the Frontier League in team ERA.

There were a couple of lean pitching years since, but the Wild Things seemed to correct most of those problems this season. Washington won the league's ERA title for the first time since 2002, posting a 3.62, which was .14 better than second-place Lake Erie. Frontier League champion Joliet finished fifth at 4.06.

The strength of the pitching was the group of starters, even after losing opening day starter Vidal Nuno and FL Rookie of the Year Casey Barnes to affiliated ball. The Wild Things set the league record for quality starts (at least six innings pitched and no more than three earned runs allowed) with 59.

Justin Hall had 14 quality starts among his 20 outings, and they weren't the cheap 6-inning, 3-run variety. Hall led the league in innings pitched and complete games. The 14 quality starts equals the team record set by Aaron Ledbetter in 2007, when he went 14-2. Every start Hall made after the all-star break was rated a quality start, including his 11-inning, 14-strikeout outing on the final day of the season at Windy City.

All of this, combined with the Wild Things finishing in fifth place in the East Division, tells you just how dreadful the Washington offense was. The Wild Things' offense finished last in the league in batting average, hits, runs, walks, doubles, total bases, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. As one visiting manager at Consol Energy Park said this season, "It's not hard to crack the Wild Things' lineup these days."

With the pitching staff it had, if Washington produced only an average hitting team, there's a good chance it would have made the playoffs.

Quality Starts by Team in 2011
*59 - Washington
49 - Windy City
48 - Normal
47 - River City
42 - Florence
41 - Joliet
39 - Lake Erie
36 - Gateway
36 - Southern Illinois
35 - Rockford
34 - Traverse City
31 - Evansville

* League record.

First opening

2011-09-15T16:23:00.000-07:00

The first official managerial opening in the Frontier League for 2012 is in Normal, Ill., where the CornBelters have announced that Hal Lanier will not return for a third season.

The 69-year-old Lanier, a former National League Manager of the Year with the Houston Astros, guided Normal to a 90-102 record in his two seasons in the Frontier League. The Cornbelters were 46-50 this year and finished in third place in the West Division, but missed the playoffs by 12 games.

"This decision was based on a second season in which expectations were much higher than what was achieved," CornBelters general manager Steve Malliet said. "There's no doubt our talent pool of players grew significantly this season, but that didn't translate into enough wins on the field.

"We felt Hal worked hard to bring a winning team to Normal, and we wish him all the best. We expect to compete for a playoff spot each and every season."

Malliet plans to have a new manager hired by Nov. 1.

Up in smoke, 2011 version

2011-09-12T13:43:00.000-07:00

The championship series is set for the Frontier League. It will be the Joliet Slammers, champions of the East Division, against the West Division champion River Ciy Rascals.

River City will be trying to become the third franchise to win back-to-back Frontier League championships. The others were Richmond (2001-02) and Windy City (2007-08). River City is in the finals for the third year in a row, having lost to Lake Erie in 2009.

Joliet swept Lake Erie in the East Division finals, and River City would have swept Southern Illinois had it not been for a ninth-inning meltdown by its bullpen in Game 1. The Rascals squandered a four-run lead in the top of the ninth, giving up six runs and losing 9-7.

Which begs the question, how good is River City's bullpen? The Rascals certainly have some impressive arms at the back of the pen, with three relievers having ERAs under 2.22. The Rascals tied with Joliet for most saves in the league with 34. However, River City had several more blown saves, and many of those came in the second half of the season.

Is that simply a byproduct of River City playing more games with late leads than Joliet, or do the Slammers have a more reliable bullpen? It's probably a little of both.

Here's a look at the blown saves for each team (note that Washington's blown saves totals were 14 in 2010, 15 in 2009, 15 in 2008 and 5 in 2007):

2011 Blown Saves
15 - Florence
12 - River City
12 - Rockford
12 - Southern Illinois
11 - Gateway
11 - Washington
11 - Windy City
9 - Joliet
9 - Lake Erie
9 - Normal
9 - Traverse City
8 - Evansville

Last word on attendance

2011-09-06T13:27:00.000-07:00

Change has always been slow to come in baseball. Heck, it took almost 100 years until somebody decided it was OK to wear jerseys colored something other than white or gray.

When the nation's financial meltdown hit several years ago, minor-league baseball -- especially the independent level -- didn't feel the pinch in all markets the following season. Some teams were hit hard, others saw attendance rise slightly, others saw no significant change. Last year, half the teams in the Frontier League logged an increase in attendance over their 2009 figures.

It took some time, but the meltdown has finally trickled down to the Frontier League and all of independent baseball.

This year, every team in the Frontier League saw its average per-game attendance drop from 2010's numbers. And the dwindling turnstile counts were not limited to the Frontier. Only seven independent teams showed an attendance increase this summer, and that number should have an asterisk. The San Angelo (Texas) franchise in the North American Baseball League reported a per-game average increase of one fan. I'd be willing to bet that somebody in the Colts' front office figured out ahead of time just how much attendance he had to report in the season's final home game to get that one-person increase.

Another team that saw an increase was the Yuma Scorpions of the NABL. Yuma brought in Jose Caneseco as its manager this year and probably got a bump from having a household name in the dugout. That bump was an average of 81 fans per game.

Here is a look at how far attendance dropped per game in 2011 for each Frontier League team:

* Figures used from 2010 for Joliet and Rockford were when each of those franchises were in the Northern League.

Drop in Att. = Team
-39 = Traverse City
-77 = Windy City
-111 = Gateway
-201 = Normal
-205 = Washington
-290 = Evansville
-390 = Southern Illinois
-442 = Florence
-449 = Lake Erie
-750 = Rockford*
-799 = River City
-1,135 = Joliet*

Joliet's numbers are staggering, but you have to remember that the Slammers replaced a team called the Jackhammers, who played in the Northern League and left behind a trail of debt, which probably turned off plenty of people.

Those who say on-field success has little or no impact on attendance in minor-league baseball might be correct. In the FL this year, four of the six markets that showed the largest drop in attendance made the playoffs. And what's up in River City? At one time, this was the best-drawing market in the FL. Now, it's the worst despite the Rascals having an opportunity to be back-to-back champions.

In Washington, where attendance hit an all-time low of 2,226 per game, there are many factors that have caused the decline: the economy, three consecutive losing seasons, the 6:35 p.m. start time, the novelty of pro baseball has worn off, many people have been-there, done-that when it comes the Wild Things and Consol Energy Park. Stu Williams, one of the Wild Things' owners, even pointed to Washington having 27 home dates in the first of the season this year and only 21 in the second half as a contributing factor. Games in the first half of the season have more competition from youth baseball leagues.

The reasons for the dwindling attendance is probably all of the above. With baseball slow to change, reversing the trend will be difficult in 2012.

Winning debut

2011-09-05T09:26:00.000-07:00

Here is the link to a story about former Wild Things pitcher Justin Edwards, who tossed sx shutout innings for a win in his debut with the York Revolution of the independent Atlantic League.

Read the story here.

Tweet!

2011-09-01T18:47:00.000-07:00

If anyone reading this is a user of Twitter, you can follow me @ CDuganOR.

With the offseason rapidly approaching, I won't be tweeting much about Wild Things but will have plenty of local sports and random throughts and observations.

Then again, it could be a very busy offseason for the Wild Things. The Twitter account might be working overtime.

Frontier League awards

2011-09-01T11:44:00.000-07:00

The Frontier League announced their annual end-of-season awards Thursday and one went to a former Wild Things player.

Right-handed pitcher Casey Barnes was named the Jason Simontacchi Award winner as Rookie of the Year. Barnes (pictured), who signed with the Philadelphia Phillies last month, had a 5-5 record and 2.34 ERA (third in the Frontier League). At the time he was signed by the Phillies, Barnes was second in the Frontier League in ERA. He was the starting pitcher for the East Division in the 2011 All-Star Game.

It was quite a memorable stay in the Frontier League for Barnes. He began the season by being released in spring training by Traverse City and then was picked up by Washington before the regular season even began. He went from being the Wild Things' No. 5 starter to their ace.

Barnes is now pitching for Williamsport in the Class A New York-Penn League.

River City swept the top player and pitcher honors. Stephen Holdren (.333, 20 HR, 78 RBI) was voted the Morgan Burkhart Award winner as Most Valuable Player. Right-hander Josh Lowey (10-2, 2.53) won the Brian Tollberg Award as Pitcher of the Year. Joliet's Bart Zeller is the Manager of the Year.

WJPA Radio's Randy Gore won the Broadcaster of the Year Award. There's probably not another person in the league who goes to work each day more prepared to do his job than Randy Gore.

The Observer-Reporter also picked up some awards.

The All-Frontier League team and award winners:

1B – Logan Parker, River City Rascals
2B – Will Block, Southern Illinois Miners
3B – Chris Curley, Florence Freedom
SS – Andrew Davis, Lake Erie Crushers
OF – Stephen Holdren, River City Rascals
OF – J.T. Hall, Traverse City Beach Bums
OF – Alvaro Ramirez, Normal CornBelters
C – Landon Hernandez, Gateway Grizzlies
DH – Charlie Lisk, Gateway Grizzlies
SP – Josh Lowey, River City Rascals
RP – Ryan Quigley, Joliet Slammers

Morgan Burkhart Award (MVP) – Stephen Holdren, River City Rascals
Brian Tollberg Award (Pitcher of the Year) – Josh Lowey, River City Rascals
Jason Simontacchi Award (Rookie of the Year) – Casey Barnes, Washington Wild Things
Roger Hanners Award (Manager of the Year) – Bart Zeller, Joliet Slammers
Fran Riordan Award (Citizenship) – Danny Sawyer, River City Rascals

Coach of the Year – Mike Breyman, River City Rascals
Trainer of the Year – Matt Yonkof, Lake Erie Crushers
Groundskeeper of the Year – Lance Adler, Evansville Otters
Newspaper of the Year - The Observer-Reporter (Washington, Pennsylvania)
Writer of the Year – Chris Dugan, Observer-Reporter (Washington, Pennsylvania)
Broadcaster of the Year – Randy Gore, Washington Wild Things
Clubbie of the Year – Nate Six, Lake Erie Crushers
Executive of the Year – John Dittrich/Bill Waliewski, Joliet Slammers
Organization of the Year – Lake Erie Crushers
Umpire of the Year - Tony Maners

Voting for awards was done by general managers, coaching staffs, and local media in all 12 Frontier League markets.

Keep on pitchin'

2011-08-30T10:36:00.000-07:00

According to WTRF-TV in Wheeling, W.Va., Wild Things pitcher and Wheeling native Justin Edwards (pictured) will continue to pitch after the Frontier League season ends. It was reported that Edwards will join the York Revolution of the independent Atlantic League after the Wild Things' finale Sunday.

York's pitching coach is former Wild Things manager Mark Mason.

The Atlantic League's regular season runs through Sept. 18.

Edwards is unlikely to return to the Wild Things next year because he will exceed the Frontier League's age limit. He is one of three Wild Things pitchers who will age out. The others are Kevin Hammons and Davis Bilardello.

Edwards is currently second in the Frontier League in ERA at 2.04. He will make one more start with the Wild Things during their season-ending road trip that begins tonight at Lake Erie.

Celebrate good times

2011-08-25T11:18:00.001-07:00

Here's a photo, from the Daily Republican in Marion, Ill., of the Southern Illinois Miners celebrating in the clubhouse after clinching a playoff berth Tuesday night with a come-from-behind win over Gateway. Do you know the guy in the front row of the photo? You get one guess.

More on Schaumburg

2011-08-24T14:52:00.000-07:00

According to reports out of Chicago, Joliet Slammers owner Alan Oremus has sold the lease for Alexian Field in Schaumburg, Ill., to Patrick Salvi, who owns the Gary Southshore Railcats of the American Association.

So what does this mean for the Frontier League? Oremus had originally planned to put a Schaumburg team in the American Assocation in 2012, then changed course and had the franchise ticketed for the Frontier League.

With Salvi, a Chicago attorney, already owning a team in the AA, my first thought was the Schaumburg franchise would join that league. However, several stories on the Oremus-Salvi transaction have mentioned that Schaumburg is still headed for the Frontier League. In the final paragraph of the story linked below, it's mentioned that a Schaumburg franchise was approved Tuesday by the Frontier League.

Read the story here.

A complete mentality

2011-08-18T08:03:00.001-07:00

In this age of closely monitored pitch counts and six inning "quality starts," the Wild Things' Justin Hall (pictured) arrives for work every fifth game with a refreshing outlook to his craft as a starting pitcher.

Hall (8-6, 3.44) wants to finish what he starts.

The right-hander has four complete games, and it would not have been surprising if Hall had been allowed to pitch the ninth inning of the Wild Things' 5-2 win Wednesday night over the Joliet Slammers.

But after throwing 115 pitches, Hall's night was over. Washington manager Darin Everson had decided to call upon closer Tyler Wolf to get the final three outs for his 10th save. That, however, doesn't mean Hall couldn't have completed the task.

"We were thinking about maybe letting Justin go out for ninth, but it was a save situation, so you've got to go to your closer," Everson explained.

That was disappointing for Hall, who seems to be a different breed of starting pitcher in the Frontier League. While other starters generally start looking to the bullpen for help after pitching five or six innings, Hall has a nine-inning mentality.

"Most of our starters don't have that six-inning mentality," Everson said. "From day one, we've told our starters that we'll let them go as long as they can. They built up their arm strength to pitch nine innings and are in great shape, which is a credit to (pitching coach) Mark (Dewey).

"Lately, it seems I've been going out to the mound in the sixth and seventh innings just to ask a pitcher how he feels, not to take him out of the game."

While Joliet is enjoying a 6 1/2 game lead in the East Division, Hall has a 2-0 record in as many starts against the Slammers. Back in the second game of the season, Hall threw a four-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts at Joliet.

"The key is Hall throws strikes, gets ahead of the hitters and makes them hit his best pitches," Joliet manager Bart Zeller said. "It's a real simple formula, but it's really effective. He's always pitching ahead in the count."

Zeller said he was impressed by Hall in the fifth inning, after Joliet scored twice in the fourth to pull to within 3-2.

"He didn't get flustered after we scored those two runs," Zeller said. "He got six straight outs after that. That's the sign of an outstanding pitcher."

Hall ended up retiring 13 of the last 14 batters he faced.

Roster move

2011-08-15T18:19:00.001-07:00

According to the Frontier League website, the Wild Things released catcher Ryan Morrow and signed pitcher Jake Ramsay. At this moment, I don't know anything about the pitcher, other than there was a Jake Ramsay who pitched for a team that was just eliminated from the independent Pecos League playoffs that had a Jake Ramsay on its roster.

Morrow, a rookie catcher from St. Mary's (Texas) had a .034 batting average. He was 1-for-29.

The Wild Things will host the East Division-leading Joliet Slammers today in a doubleheader at Consol Energy Park. The first game will begin at 5:05 p.m.

Washington has 19 games remaining. The Wild Things must go at least 6-13 in those games to better last year's 38-57 record.

Market value

2011-08-15T10:30:00.001-07:00

Here's a short but interetsing story from Pittsburgh Business Times about where Washington ranks among the 241 minor-league baseball markets.

Read the story here.

Broom service?

2011-08-11T07:52:00.000-07:00

The Wild Things have a chance to sweep a series tonight -- on the road, no less -- when they play the Evansville Otters at Bosse Field.

Being the Frontier League team with the fewest road wins (12) this year, Washington getting a road sweep would be something that hasn't for this franchise a long time. Just how long? I had to search a while for that one.

The last three-game road sweep for the Wild Things came May 25-27 of last year, at Kalamazoo. Washington completed the sweep by winning the final game of the series 12-8 in 13 innings. If I recall correctly, Jacob Dempsey had home run in the 13th.

Barnes is the 4th

2011-08-08T18:22:00.000-07:00

There's not much for the Wild Things to play for these days. The playoffs are only a pipe dream and a winning season seems unlikely.

Personal goals, such as players getting a contract offer from a Major League Baseball organization, are about all that remain. For two pitchers, that goal has been reached during the current six-game road trip.

Washington starting pitcher Casey Barnes (pictured) signed a contract with the Philadelphia Phillies organization Sunday night, 48 hours after reliever Mark Williams was picked up by Milwaukee.

Barnes was second in the Frontier League with a 2.34 ERA. A right-hander out of Kansas Wesleyan University, Barnes had a 5-5 record in his rookie season. Released by Traverse City during spring training, Barnes was signed by the Wild Things prior to the start of the season and quickly became their most reliable starting pitcher.

"We’re thrilled with the success Casey has had with us, and we hope it continues with the Phillies,” Wild Things manager Darin Everson said in a press release.

If you know Barnes, you can't help but feel good for him. In 10 years of covering the Wild Things, I think Barnes is the most excitable and appreciative player I've met. He was genuinely thrilled to have a chance to pitch for the Wild Things and seemed to enjoy every moment of being a professional baseball player.

Barnes is the fourth Wild Things player (all pitchers) to have their contract purchased this season, which speaks volumes about the job pitching coach Mark Dewey has done. The Wild Things also lead the Frontier League with 40 quality starts (at least six innings pitched and no more than three earned runs allowed).

"It says a lot about Mark Dewey,” Barnes said. “Mark is a great guy, both as a coach and as a role model. ... I just hope I can find someone like him to work with in the Phillies organization.”

Barnes will join the Phillies' rookie-level affiliate in the Gulf Coast League.

Former Wild Things pitcher Vidal Nuno was recently promoted in the New York Yankees' system from the short-season New York-Penn League to low-Class A Charleston (S.C.). With Staten Island, Nuno was 5-0 with one save and an 0.72 ERA in eight games. He struck out 29 and walked only three in 25 innings.

Random notes, thoughts

2011-08-06T17:42:00.000-07:00

Cleaning out my cluttered mind and notebook:

* If you didn't hear WJPA Radio's broadcast of the Wild Things' game Saturday night at Florence -- and I can't blame you if you didn't want to listen to a Wild Things game on a Saturday night -- Washington lost right-handed pitcher Mark Williams to the Milwaukee Brewers. According to WJPA's Randy Gore, Williams was signed by Milwaukee after the Wild Things' game Friday in Florence. There was no mention of the signing Saturday on the websites of the Frontier League or Wild Things.

The hard-throwing Williams, who helped Marietta College win the NCAA Division III national championship this spring, didn't have eye-popping numbers with the Wild Things. He was 1-1 with a 7.54 ERA. Early in his stay in Washington, Williams was known as a pitcher who could throw hard but didn't always know where the fastball was going (ala the original Wild Thing). He pitched 14 2/3 innings, allowing 15 hits and 16 walks with 24 strikeouts.

However, Williams seems to have corrected his control problems and has been impressive in his last six outings, each of which was scoreless. In those 5 2/3 innings, Williams allowed only two hits and struck out 13.

Williams is the third Washington pitcher to be signed by an MLB organization this season, following Alan Williams (Milwaukee) and Vidal Nuno (New York Yankees). This is the first time the Wild Things have had three players picked up during a Frontier League season.

* Here's a safe bet: No Wild Things hitter will be signed by an affiliated team before the season ends.

After its second 3-0 loss to Florence in as many nights, Washington's offense, which has been the worst in the league all season, is on a run of 26 consecutive innings without generating a run. The worst part is the streak has come against Evansville and Florence, the bottom two teams in the West Division.

The Wild Things' struggling offense has managed to score more than one run in only three of its last eight games.

* I was wondering if Gateway pitcher Mark Brackman, who is currently on the disabled list, could win the league's ERA title without throwing another pitch this season. It turns out that he can't. Brackman (2.12 ERA), has pitched 72 1/3 innings. He must throw 77 innings to qualify for the ERA title.

Traverse City's Scott Dunn (a South Side Beaver graduate) is second in ERA at 2.22 followed by Washington's Casey Barnes at 2.34.

In 2003, Rockford's Jason Shelley won the ERA title without throwing a pitch in the league after the all-star break. Shelley was 7-1, 0.85 at the break, then signed by the Milwaukee Brewers and assigned to Class AA. At the time he was signed, Shelley was seven innings over the minimum to qualify for the ERA title.

* I thought Gateway and River City were supposed to be bitter rivals. Apparently, that's not the case. It seems the front offices of the teams are fairly chummy. When Gateway traded all-star first baseman Logan Parker to River City earlier this week for a pitcher and three players to be named later, it was the fourth trade between the teams this season.

The latest trade has been reported as one that was done as a favor for Parker, who is said to be retiring after the season. Gateway sent Parker to River City so that he would have a chance to end his career with a FL championship.

I hate those kind of trades.

Maybe I missed something, but I always thought the idea was to field as competitive a team as possible. Heck, I even cringed when Washington acquired Aaron Ledbetter from River City in 2006 for two forgettable and inexperienced pitchers (can you name them?).

* With Windy City losing games as quickly as the schedule allows, I have the feeling Lake Erie will end up with the second playoff spot in the East.

* That final playoff berth might come down to the final series of the regular season: Lake Erie at Traverse City. If Windy City is still in the playoff hunt come September, the ThunderBolts get to play a three-game series at home against Washington to close the season.

* The two pitchers the Wild Things traded for Aaron Ledbetter were Greg Lasinski and Shawn Phillips.

A number to forget

2011-08-05T07:48:00.000-07:00

The Wild Things' game Thursday night against the Evansville Otters had a little more meaning to it than just a game Washington needed to win. It also had a dubious attachment to it.

The game was the 150th in a row the Wild Things have played without entering with a winning record. Washington has not played a game while sporting a .500-plus record since June 3, 2010. The Wild Things lost that day at Gateway, 15-2, and since have been at .500 or worse for every game. No winning records.

This is obviously in stark contrast to the franchise's early days. Washington played only 25 games while sporting a losing record, including just one game in 2005, over its first four seasons. In 2007, the Wild Things won their season opener and went wire-to-wire with a .500 record or better.

But starting with the final 32 games of the 2009 season, Washington has been above .500 for only eight days -- all early in the 2010 season.

Schaumburg to Frontier League?

2011-08-04T11:30:00.000-07:00

According to ballparkdigest.com, the Frontier League will be adding Schaumburg, Ill., to the lineup next year.

You might recall that Schaumburg, which had a Northern League team that ran up approximately $9000,000 in debt before ceasing operations after the 2010 season, was rumored to be headed for the Frontier League this season. What prevented that from happening was the lease at Alexian Field (pictured) being granted to Alan Oremus, who just happens to be the owner of the Joliet Slammers. After acquiring the lease, Oremus said he planned to put a Schaumburg team in the independent American Association in 2012.

However, according to the website, there was never a legal agreement tying Oremus to the American Association, and after having some success in Joliet the decision was made to go to the Frontier League.

Nothing has been announced by either Oremus, the Frontier League or American Association, so we'll just have to wait. If this report is true, it leaves the Frontier League with 13 teams and opens the door for the potential return of the Kalamazoo Kings. It Kalamazoo doesn't return, the a traveling team would be the most likely option for the 14th club.

Not the same old Otters

2011-08-02T12:51:00.000-07:00

Tonight was supposed to be the beginning of an important stretch for the Wild Things. For weeks, Washington had talked about the advantage of having six games remaining against the Evansville Otters, the last-place team in the West Division. While the other teams in the East -- except Lake Erie -- would be playing more challenging games against West rivals, the Wild Things would face Evansville and Florence, the latter having fallen into fifth place in the West.

This looked like a good thing for the Wild Things, especially in late June when Evansville was off to a 6-25 start.

Well, timing is everything in baseball, and playing the Otters in August might not be the advantage it was thought to be a few weeks ago. These aren't the same old Otters.

Evansville seems to have gotten its act together. The Otters have won seven straight road games entering tonight's series opener at Consol Energy Park.

Evansville also is 8-6 in its last 14 games.

If Washington is going to make a move toward reaching the .500 mark, then it must take advantage of the games against Evansville and Florence. But it's the games against Evansville that might prove to be more difficult for Washington. While Evansville has improved, Florence has been in a tailspin. The Freedom are 5-20 since July 4, with two of the five wins coming by one run. Florence has lost 12 of its last 13 road games.

While there might be some advantage to playing Evansville and Florence late in the year instead of say, River City and Gateway, the break might be in playing the Freedom, not the Otters.

Back to 5

2011-07-30T07:58:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the best laid plans can go awry in a hurry.

The Wild Things had been planning to go to a six-man pitching rotation beginning last night. Those plans were scrapped before they were put into motion.

Washington had signed right-handed pitcher Chris Smith to a contract Wednesday and had planned to have him start last night's game against Rockford. Smith first had to pass a physical, which is something he still hasn't done.

According to manager Darin Everson, Smith has inflammation in his shoulder and will be put on a seven-day program and then re-evaluated. Because he didn't pass the physical, Smith's contract was voided and he hasn't been placed on the disabled list.

"He probably could have pitched, but we don't want to put a guy out there who's not 100 percent," Everson said.

Prior to coming to Washington, Smith pitched in five games for the White Sands Pupfish of the Pecos League, an independent league based in New Mexico. In his next-to-last outing with White Sands, Smith pitched a nine-inning complete game and threw 141 pitches -- a total unheard of in minor-league ball for a 22-year-old pitcher. You have to wonder if that had anything to do with the injury.

Everson said he's still considering the six-man rotation but will keep the five-man setup through at least the open date on Aug. 8. There were several reasons for going to a six-man rotation, one of which being the doubleheader against Joliet in mid-August.

I was interested to see how a six-man rotation would work. I recall asking former Wild Things manager Jeff Isom back in 2003 if he had ever considered using a six-man. The reason being, it seems many starting pitchers in this league develop dead arms late in June. That, I reasoned, was because many were relief pitchers in affiliated ball and had not been a starting pitcher in at least two years. Plus, any college guy you put in the rotation probably has 80 to 110 innings for the year already on his arm.

Isom shot down the idea, saying scouts want to see guys pitch every fifth day, plus that's what the players want.

Another former Wild Things manager, John Massarelli, has made a habit of using a four-man rotation in the season's second half.

Banks gone, Smith signed

2011-07-27T20:54:00.001-07:00

Ernie Banks' second stint with the Wild Things ended in the same fashion as his first -- with a trade.

Banks (above left) was traded Wednesday by Washington to the Southern Illinois Miners. In exchange for the first baseman, the Wild Things acquired rookie relief pitcher Joe Tarallo and the Miners' first-round draft pick next year. That pick will likely be No. 10 or 11.

Unlike his first go-around in Washington, Banks struggled mightily at the plate, hitting only .207 in 42 games. He had two home runs (each during the last road trip) and only 13 RBI.

Banks will be heading to Southern Illinois for the second time. He started last season with the Miners, playing 29 games before ending the season in another independent league.

Banks will have an opportunity to play regularly as Southern Illinois has lost first basemen Matt Fields (wrist) and Gordon Gronkowski (foot) to injuries.

"We were definitely looking for another pitcher, and there was some interest from other teams in Ernie," Washington manager Darin Everson said. "He's going back to a place he's been before. The trade narrows out lineup a little bit. Instead of having two experienced hitters on the bench each night we only have one. What is means for the guys who are here is more playing time. It's time to make a push."

In Tarallo (0-0, 3.38), the Wild Things get a pitcher who has appeared in 16 games with Southern Illinois and Florence. He averages more than one strikeout per inning.

The trade was part of a flurry of moves by the Wild Things.

Relief pitcher Michael Cotter (0-0, 6.35) was released. Washington picked up Cotter in a trade with a team in another league only three weeks ago.

The Wild Things signed Chris Smith, a right-handed pitcher who had been playing in the independent Pecos League after beginning the year with Traverse City. He was released by the Beach Bums after only two relief appearances, including one against the Wild Things at Consol Energy Park.

Smith was a draft pick of Lake Erie last year but lasted only one outing. He will start Friday night against Rockford as the Wild Things switch to a six-man pitching rotation.

TRIVIA: Banks is not the first player traded twice by the Wild Things. I can think of one pitcher. Anyone willing to guess who that might be?

Big inning

2011-07-25T09:08:00.000-07:00

If you were wondering, yes, the 11-run seventh inning by Lake Erie Sunday night was the most runs the Wild Things have given up in an inning during a game at Consol Energy Park.

The previous record was 10 runs by Windy City in the fourth inning of a game Aug. 9, 2008. Windy City won that game 22-7, which came on the heels of a 13-5 win over the Wild Things one night earlier. That 10-run inning by the ThunderBolts included three home runs, including a grand slam. There were seven hits, three walks and an error in the frame.

The offensive numbers by Lake Erie in the seventh inning weren't as impressive: Three hits (one an infield single), no extra-base hits and only two batted balls that reached the outfield. There were eight walks, a hit batsman and two errors. For the night, Washington pitchers issued 13 walks.

Washington manager Darin Everson admitted after the game that he's concerned about the confidence of some of his relief pitchers. The Wild Things have had two bullpen meltdowns in the last five games.

"Definitely," he said. "We're trying to figure out what's going on with 'em because what's happening isn't what they've shown before. We have to figure out if it's a mental thing or there's something wrong from a physical or mechanical standpoint.

"The best thing is, tonight was just a big bump in the road. It looks worse because we had a 5-1 lead and was in command."

One guy in particular who is going through a rough stretch is Davis Bilardello. Through is first 13 outings with Washington, Bilardello had a 2.89 ERA and had not allowed more than two hits or two walks in a game. In his last three outings, Bilardello has pitched two innings, allowing nine hits, three walks and 12 runs (eight earned).

Bilardello's struggles are happening at the wrong time for Washington. With Kevin Hammons being placed on the DL Sunday, Bilardello is the only lefty the Wild Things have in the bullpen.

Useless information, V2.0

2011-07-23T13:59:00.000-07:00

Some random thoughts and notes about the Wild Things and Frontier League:

* Has any Wild Things player ever had a better road trip than the one Chris Sidick (pictured) is having? In the first five games of the current six-game trip to Traverse City and Rockford, Sidick is 14-for-21 with 11 runs, 5 RBI, 2 home runs and 5 stolen bases. He has raised his batting average from .243 to .286.

A few other guys I recall having good road trips were Josh Loggins, Chris Carter and Mike Arbinger.

Loggins had a trip to Evansville and Chillicothe in 2003 in which he went 7-for-17 with 3 home runs and 9 RBI and was signed by Colorado during the trip.

When Washington ran off a 13-game winning streak in 2005, Arbinger and Carter were the catalysts. During a nine-game road trip to Gateway, River City and Mid-Missouri, Arbinger was 17-for-44 with 2 homers and 16 RBI. On the same trip, Carter went 15-for-38 with 5 homers and 15 RBI.

* According his Twitter account, Chris Smith, a right-handed pitcher who has been playing with the White Sands Pupfish of the independent Pecos League, has signed a contract to play with the Wild Things. Smith, who is from Louisville, was Lake Erie's first-round draft pick in the Frontier League draft in 2010. He played two games for Traverse City this year, including a rough outing out of the bullpen against the Wild Things at Consol Energy Park in May. Smith later signed with White Sands. In the Pecos League, Smith had a 3-0 record and 1.39 ERA in four outings. He struck out 28 in 26 innings.

According to the Twitter post, Smith said he will be a starting pitcher with the Wild Things.

* Former Wild Things relief pitcher Alan Williams, who was signed by the Milwaukee Brewers early in the Frontier League season, has been promoted from rookie ball to Class A. Williams was sent from Helena (Mont.) to Appleton (Wisc.), where he will play for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers of the Midwest League. Williams pitched in nine games with Helena and had a 1-1 record, 4 saves and 2.57 ERA. He struck out 28 in only 14 innings.

* When Luis Rivera homered in the fifth inning Wednesday at Traverse City, it was the first time all season the Wild Things received a home run from the cleanup spot in the batting order. That one came 52 games into the season.

* Remember Steve MacFarland, who pitched for the Wild Things last year until an injury ended his season? McFarland was the Pittsburgh Pirates' 9th-round draft pick in 2006 but never made it past low-Class A with the Bucs. He was traded by Washington to another independent league last offseason. Since then, MacFarland has been released from three different indy leagues but is back in the Frontier. He was signed this week by the Florence Freedom.

Of round numbers

2011-07-22T14:37:00.000-07:00

For some reason that I can't understand, people get a kick out of noting when things happen for 100th, 200th, 300th time or any other number that ends with multiple zeroes. I'll follow suit with a couple of milestones from Washington's win Thursday night over Rockford.

First, the win was the 500th in Wild Things history. They are 500-393 (.556) since joining the Frontier League in 2002. Washington has the best winning percentage of any FL franchise that has played 893 games.

The FL's all-time wins list:
1. Chillicothe, 688
2. Evansville, 677
3. River City, 581
4. Cook County/Windy City, 575
5. Washington, 500
6. Gateway, 499
7. Richmond, 483

Another round-number note: When Washington's Chris Sidick homered in the first inning Thursday night, it was the 700th home run in Wild Things history. Washington is 9th on the FL's all-time HR list by franchise.

Ready to rumble

2011-07-21T10:36:00.000-07:00

Maybe it was the heat. Maybe it was the game. Whatever it was, something made tempers flare Wednesday in Avon, Ohio during a game between the Lake Erie Crushers and the Rockford RiverHawks (the Wild Things' opponent tonight).

According to the Chronicle-Telegram, a benches-clearing brawl started in the third inning after Lake Erie had already forged a big lead. Lake Erie’s Evan Sharpley (recently picked up after being released by Traverse City) was walked on four inside pitches by Rockford starter Joe Scumaci while the Crushers had already forged a big lead. Sharpley and Rockford catcher Carlos Dominguez -- they were involved in a home-plate collision an inning earlier -- then got into an argument. Sharpley tackled Dominguez and the benches cleared. Five players were ejected. You can expected some suspensions.

Here is a link to the story. Make sure you check out the photos from the brawl. They have more than 70.

Read the story here.

If you don't build it, they will leave

2011-07-17T06:58:00.000-07:00

In its 20 or so years of existence, independent baseball has had its share of success stories (see places like Lincoln, Neb., or some of the franchises and leagues that have been around for a decade or more). However, without ties to major league organizations to help pay the bills, indy baseball is crapshoot at best. At its worst, it's a mess for all involved. An example of the latter can be found in Zion, Ill., home of the Lake County Fielders of the North American Baseball League.

How the Fielders' situation is tied to the Wild Things and ends up on this blog is this: Steve Grife, a relief pitcher who re-joined the Wild Things Friday, spent the first half of the season with Lake County after being traded there by Washington late in spring training. The Fielders' story and Grife's recounting of his experience with the team makes you appreciate the Wild Things and the Frontier League.

A little background on the Fielders: The team was an expansion outfit last year, billing itself as having actor Kevin Costner as one of its owners. The primary owner, however, is a guy named Rich Ehrenrich, who left a trail of unpaid bills after owning the Northern League team in Schaumburg, Ill.

The Fielders lured Fran Riordan away from the Frontier League to manage the team last season. They played much of the season's first half on the road while a "temporary" ballpark was being built. Riordan got out of Lake County after the season and returned the Frontier League as the Florence Freedom's manager. It was the best move Riordan has ever made.

This year, Lake County joined the new North American Baseball League and was put in a division with teams in Calgary, Edmonton and Hawaii (can you see how money is going to be a problem?). The Fielders and the league, from what I can gather, were told that their temporary ballpark would be completed by midseason. So the NABL scheduled the Fielders to start the season with a 31-game road trip.

That's right, 31 consecutive games on the road. Two trips to Hawaii, trips to Canada, Arizona and California. The team flew from city to city, except for a bus trip from Edmonton to Calgary.

"The flights were hectic," Grife said Saturday. "We didn't always have the players and coaches on the same flight. One time, when we went to Hawaii, we were split, on two flights. By game time, we had only half the team there and no coaches. All the position players were there plus two or three relievers. The players made out the lineup. The manager got there sometime in the first inning. We ended up winning the game in 14 or 15 innings."

Throughout their seven weeks on the road, there was one serious problem: a lack of money. In part because they were on the road and not generating revenue from home games, and in part because of lousy ownership, the Fielders were rarely getting paid or their $20 meal money per day.

According to Grife, sometimes the money was there, sometimes the paychecks bounced. Meal money was always a problem.

At one point, the Fielders held a team meeting and discussed whether they should play that night's game or not, and whether they should quit or continue the season. But as Grife pointed out, how would the players get home if they decided enough was enough and they were quitting? After all, they weren't getting paid.

"Our coaches were phenomenal," Grife said. 'They were behind us 100 percent. They paid for some of our meals out of their own pockets. They kept us afloat."

So the Fielders marched on, hoping that things would change when they returned to Zion for their home opener July 3 against the Yuma Scorpions and their player/manager Jose Canseco.

Through all the troubles, the amazing part of the Fielders' story is they returned home in first place in the NABL's East Division.

"We took an attitude of us against the world," Grife said. "The team was awesome. We knew we were going to win. We would hit three or four home runs a night, steal some bases and our starting pitchers would go eight or nine innings."

The Fielders finally made it to Illinois and found that their ballpark was still a "temporary" facility. But, the home opener drew approximately 5,000 fans. And, during one game in the middle of the seven-game homestand with Yuma, Grife capped a Fielders victory by striking out Canseco to end the game.

"I kept throwing him fastballs and he kept nipping 'em and fouling 'em off," Grife recalled. "I know a younger version of (Canseco) would have hit a couple of those fastballs out of the park. I finally got him on a fastball up and in. I think he he got tired from swinging and fouling off so many pitches. He got worn out."

Still, though they were playing at home, the Fielders weren't getting paid. Shortly before the July 9 against Yuma (the next-to-last of the series), Fielders manager Tim Johnson quit. It was reported that Johnson, the former manager of the Toronto Blue Jays, hadn't been paid since May.

Out of protest, 11 Lake County players refused to play that night.

Hiting coach Pete LaCock, a former Chicago Cubs player (and son of longtime Hollywood Squares host Peter Marshall) ran the team that night. With a limited roster, he put pitchers in the field. Grife played five innings at shortstop. Some non-pitchers pitched.

To level the playing field, Canseco decided to let some of his pitchers play the field. Canseco even pitched six innings, throwing fastballs and knuckleballs. Grife had one hit off Canseco.

LaCock quit after the game but was fined $2,500 by the league for "making a farce of the game."

Earlier that day, the Fielders players had filed for free agency because they were not being paid. By Monday (two days later), 13 of them became free agents. Nine others were traded. Grife was among those released.

In all, the Fielders had four managers in less than a week and either released or traded 23 players in three days.

"It came down to a lot of promises that weren't kept," Grife said. "When we became free agents, you should have heard the cell phones ringing. A lot of teams were looking for players. We had two pitchers go to Windy City, one to Normal."

Grife called Washington manager Darin Everson, who offered the right-hander another shot with the Wild Things and, yes, a regular paycheck.

Here are a few links to stories about the Fielders' fiasco:

Read the story here.

Read the story here.

State of the Penn League

2011-07-15T09:29:00.000-07:00

Here is the link to an excellent story written by the Centre Daily Times' Guy Cipriano (a Washington County native who got his start in the biz at the Observer-Reporter). Guy writes about how changes in the first-year player draft, signing date and the college season have caused the level of play to drop in the New York-Penn League.

It's interesting that the Wild Things have more outfielders (2), who were drafted in the first three rounds than the State College Spikes (Pirates affiliate) have players on their 31-man roster who were taken in the first three rounds of any draft.

Read the story here.

Useless information

2011-07-14T07:07:00.000-07:00

Cleaning out the notebook prior to the restart of the Frontier League season Friday night:

The topic of discussion in manager Darin Everson's office prior to the Wild Things-Gateway game Sunday was how many wins will it take for a team to secure a playoff berth from the East Division?

The Frontier League went to a 96-game schedule in 2004, and since then the playoff team with the worst record each season has averaged 52 wins. There was a low of 46 (Evansville in 2006) and it took 56 wins to make the postseason in 2009. It doesn't look like the East will have a team pull away from the pack, or one that finishes with less than 30 wins, so the magic number will likely be closer to 52 than 56.

What does that mean for the Wild Things? To get to 52 wins, they need to go 33-16 after the all-star break.

* In Wednesday night's Frontier League All-Star game in Avon, Ohio, Washington's Casey Barnes and Jhonny Montoya each pitched a scoreless and hitless inning. Justin Hall gave up one solo home run in his inning. Catcher Blake Ochoa went 1-for-2 with a walk, and second baseman Scott Lawson was 0-for-1 with a throwing error.

* Washington does not have a home run from the No. 4 spot in the batting order all season.

* Remember Joel Hartman, who was a utility player for the Wild Things last year before suffering a season-ending finger injury? He joined a team in the Pecos League, based in New Mexico, after being released in spring training by the Wild Things. Hartman suffered another season-ending injury recently. According to the Pecos League website, Hartman broke a leg during a play at home plate.

* In Ernie Banks' first 128 at-bats with the Wild Things in 2009, he hit 12 home runs. In 128 at-bats this year, Banks does not have a home run.

* Both Vidal Nuno and Alan Williams -- the two Wild Things pitchers signed this season by MLB organizations -- are off to strong starts with their new teams. Nuno is playing for Staten Island (Yankees) in the Class A New York-Penn League. In five relief appearances, Nuno is 4-0 with one save and a 0.98 ERA. He has 17 strikeouts in 18 1/3 innings with only three walks. Williams is with Helena (Brewers) in the rookie-level Pioneer League and has a 1-1 record with three saves in seven outings. The lefty has pitched 11 innings and struck out 24 with only three walks.

Former Wild Things pitcher Tom Cochran, who is in Class AAA with with Cincinnati, took the loss last Saturday in Louisville's 2-0 setback against Indianapolis, the Pirates' top affiliate. Cochran started the game and gave up only one run in five innings to drop his record to 6-2.

* Rockford, which is in fifth place in the East, made a key signing over the weekend, bringing back Jason James. The outfielder has one Frontier League batting title and finished second twice.

* In 46 games this season, Everson has used 45 different batting orders.

* Gateway manager Phil Warren on starting the season with three former West Virginia players and an ex-Pitt player on the Grizzlies' roster: "This is an area of the country that seems to get overlooked in the (major league) draft, for whatever reason."

* Despite losing Nuno, the opening day starter, Washington is tied for second in quality starts with 24. Florence also has 24. Windy City is tops with 28.

Wild Things Average Attendance
at the All-Star Break:
2002 - 2,942
2003 - 3,390
2004 - 3,242
2005 - 3,048
2006 - 3,133
2007 - 3,180
2008 - 2,899
2009 - 2,734
2010 - 2,373
2011 - 2,176

You thought the Wild Things had it bad ...

2011-07-13T20:49:00.000-07:00

Here are two stories about the Rockford RiverHawks' bus trip home from Evansville Ind., Sunday night. Players and coaches talk about getting hot around the all-star break, but this isn't what they mean.

Read the first story here.

Read the followup story here.

Battle lines

2011-07-08T22:01:00.000-07:00

You can designate July 8 as "Circle the Wagons Day" for the Wild Things.

After falling into last place in the Frontier League's East Division, though only a half dozen games out of first place, the Wild Things made three roster moves Friday they hope will pump some life into their offense and deepen their bullpen for the season's second half. Traverse City had a significant roster shakeup last week. This week, it was Washington's turn.

The Wild Things signed a pair of outfielders, Tim Battle and Estee Harris, who were high draft picks and once highly regarded prospects in the New York Yankees system. Also signed was Michael Cotter, the relief pitcher we noticed on another independent league's website as being traded to the Wild Things several days ago.

Here's a little background on the new outfielders:

Harris and Battle were the Yankees' 2nd- and 3rd-round draft picks, respectively, in 2003. Harris out of a high school in New York, and Battle out of high school in Georgia. It's interesting to note that in that same draft, the Yankees selected a pitcher named T.J. Beam in the 10th round. Beam played for the Pirates in 2008. In the 19th round, the Yankees drafted pitcher Jeff Karstens, and in the 47th round the Bronx Bombers drafted but did not sign pitcher Daniel McCutchen.

Harris and Battle each had their careers fizzle out in high-Class A but not before some good seasons. Harris, at one time, cracked Baseball America's top-10 Yankees prospects, and Battle was among the top dozen. Harris' last season in affiliated ball was 2006, while Battle stuck around a while longer, playing through 2008.

At one time, Battle was rated the fastest baserunner and best athlete in the Yankees' system. He had a 16-homer, 40-stolen base season in low-Class A and spent 2 1/2 seasons, playing 274 games, in high-A before the Yankees released him. Battle's strikeout totals were high and on-base percentage low in the minors, but you could tell in only one game with the Wild Things that he has the look of a "toolsy" kind of player that scouts like.

Harris and Battle have been bouncing around the independent leagues. Harris had a good year in 2009 against older players in the Atlantic League, then played for Evansville last year (hitting .270) before going back to the Atlantic League last July.

Battle played last year in Edmonton and Hawaii.

To make room for the new guys, Washington released designated hitter Bryan Fogle, outfielder Derek Perren and pitcher Ryan Thomas. Fogle hit .241 with no extra-base hits in 29 at-bats; Perren batted .245 in 31 games and Thomas, a Beaver County native, pitched in only four games. Perren was probably the most disappointing of the three. He batted. 362 his senior year at Southern California (the first former USC guy to play for the Wild Things) and had a pair of .300 seasons in indy leagues before being picked up by Washington last offseason.

The newcomers didn't exactly change much for the Wild Things' offense Friday as Washington beat Gateway 1-0, getting its second two-hit shutout in three games. Casey Barnes threw a complete-game gem. It was the league-best sixth shutout for Washington.

Will these moves be the spark for a second-half surge or just another failed series of changes? Only time will tell, but give the Wild Things credit for going with a couple of players with interesting and higher-profile backgrounds instead of guys fresh out of small colleges.

A new pitcher?

2011-07-05T21:10:00.001-07:00

Found this on the American Association website:

Tuesday, July 5 - The Wichita Wingnuts trade RHP Mike Cotter to Washington (Frontier League) in exchange for future considerations.

The trade hasn't been listed on the Frontier League site, and Cotter isn't listed on the Wild Things' roster. I didn't listen to all of the game Tuesday night, so I didn't hear if Randy Gore mentioned this transaction.

Cotter was a rookie for Wichita, signing last month after his senior season at Emporia State in Kansas. With Wichita, Cotter pitched in seven games out of the bullpen and had a 5.19 ERA. Wichita, by the way, is the same team the Wild Things' Gary Lee played for earlier this year.

At Emporia State, Cotter had one of the strangest statistical seasons I've seen in quite some time. This year, the 6-6, 215-pound Cotter pitched in 18 games. He had a 1-0 record and saved 14 of those games. But his ERA was 6.43 and opponents batted .341 against him.

It's almost impossible to save 14 games and not lose one with a 6.43 ERA.

5 Wild Things named to All-Star Game

2011-07-04T12:10:00.001-07:00

The Frontier League announced Monday the initial rosters for its all-star game and the Wild Things will have five representatives, including three pitchers.

Selected for the game as position players were second baseman Scott Lawson and catcher Blake Ochoa. Both will be backups for the East Division team that will play the West July 13 at All Pro Freight Stadium in Avon, Ohio.

Washington pitchers Casey Barnes, Justin Hall and Jhonny Montoya will be on the East's staff.

Lawson leads the Wild Things with a .319 batting average, and his .425 on-base percentage is fifth-best in the league.

Ochoa is batting only .198 but is second on the Wild Things with 21 walks and has thrown out 22 percent of opposing base stealers.

Barnes (2-3) is second in the league in ERA at 1.91. Hall (4-2, 3.27) is tied for the league lead with two shutouts and is tops on the Washington pitching staff in wins. Montoya (1-1, 2.20) is fourth in the league in ERA and second on the team in strikeouts with 32 in 49 innings.

The final three rosters spots for each team will be chosen by the game's managers Thursday.

Getting offensive

2011-07-01T08:45:00.000-07:00

The rock group Blue Oyster Cult had a hit in 1977 with its song "Goin' Through the Motions." The Wild Things, their manager suggested, had not hits over the last six innings Thursday night against River City in part because they went through the motions at the plate.

"We need to become more offensive and be able to make adjustments throughout the game, not just go through the motions with our swings," Everson said following the 7-1 loss to the West Division-leading Rascals.

Thirty-seven games into the Frontier League's 96-game schedule, the Wild Things' offense is producing at a rate clip. But it's the wrong kind of record pace.

Washington is batting an anemic .225 as a team. The league record for lowest batting average for a season was set by Lake Erie last year at .229. That the Wild Things are even five games from .500 with that kind of offense is a credit to its pitching staff. Despite losing two lefties to affiliated ball, Washington is second in the league in ERA (3.35) and quality starts (21). The pitching staff deserves better support than it's getting.

The Wild Things' offense has been so poor this season that it would take their first 39 batters reaching base via hits tonight just to raise the team batting average to tie Rockford (.249) for 11th place in the 12-team league.

I don't think that's going to happen.

Second baseman Scott Lawson (.310) and center fielder Chris Sidick (.283) have been the only consistent threats in the lineup, and the former has had trouble staying on base because of baserunning mistakes. Other than those two, the offense has struggled mightily all seasson.

Even the designated hitter position has been a bust. Washington's DHs are hitting .191 with one home run, seven RBI and 41 strikeouts in 136 at-bats.

So what is manager Darin Everson to do about his offense? He brought in DH Bryan Fogle (.292) and third baseman Ryan Ditthardt (.143) last week. Does Everson continue to make changes or hope that his current players can fight their way out of what has been a collective funk?

All the right moves

2011-06-28T08:36:00.000-07:00

We are roughly 38 percent of the way through the Frontier League season, so what do the standings tell us? Well, nothing if you're Traverse City manager Greg Langbehn or any other skipper in this league.

Langbehn's Beach Bums are in third place in the East, four games behind first-place Windy City and a half-game ahead of the Wild Things. He's not worried about the standings. Heck, Lake Erie manager John Massarelli says he doesn't even look at the standings until after the all-star break.

"Last year, we were 10 games out of first place, at one point," Langbehn said over the weekend. "Windy City was 12 games out. They were behind us. And both of us made the playoffs. That's why we're not even worried. It's still early."

Langbehn knows from seeing four of the other teams in the East (the Beach Bums have not played Windy City) that nobody is prepared to run away from the pack. But one or two key roster moves could push a team from worst to first in the East. Rockford needs relief pitching. Washington needs hitting. Traverse City needs a starting pitcher and a hitter. Windy City could use another hitter. ... etc.

"That's why we're making a couple of moves when we get home," Langbehn said. "Making the right moves could be the difference."

It always could be worse

2011-06-25T11:36:00.000-07:00

Warning: This is not a post about the Frontier League or the Wild Things, though you might think differently about each after reading the following:

Minor-league baseball is filled with thousands of interesting stories, with most prompting the same question: Why do people do this for a living? It doesn't matter if the story is about a player, coach, umpire, owner ... you often wonder if the time and effort is worth the reward.

With that in mind, the following are links to two stories that I came across while searching for information about two players, former California University standout outfielder Sam DiMatteo and ex-Wild Things utility player Joel Hartman. Neither story is about DiMatteo or Hartman, who are currently playing in the Pecos League, an independent circuit with teams in New Mexico and west Texas. This is the bottom of the ladder in independent baseball.

The first link is a story about the Pecos League having a traveling team that played three "home games" in Carlsbad (N.M.). The second link is to press release that actually appeared on the league's website. You'll be be shaking your head in disbelief after each story. I know I was.

Read the Carlsbad story here.

Read the website story here.

Alumni report

2011-06-25T11:26:00.001-07:00

Here's a check of the three former Wild Things, including two off this year's club, who are playing in affiliated ball:

Alan Williams - The lefty reliever, who was the first Frontier League player picked up by a major league organization this year, has been assigned to the Helena (Mont.) Brewers of the rookie-level Pioneer League. Helena has played five games and Williams has pitched in three of those, posting a 1-0 record, two saves and 0.00 ERA. The 20-year-old Williams has pitched four innings, allowed one hit and one walk, and struck out seven.

Vidal Nuno - The Wild Things' opening day starter this year, Nuno has been assigned to the Staten Island Yankees of the short-season Class A New York Penn League. Staten island has played seven games and Nuno has pitched in one of those, getting a win with 1 1/3 innings of perfect relief. This is a league that is probably below where Nuno should be slotted. He pitched in the NYP two years ago and had a 5-0 record, then spent last season as a starter in low-Class A.

Tom Cochran - (Have you noticed that all three of these guys are left-handed pitchers?) Cochran continues to pitch well for Louisville, the Cincinnati Reds' Class AAA affiliate. He has a 6-1 record and 3.83 ERA in 12 games, including eight starts.

Banda released

2011-06-23T14:42:00.000-07:00

Josh Banda, who started the season hitting in the No. 3 spot in the Wild Things' lineup but struggled offensively all season, was released Thursday by the Wild Things.

During the offseason, Washington traded its first-round draft pick to River City in exchange for Banda, who hit 14 home runs last year for the Rascals. Banda added four more home runs during the postseason as the Rascals won their first league championship.

In Washington, however, Banda lost his hitting touch. He was batting only .127 (8-for-63) with no home runs and one RBI. He struck out 27 times.

Banda was replaced on the roster by Bryan Fogle, a former NCAA Division II Playerof the Year at Erskine College in South Carolina. Fogle hit .420 with 28 home runs and 103 RBI in2010, his final season at Erskine. He was drafted in the 32nd round last year by Tampa Bay and played rookie ball in Princeton (W.Va.), where he was teammates with current Wild Things Justin Hall and Scott Lawson.

Ellis to PPU Hall of Fame

2011-06-22T13:20:00.000-07:00

Former Wild Things second baseman and assistant coach Ryan Ellis will be inducted into the Point Park University Athletics Hall of Fame on Oct. 9.

Here is Ellis' bio from the school's release:

A native of Munhall, Pa., and a graduate of Steel Valley High School, Ryan Ellis holds the Point Park record for single-season batting average at .477 in 1999. Ellis, an infielder, ranks fourth in school history with a .405 career average, and he is one of only four players in school history to hit over .400 for his career. A two-time NAIA Honorable Mention All-American (1998 and 199), Ellis’ ranking in Point Park’s career records include being third in hits (207), third in RBIs (169), second in home runs (27) and second in triples (21). He led Point Park to its 10th appearance in the NAIA World Series in 1998.

Drafted in the 28th round of the 2000 MLB draft by the Montreal Expos, Ellis played five years of minor league baseball, first with Vermont in the New York-Penn League and then with Washington of the independent Frontier League.

Currently, Ellis is the manager of the NY Mets Class A affiliate, the Savannah Sand Gnats, a position he took over prior to the 2011 season. The Sand Gnats won the South Atlantic League Southern Division first-half title and took a 39-30 record into the SAL All-Star break June 20-22. Ellis managed the South Division in the SAL All-Star Game June 21, 2011 to a 6-3 victory. Prior to becoming the manager of the Sand Gnats, Ellis had been a minor league assistant coach since 2003, and he has been coaching in the NY Mets’ organization since 2006.

Ellis was also a three-year member of the Point Park men’s soccer team (1996-98), and he was an NAIA All-Northeast Region Honorable Mention defender in 1997.

Road kill

2011-06-21T06:55:00.000-07:00

In golf, there's a popular saying that you drive for show but putt for dough. In other words, it's impressive if you can crush the ball off the tee, but it does you no good if you can't sink the six-foot putts.

The baseball equivalent of the six-foot putt is the road game. Most teams are better at home than on the road. That much is obvious. You can impress the home fans by winning often in your own ballpark, but the playoff-caliber teams are the ones who find ways to win on the road, especially in the close games.

The Wild Things have a winning record at home (8-7) but that means nothing because of their performance away from Consol Energy Park. Washington is 3-10 in road games. Only Evansville (3-12) is worse away from home. Half of the Wild Things' road losses have been by one run, in large part because of their anemic .202 batting average in away games.

When the Wild Things were at their best years ago, they were terrific on the road. From the team's inaugural season of 2002 through 2006, Washington had the Frontier League's best road record in four of those years. In the other, they were second best.

The formula for success on the road, it seems, has been lost. This year, Washington has lost all five of its road series, and going back to last season the streak is eight in a row. In that span, the Wild Things are 4-18 away from Consol Energy Park. More than half of the 18 losses have been by one run.

Maybe the tide will turn tonight at Traverse City. If it doesn't, then the upcoming nine-game homestand will have to be looked upon as a gift from the schedulemaker, a chance to move up in the standings before playing 12 of the next 18 on the road.

Series leftovers

2011-06-19T09:37:00.000-07:00

Some notes, thoughts and numbers that didn't get into the print edition during the Wild Things' series against Windy City:

* Surely, in all of baseball's written and unwritten rules, there has to be something about teams shouldn't wear the same colored jerseys. Prior to the opening game of the doubleheader Friday night, Windy City walks onto the Consol Energy Park field wearing royal blue jerseys and blue caps. The Wild Things, meanwhile, opt for their royal blue jerseys and blue caps. The uniform selections made it look like Trinity High School was playing an intrasquad game. Whatever happened to wearing gray on the road? At the very least, the visiting team shouldn't wear a colored jersey that matches any of the home team's jerseys.

* After the game Saturday, Washington signed Ryan Morrow, a switch-hitting catcher out of St. Mary's University in Texas. He has no professional experience. Morrow was drafted in the 44th round by Atlanta in 2010 but did not sign. As a junior, he batted .366 with 14 home runs and 65 RBI but his numbers dropped off (as they did for most players because of the change in bats) this year. Morrow hit .277 with three home runs and 29 RBI. It seems Morrow might have a decent arm because the opponents for St. Mary's stole only 39 bases in 59 games.

* From the How Did That Happen Department? comes this: Washington right fielder Luis Rivera entered the second game of Friday nigth's doubleheader with zero walks in 61 at-bats. Rivera then walked in each of his first three plate appearances against Windy City starter Luis Rivera.

* Former California University pitcher Randy Sturgill made his pro debut Friday night with the Lake Erie Crushers. Sturgill pitched one inning of relief in the Crushers' 3-2 loss at Rockford. He gave up two hits, one run and one walk.

Sturgill, a left-hander from Leechburg, was a two-time PSAC West Division West Pitcher of the Year. He holds Cal's single-season and career records for wins. He led the PSAC in wins, innings and strikeouts this spring, going 10-2 and two saves with a 2.23 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 84 2/3 innings.

Sturgill had another year of eligibility remaining at Cal but opted to leave early. There is a connection between Cal's athletic department and Lake Erie manager John Massarelli that got Sturgill a look from the Crushers.

* The Wild Things' rained out game in Joliet has not yet been rescheduled. It will be played as part of a doubleheader either Aug. 16 or 17 when the Slammers play their first series in Washington.

* Rough week with the bats: Washington hasn't scored more than two runs in an inning since last Sunday's win over Normal.

* When you have a team that is struggling to get hits and score runs, such as the Wild Things have been all season, is it better for the manager to pick a batting order and stick with it for an extended period, or should he change the order nightly? There are different theories about this. Washington's Darin Everson has opted to change the order with each game. He has used 25 different batting orders in 26 games, and five players have hit in five different spots in the lineup.

* That the Frontier League has had eight players (including two from the Wild Things) sold to major league organizations in the first month of the season, shows that what we speculated on this blog last month was true - the talent level in the league was up this year. At this point last year, only one player had his contract purchased.

Making the call in Omaha

2011-06-16T12:37:00.000-07:00

According to a story in the Marietta Times, Frontier League umpire Jim Schaly, pictured, will be one of the eight umpires working the College World Series beginning this weekend in Omaha, Neb.

Schaly had been the Frontier League's supervisor of umpires for 17 years, until giving up the job this season. Schaly was the home-plate umpire in this year's Big Ten tournament championship game and worked the Atlanta Regional that was won by Mississippi State. This will be Schaly's first College World Series.

According to the Times, Schaly, 49, has a limited Frontier League schedule this season, working only games played in Washington.

Nuno no more

2011-06-14T15:45:00.000-07:00

So much for the thought about the Wild Things' starting rotation being as good as any in the league (see post below). Word is Vidal Nuno's contract has been purchased by the New York Yankees.

Justin time

2011-06-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

The Wild Things will play their 23rd game of the season tonight, and this one might be the most interesting. That's because right-handed pitcher Justin Edwards, pictured, will make his season debut after starting the year on the disabled list.

Edwards, who had offseason shoulder surgery, will start tonight's game at Joliet. While Edwards will certainly be on a pitch limit, it will be interesting to see how he performs. If Edwards can be anything close to what he was last year after being moved from the bullpen to the starting rotation, he could solve one of the Wild Things' biggest problems. The rotation spot Edwards is filling has not produced a win or even a quality start.

If Edwards' return -- and we're talking beyond just this game -- is successful, then the Wild Things' rotation could stack up favorably with any in the league. Heck, if you took the five starters (Vidal Nuno, Justin Hall, Jhonny Montoya, Casey Barnes and Edwards) to a tryout camp, the guy the scouts would rank No. 5 on the list would be Barnes, and he's third in the Frontier League in ERA. Nuno, by the way, leads the league in strikeouts.

While Edwards, who was 5-2 with a 3.79 ERA last year, could solve the rotation problem, the hitting remains a work in progress for the Wild Things. A loss to Joliet last night showed Washington what it is missing. Slammers first baseman Erik Lis hit a two-run homer off Nuno in the third inning to give Joliet a 3-2 lead and the Wild Things couldn't generate a run the rest of the way.

Lis is the kind of player Washington doesn't have. The Wild Things are basically a collection of players with Class A and rookie-ball experience who were mid-to-late round draft picks. There are a few exceptions. Lis, however, began this season in Class AA -- for the fourth year. He advanced to Class AAA last year and played in more than 50 games for the Minnesota Twins' affiliate in Rochester. In other words, Lis is the kind of player who in previous years wouldn't have ended up on a Frontier League roster.

When Joliet signed Lis one day before the season opener against Washington, the Slammers traded first baseman Matt Fields to Southern Illinois to open a roster spot. Fields is of the same mold as Lis, having spent two years in Class AA. When the Frontier League loosened its restrictive roster requirements in the offseason, it opened the door for guys like Lis and Fields. They are the kind of players who can carry a team offensively.

Some of the Wild Things' best teams -- though not all -- had guys with at least Class AA experience, like Josh Loggins, Doug Garcia, Ryan Douglass, Pat Peavey etc., who were key hitters or pitchers. This year's offense could use an experienced bat in the middle of the lineup.

The good, the bad & the ugly

2011-06-12T09:49:00.000-07:00

The Wild Things are 20 games into the season (two games under .500 at 9-11), so it's a good time to play "The Good, The Bad & The Ugly" of a season that's 20 percent complete.

Let's start with "The Good."

* Despite the last two games, the best part of this team has to be the pitching. Washington is tied for the Frontier League lead with Windy City for quality starts (12 in 20 games). Casey Barnes (1.42) is third in the league in ERA and Jhonny Montoya (2.05) is seventh. Vidal Nuno has looked like a No. 1 starter and Justin Hall has three wins and an 0.38 ERA on the road. The bullpen has been decent at worst and terrific at best. The only time it has failed to protect a lead was in the 17-inning game at Southern Illinois. Overall, the pitching staff is much improved over last year, with harder throwers and more guys who work ahead in the count. Even with the No. 5 spot in the rotation failing to produce a win, this group gets a good grade.

* A couple of other "goods" are Scott Lawson's play at second base and Chris Sidick in center field. The defense at catcher also has been improved, and Emilio Ontiveros was definitely a good defensive shortstop. I also think that Kevyn Feiner might be the best Wild Things third baseman at going into foul territory and tracking down popups. He has made two sensational over-the-shoulder, back-to-the-infield, sliding catches in the bullpen area that other third baseman haven't made.

"The Bad"
* Patience. The Wild Things' hitters are next-to-last in walks with 61. Only Joliet (59) has drawn fewer. Some guys seem to want to to swing at every pitch, others show patience until they get a two-strike count, then swing no matter where the next pitch is located. To illustrate, right fielder Luis Rivera has zero walks and 52 at-bats, and Ontiveros, who is out with an injury, had two walks and 48 at-bats. Frontier League pitchers are known for their high walk rate, so taking pitches is never a bad idea. The Wild Things need to do more of this.

Now, for "The Ugly."
* The Hitting. The Wild Things are last in almost every offensive category, and in some, they're not even close to the 11th-place team. Washington is hitting .221 (the 11th place team is River City at .239). The Wild Things have scored 65 runs. The next-lowest total is Evansville at 80. Gateway leads the league with 135 runs.

The alarming part of the offense is nobody has given an indication that they have the potential to carry the team for an extended period, such as Josh Loggins did in 2003 or Chris Carter did during the second half of the 2006 season. Chris Sidick has shown throughout his career that he can have big weeks, but he's not a 70-RBI guy. Scott Lawson and Kevyn Feiner have had some good stretches, but when they don't hit the team doesn't score.

Nobody in the East Division has shown that they're the clear-cut team to beat. And you can't rule out anybody as a playoff contender. There are six very even teams in the East, playing in the weaker of the two divisions. So it might come down to which team can make the one key player acquisition that pushes them into one of the two playoff berths. For Washington, that player must be a hitter.

Great Scott

2011-06-11T11:22:00.000-07:00

If there is one Wild Things player who is swinging the bat well during this homestand, it's second baseman Scott Lawson.

The lefty hitter is 5-for-14 with two home runs, two walks and a stolen base. That's what Washington manager Darin Everson expected when he signed Lawson during the offseason.

A native of Grapevine, Texas, Lawson was drafted in the 29th round by the Tampa Bay Rays last spring but was released after hitting .262 with two teams (one rookie level, one Classs A). Everson targeted Lawson as a player to sign for several reasons, among them he played at Miami (Fla.) -- the Wild Things have three former Hurricanes -- and he liked Lawson's speed.

Throughout Lawson's career, he has shown flashes of brilliance. At Miami, he hit three home runs in three consecutive at-bats during an NCAA tournament game against Texas A&M. With the Wild Things, he has a team-high three home runs, including a game-winner in a 1-0 win at Joliet.

Defensively, Lawson began the year at third base but was shifted to second, where he played with the Hurricanes. He's shown that he's more suited for second base, and even showed terrific range. He made a diving stop on a ball hit up the middle Friday night by Normal's Tyler Keeble. Lawson quickly got to his feet and threw out Keeble. It was the kind of play that hasn't been seen by a Wild Things second baseman since the days of Ryan Ellis.

What Everson especially likes in Lawson is his speed. It's one reason he moved Lawson to the leadoff spot in the batting order and dropped Chris Siick into the No. 3 hole.

"Lawson has the ability to be a really impactful player and play at a higher level, if he can use his speed as a tool," Everson said. "That's why I wanted him -- because of his speed."

Enough is enough, V2.0

2011-06-10T13:44:00.001-07:00

Nearly a month ago, I posted some rules that were to be followed for comments on this blog. They were rather clear: discuss the topic in the post, or a game, series or player. In other words, stay on topic. Also do not snipe at other posters by calling them names.

It seems that some people – the Internet community refers to them as trolls – ignored these rules. I guess it has been an attempt to use an O-R blog to further their agenda rather than add to the topic discussion. Other people have written they will not follow the rules. Others have resorted to using what can best be described as potty humor.

The rules obviously haven't worked. It looks like its time to finally give moderation a try. So starting now, comments will be moderated. That means that if you post a comment, it might take some time to appear. So if the comment is off subject, or inane, or otherwise inappropriate, it will never appear. This is a move I didn't want to make, but it has worked well for other blogs, including several on the O-R site.

Wild Things-Miners highlights

2011-06-08T19:43:00.000-07:00

Jump to 1:48 into the video and you get Eric Stephens' game-winning home run.

Watch video here.

No place like road

2011-06-06T13:53:00.000-07:00

Some notes and numbers:

* The Wild Things have a 3-6 record on the road. All three wins have come with right-handed pitcher Justin Hall (pictured) starting on the mound. The numbers for Hall (3-1) are off the charts in the three road games: 3-0 record, 24 innings, 16 hits, 1 earned run, 3 walks and 19 strikeouts. That works out to a 0.38 ERA.

Now, if the Wild Things could figure out how to pitch Hall the first game of each road trip, then get four days of rain, then they'll be OK.

* There was a discussion in the pressbox at Consol Energy Park last week about which division, East or West, will be the dominant one this season. The consensus, based largely on the track records of players and managers, was that the West had more quality teams. That much proved true last week as the West went 23-13 in interdivision play. Of the 13 wins by the East, five were over West cellar-dweller Evansville.

* Through 15 games, Windy City has not hit a home run. None. Zero. Zip. Zilch. The ThunderBolts, however, lead the East by a game over Joliet.

* West Division leader Southern Illinois is 6-0 in one-run games.

Offensive

2011-06-05T10:23:00.000-07:00

When the Wild Things were off to a 2-5 start that included some ugly offensive statistics, manager Darin Everson indicated that the numbers don't tell the story of his team's offense. He said there were signs the offense was coming around, that some balls were being hit hard, just right at fielders.

In other words, sometimes actions speak louder than words or numbers.

For the Wild Things right now, the numbers are screaming for help.

For example:

Washington is last in the Frontier League with an anemic .216 batting average. The Wild Things have scored 41 runs in 14 games, or 60 fewer runs than Florence. The second-lowest runs total is 52 by Evansville, which has a 2-12 record. Washington also is last in the league in total bases (143), on-base percentage (.287) and slugging percentage (.306), and tied for last in walks (38).

In their last 36 innings, the Wild Things have scored two runs and produced 16 hits. Three of those innings were against a backup catcher who was masquerading as a pitcher. In their last 40 innings, the Wild Things have scored three runs and had 20 hits.

Perhaps the most troublesome statistic is the number of walks. There's an old theory that if you're not hitting well, then work deep into the count and get on base via the walk. The Wild Things aren't doing that. Here's a look at some of the walks-to-at-bats ratios of some of the players: 2 walks in 49 at-bats, 2 in 43, 1 in 22, 2 in 37.

A good rule of thumb is you should be drawing at least one walk per every 10 at-bats.

So what is Everson to do about his struggling offense?

Does the manager begin tearing apart the roster only three weeks into the season? Does he ride it out and hope that it's only a collective slump by his hitters while anticipating they'll snap out of of it soon? Does he wait until after Major League Baseball holds its amateur draft this week, then try to pick up some undrafted college hitters?

Does Everson try changing the lineup? Well, he's done that. In 14 games, the Wild Things have used 13 different batting orders. So does Everson pick a lineup and stick with it?

Despite a 5-9 record, the Wild Things are only two games out of second place and three out of first, thanks to being in the East Division rather than the tougher West.

The longest night

2011-06-02T08:08:00.000-07:00

The Wild Things tied their team record Wednesday night/Thursday morning for longest game by innings in a 5-4 loss at Southern Illinois in 17 innings.

The 5-hour, 29-hour minute game was easily the longest in terms of time in team history, and the second-longest is not even close to last night's marathon that the Wild Things had a stranglehold on in the bottom of the ninth.

Washington led 4-2 with two outs and nobody on base in the ninth. One out away from a win, closer Taylor Wulf issued a walk that preceded consecutive doubles that tied the score and forced a whole bunch of extra innings.

Here are some of the notables from the game:

* Washington catcher Blake Ochoa hit two home runs.

* The Wild Things' Davis Bilardello made his debut with 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief.

* Wild Things reliever Matt Barnes threw six shutout innings and struck out eight. He did not walk a batter.

* Southern Illinois' Trey Manz, who is listed on the roster as a catcher but entered the game by playing right field, was shifted to pitcher during the extra innings. Manz made his pro pitching debut by throwing three shutout innings and getting the win. The 23-year-old Manz said he hadn't pitched since an intrasquad game in his sophomore year of college.

* Southern Illinois pitcher Ryan Quigley had to play right field for several innings.

* The losing pitcher was Sean Allaire, a backup infielder and catcher who relieved Barnes and started the 17th inning. Allaire pitched in one mopup inning earlier this year. Prior to that, he pitched in only one game in college (an alumni game) and one game in high school. The interesting part is that Washington had two relief pitchers they did not use: Kevin Hammons and Mick Mattaliano. Hammons did not appear in any of the Wild Things' first nine games, except to pinch-hit once in a blowout. He finally pitched in a game Tuesday night in the series opener and faced three batters, striking out two. Mattaliano also pitched Tuesday night, facing only one batter.

* The Wild Things' other 17-inning game was played in 2003 at home against Evansville. The Wild Things lost that one, too, 3-2. That game took only 4 hours and 26 minutes to play and here's why: the home-plate umpire that night had the widest strike ever in baseball. EVER! As I recall, all the pitchers had to do to get a strike call was throw the baseball to between Franklin Farms Road and the Taylorstown exit on I-70.

I know, you think I'm exaggerating. Well, I am. But only a little. Want proof? Here goes: There were only two walks in that game. Think about that for a moment. Only two walks in a 17-inning Frontier League game. None of the walks were issued by Washington pitchers. Only one walk came after the second inning. The first nine innings were played in only 1:58.

Washington's best chance to win came in the 16th inning when Joe Cuervo was tagged out trying to score from third base on a short passed ball. Evansville then won it in the 17th on an error and two singles.

Photo courtesy of the Marion Daily Republican.

Roster spot filled

2011-05-31T16:24:00.001-07:00

The Wild Things have filled the roster spot left open when left-handed reliever Alan Williams had his contract purchased Sunday by the Milwaukee Brewers.

Washington has signed lefty pitcher Davis Bilardello (6-3, 200). He is the son of former major league catcher Dann Bilardello, who spent some time with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The younger Bilardello played at South Florida University and has been drafted twice, the last time in 2007 by the Cardinals. He spent 2007 playing in the New York-Penn League and had a 3-2 record and one save with a 4.15 ERA. He was promoted to high-Class A in 2008 and went 6-1 with two saves and a 4.25 ERA.

Bilardello hasn't pitched in a pro game since 2008. I found several stories that noted he was released by the Cardinals in the spring of 2009 and again this year. He was released by a team in the independent Can-Am League earlier this month.

From Washington to the major leagues for Cochran

2011-05-29T14:20:00.000-07:00

It took exactly 10 years, but the Wild Things have sent a player to the major leagues.
On the 10th anniversary of Washington's first game in the Frontier League, former Wild Things pitcher Tom Cochran was promoted from Triple-A to the major leagues by the Cincinnati Reds.

Cochran is the first former Wild Thing to get called to "The Show." The Cincinnati Reds added Cochran to their 40-man roster early Sunday and then added him to the 25-man major-league roster prior to playing Sunday night at Atlanta.

Cochran spent two seasons (2006 and '07) as a starting pitcher with Washington, posting records of 8-5 and 6-8. He played in the 2007 Frontier League All-Star game.

One of Cochran’s best outings came in Game 2 of the 2007 championship series at Windy City when he took a no-hitter into the seventh inning of a Washington victory. He also threw a one-hit shutout with 11 strikeouts during a 2006 game at Kalamazoo.

Cochran moved his way up through the Reds’ system since being signed in 2009. He began this year at Class AAA Louisville and won his first five decisions. Cochran had a 5-1 record in eight games (four starts) for the Bats at the time of his call-up.

One thing I recall about Cochran during his days in Washington was that he was friends with former Pirates pitcher Ian Snell. The two had apparently played on the same team, either in high school or during a summer league (don't recall which). At the time, it had to seem like Cochran and Snell were worlds apart. One in the majors, one in the Frontier League. Now, Cochran is in the majors and Snell, who retired earlier this year only to change his mind, is pitching in Triple-A.

UPDATE: Prior to the Reds' game Tuesday in Milwaukee, Cincinnati optioned Cochran back to Louisville. He was active for two games but did not play in either contest.

We hardly knew ya ...

2011-05-29T12:21:00.000-07:00

Alan Williams, the hard-throwing left-handed relief pitcher for the Wild Things who threw four innings of one-hit ball Saturday night, had his contract purchased today by the Milwaukee Brewers.

There was a Brewers scout at the game Saturday and left impressed with Williams, a 21-year-old who pitched last year at a junior collge in Mississippi.
Williams pitched in three games for the Wild Things, throwing 7 2/3 scoreless innings. Have gave up three hits and three walks, and struck out eight.

Are you experienced?

2011-05-26T13:54:00.001-07:00

If experience means anything, then the level of play should be up in the Frontier League this season.

The league changed some of its player eligibility requirements during the offseason to make them less restrictive, and the result has been filled with more-experienced players, including several with more than 2,000 career at-bats as a professional, something almost unheard of in past seasons. Heck, one team even signed a player who had multiple at-bats against the Phillies' Roy Halladay this spring in a major-league spring training game.

In recent years, the Frontier League classified players as either Rookie, L1, L2 or Veteran, based on the number of the professional seasons they played. Rookies had less than one full year of experience, an L1 had one full season, an L2 had two years and a Veteran had at least three years. A full season was any in which a hitter accumulated more than 150 at-bats. For a pitcher, it was more than 30 appearances or more than 60 innings.

Teams were limited to 7 L1 players, 3 L2s and three Veterans, which included no more than one Super Vet.

There were some other rules, but these were the basic guidelines.

As you can see, it was hard to keep a team together. If you had seven good Rookies one year, you had to get rid of at least four the next season, and more if you signed an L1 released from an affiliated team.

This year, the Frontier league did away with the L1, L2 and Veteran classifications and replaced them with a class called Experienced. Teams are limited to 14 Experienced players. You can have 14 guys who were Veterans under the old system, if you can sign 'em and stay under the salary cap.

So with nothing better in my life to do, I recently spent one afternoon checking all Frontier League team rosters and seeing what they would look like under the old roster system. What I discovered is, most teams signed two more "Veterans" than in the past and one or two additional L2. The teams that stocked up on "old-system Veterans" are Rockford, Evansville and Southern Illinois. Rockford and Southern Illinois are the only teams with six "old-system Veterans" on their current active roster. Evansville started the season with six and has since released one, a pitcher who was Cleveland's 4th-round draft pick in 2006. The Otters also have two "old- system Veterans" on their disabled list.

Managers and coaches used to say that your L2s and Vets were the players who had to carry their ballclub. The teams currently with the most combined L2 and Vets under the former eligibility system are Rockford and Gateway.

Here's a look at what each team's current roster would look like under the old classification system:

East Division
Joliet
L1: 4
L2: 3
Veteran: 5

Lake Erie
L1: 3
L2: 4
Veteran: 4

Rockford
L1: 3
L2: 4
Veteran: 6
On DL: L2

Traverse City
L1: 2
L2: 3
Veteran: 5
DL: L1

Washington
L1: 3
L2: 4
Veteran: 5
DL: L2

Windy City
L1: 5
L2: 5
Veteran: 3
DL: L1, 2 L2s

West Division
Evansville
L1: 3
L2: 4
Veteran: 5
DL: 2 Veterans

Florence
L1: 2
L2: 2
Veteran: 5
DL: Veteran

Gateway
L1: 1
L2: 5
Veteran: 5

Normal
L1: 4
L2: 2
Veteran: 5

River City
L1: 4
L2: 3
Veteran: 4

Southern Illinois
L1: 4
L2: 1
Veteran: 6
DL: 2 L1s, L2

Can he close the deal?

2011-05-25T05:33:00.001-07:00

While Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward won ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" competition Tuesday night, the Wild Things have their own made-for-television reality show personality.

Remember Washington relief pitcher Nick Peterson (2009)? Well, Peterson is a contestant on ABC's "The Bachelorette" that airs Monday nights on ABC. Can't say I've ever watched the show that can best be described as competitive dating, but the Nick Peterson you'll see is the one who went 1-4 with 10 saves and a 5.31 ERA for the Wild Things in 2009. That was the year Mark Mason was the manager.

Peterson had a big first half of the season and was one of Washington's representatives in the Frontier League All-Star game before struggling down the stretch.

Peterson is a personal trainer in Tampa and has his own fitness blog:

http://www.peetystraining.com

All-Decade team thoughts

2011-05-24T07:50:00.000-07:00

You probably saw on the team's website or in today's O-R that the Wild Things have released the results of the online voting for their All-Decade team. If you missed the story, here are the results:

Manager: John Masserelli
Left-handed starting pitcher: Jared Howton
Right-handed starting pitcher: Ryan Douglass
Relief pitcher: Jim Popp
Catcher: Josh Loggins
First baseman: Zach Cates
Second baseman: Michael Parker
Shortstop: John Cahill
Third baseman: Jason Kane
Outfielder: Mike Arbinger
Outfielder: Chris Carter
Outfielder: Chris Sidick
Designated hitter: Jacob Dempsey

My initial reaction was, how do you have an all-decade team when you've played only nine seasons? I guess what happens this year doesn't count. That's why I'll put together my Wild Things All-Decade team at the end of the season and include a full 24-player roster (so I won't tip my hand on my selections in this post). I also would have had Josh Loggins listed as an outfielder because he played a few more games there than at catcher during his two-year stay in Washington. Having him at catcher kept off a player who I think should have been on the team.

As for the results, the voters did a decent job. There is one glaring mistake (think pitcher) and one other position in which I thought there was a clear-cut choice (think an infield position) but that player didn't win the voting.

There were four other spots in which my pick didn't win the voting, but three of those were at positions for which you could make a strong case for the winner. There is one position (again, an infield position) that had a winner I didn't include in my top three picks.

The results show that fans weighed having played multiple seasons in Washington more heavily than having played one good season. That was something I struggled with when making my picks.

That's a long time

2011-05-22T08:48:00.000-07:00

After Justin Hall's four-hit, 98-pitch shutout of the Joliet Slammers Friday night, one thing came to mind: When was the last time a Wild Things pitcher threw a nine-inning complete-game shutout on the road?

I knew that Jeff Sonnenberg's shutout of Lake Erie last August -- when he faced the minimum 27 batters -- ended a long streak of no nine-inning shutouts by Wild Things pitchers, but that game was at home. What about on the road?

I did some research and found a nine-inning whitewash by Aaron Ledbetter in a 3-0 victory at Evansville in a weekday afternoon game June 18, 2007.

Hall's shutout ended a streak of 169 consecutive road games for the Wild Things without a nine-inning shutout.

West Division preview

2011-05-20T13:48:00.000-07:00

Evansville Otters
Location: Evansville, Ind.
Manager: Andy McCauley (1st full season - 521-540 career overall)
Stadium: Bosse Field (5,110)
Last year: 35-59, 6th in West
Key returners: DH Greg Alexander (.284, 7 HR, 41 RBI); OF Vinnie Scarduzzio (15 HR, 44 RBI).
Impact newcomers: OF Greg Burns (Florida Marlins’ 3rd-round draft pick in 2004); 1B Michael Durant (Philadelphia Phillies’ 4th-round draft pick in 2005); OF Jamar Walton (Florida’s 4th-round draft pick in 2004); P Michael Anton (8-20 in 41 career starts in Class AA); P Ryan Morris (Cleveland Indians’ 4th-round draft pick in 2006, 64 career starts).
Outlook: McCauley was named Evansville’s manager last July, replacing former major leaguer Wayne Krenchicki at midseason, and guided the Otters to a 19-31 record. Knowing the team lacked the talent to compete for a playoff berth, McCauley was busy during the offseason signing former high-round draft picks. The lineup changes make the Otters the favorite to show the biggest improvement this season, but in the rugged West it might not be enough to challenge for a playoff berth.
Did You Know? McCauley won championships in two independent leagues, the Frontier (London in 1999) and Northern (Kansas City in 2008).

Florence Freedom
Location:Florence, Ky.
Manager: Fran Riordan (1st year with Florence - 435-341 in Frontier League)
Stadium: Champion Window Field (5,000)
Last year: 38-58, 5th in West
Key returners: 3B Jimmy Baker (.325, 13 HR, 50 RBI); OF Michael Campbell (.317, 5 HR); SS Stephen Shults (.309, 23 HR, 65 RBI, league all-star); P Andy Clark (9-4, 3.41);
Impact newcomer: UTL Cole Miles (1,664 career at-bats, 104 career stolen bases); OF Drew Rundle (5 seasons in affiliated ball); OF Juan Valdes (Cleveland’s 5th-round draft pick in 2003, 1,849 career at-bats); P Preston Vancil (in Seattle Mariners’ system last year, threw no-hitter for Florence in 2009).
Outlook: The Freedom underachieved under former managers Toby Rumfield and Jamie Keefe, so ownership lured Fran Riordan back to the Frontier League. Riordan is the league’s winningest manager and won championships in Richmond (2) and Kalamazoo (1). He’ll put together another winning team here. The offense is solid, but as is the case with most teams, the pitching is the question mark.
Did You Know? This will be Riordan’s 10th season as a manager in the Frontier League, more than anyone else.

Gateway Grizzlies
Location:Sauget, Ill.
Manager: Phil Warren (5th year 208-168 career)
Stadium: GCS Ballpark (6,000)
Last year: 54-40, 3rd in West
Key returners: C Charlie Lisk (.303, 21 HR 88 RBI, league all-star, league’s all-time home runs leader); 1B Logan Parker (.305, 13 HR, 77 RBI, 16 SB); OF Jason Patton (.30 SB, 10 HR, 57 RBI, 22 SB, league all-star); P Mark Brackman (13-4, 3.18); P Jake Shafer (1-3, 11 Sv, 2.38); P Nick Walters (5-0, 3 Sv, 1.14).
Impact newcomers: INF Ryan Khoury (former top-10 prospect of Boston Red Sox, 911 at-bats in Class AA, 17 games last year in Class AAA, was in major-league camp this spring and had at-bat against Phillies’ Roy Halladay in spring training game); P Aaron Shafer (11 wins in Class AA in 2009); .
Outlook: The Grizzlies missed the playoffs by 2 1/2 games last year and have many of their key players returning. They’ve also made two major signings with the addition of Adam Shafer and Khoury. Should be able to top 55 wins and challenge for the division title.
Did You Know? Suaget (population 249 in the 2000 census) is the smallest city in the country to have a professional baseball team.

Normal CornBelters
Location:Normal, Ill.
Manager: Hall Lanier (2nd year – 44-52 in Frontier League)
Stadium: The Corn Crib (7,000)
Last year: 44-52, 4th in West
Key returners: 3B Daniel Cox (.323, 15 HR, 78 RBI, league all-star); OF Asif Shah (.316); P Ryan Sheldon (9-5, 2.21); P Tyler Lavigne (7-2, 1.38); P Brett Lester (7-7, 4.42).
Impact newcomers: OF Jeff Dunbar (16 HR in Northern League);
Outlook: If the name of the game is starting pitching and defense, how did Normal miss the playoffs last year? The CornBelters had enough the starting pitching and committed the third-fewest errors. The problem was, Cox was the only dangerous hitter in the lineup. Lanier has attempted to boost the offense by bringing in players from other independent leagues. If it works, then the CornBelters have a chance to finish in the top half of the division.
Did You Know? Lanier was the National League Manager of the Year with the Houston Astros in 1986.

River City Rascals
Location:O’Fallon, Mo.
Manager: Steve Brook (2nd year, 57-38 career)
Stadium: T.R. Hughes Ballpark (5,191)
Last year:57-38, 2nd in West, defeated Traverse City in finals.
Key returners: DH Stephen Holdren (.305, 16 HR, 72 RBI, 11 SB, league all-star); OF Chad Maddox (.311, 7 HR, 55 RBI); INF Chris McClendon (.279, 33 SB); P Josh Lowey (8-5, 3.55); P Derrick Miramontes (3-3, 5 Sv, 2.19); P Gary Moran (10-4, 2.68); P Zack Sterner (5-1, 3.61).
Impact newcomers:1B Joash Brodin (.301, 9 HR, 62 RBI, 29 SB, league all-star with Oakland County); INF Brandon Johnson (14 HR with Gateway in 2009); P Ryne Miller (15 starts in Class AA).
Outlook: Brook, a former Rascals pitcher, led River City to its first championship in his initial season as manager. So what can Brook do for an encore? There is plenty of experience on the team and a second consecutive championship is not out of the realm of possibility.
Did You Know? River City is trying to become the third franchise to win back-to-back league championships. The others were Richmond (2001-02) and Windy City (2007-08).

Southern Illinois Miners
Location:Marion, Ill.
Manager: Mike Pinto (5th year - 227-157 in Frontier League)
Stadium: Rent One Park (3,611)
Last year: 64-32, 1st in West.
Key returners: 3B Nate Hall (9 HR, 50 RBI); OF Jereme Milons .283, 11 HR, 60 RBI, 41 SB, league all-star); P Joe Augustine (10-3, 1.97, league’s Pitcher of Year)
Impact newcomers:C Sean Coughlin (103 games in Class AAA, 29 in Class AAA); 1B Matt Fields (164 career games in Class AA); OF Eric Suttle (.272, 38 SBs with Kalamazoo).
Outlook: Southern Illinois reminds us of Washington during the Wild Things’ early days. The Miners have averaged 59 wins over the last three years but don’t have a league championship to show for it. The Miners led River City 2-0 in the playoffs last year, then lost the next three games. Reaching 59 wins this year might be difficult. Though the Miners seemingly have gone through 50 players in the offseason, this is the least-experienced team Pinto has fielded since the team’s debut season in 2007. However, it’s certainly a strong playoff contender.
Did You Know? Former California University pitcher Rob Hedrick, who was with the Miners all last season, was released earlier this week.

Silver Cross Field

2011-05-20T09:27:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos that Randy Gore of WJPA Radio took yesterday from Silver Cross Field in downtown Joliet, Ill. if I did this correctly, you should be able to click on each photo and get a larger image.

East Division preview

2011-05-18T16:52:00.000-07:00

Joliet Slammers
Location: Joliet, Ill.
Stadium: Silver Cross Field (6,016)
Manager: Bart Zeller (1st year)
Last year: NA
Impact newcomers: OF Josh Flores (105 career games in Class AA); 1B Erik Lis (4 seasons, 1,208 at-bats in Class AA, 51 games last year in Class AAA); INF Hector Pellot (4th round pick of New York Mets in 2005); P Billy Petrick (3rd round draft pick of Chicago Cubs in 2002, pitched in eight major-league games in 2007); P Jake Renshaw (26 career wins in affiliated ball).
Outlook: The league’s newest team, the Slammers play in what is a former Northern League ballpark and market. Zeller was a coach with Southern Illinois for four years, so he knows the league and has put together what could be a good offense. The key will be the pitching. Teams new to the league have had a strong track record of making the playoffs, but since 2000, only Lake Erie (2009) has won a championship in its debut season.
Did You Know? Silver Cross Field is the largest in the Frontier League and has 14 luxury suites.

Lake Erie Crushers
Location: Avon, Ohio
Stadium: All Pro Freight Stadium (5,000)
Manager: John Massarelli (3rd year - 336-227 career in Frontier League)
Last year: 50-46, 4th in East
Key returners: 3B Andrew Davis (.285, 10 HR, 61 RBI); P Jeff Cinadr (4-3, 8 saves, 2.21); P Travis Risser (8-4, 2.70); P Josh Roberts (10-5, 2.62)
Impact newcomers: 2B Chase Fontaine (former 2nd round draft pick of Atlanta Braves); OF Kellen Kulbacki (former 1st round draft pick of San Diego Padres, 2 years in Class AA); C Chad Maddox (56 doubles, 21 HRs over last 2 seasons with River City); OF Patrick Norris (stolen at least 31 bases in all 4 pro seasons);
Outlook: The Crushers went 9-1 down the stretch last year to avoid their first losing season. Massarelli, who guided the Crushers to the league championship in 2009, said last year’s pitching staff was the best he’s had. The problem was the offense, which finished last in batting average and runs. Kulbacki and Fontaine, a pair of high draft picks, should jump start the offense and Norris should be a terror on the bases.
Did You Know? Last year was the first time a Massarelli-coached Frontier League team failed to make the playoffs.

Rockford RiverHawks
Location: Rockford, Ill.
Stadiums: Road Rangers Stadium (3.279).
Manager: Rich Austin (1st year)
Last year: NA
Impact newcomers:INF Jake Eigsti (.253, 11 HR, 52 RBI with Rockford in Northern League); 1B Jeremy Hamilton (5th round pick of Philadelphia Phillies in 2008); OF Freddy Parejo (2,252 career at-bats including 762 in Class AA); P Brett Durand (10 wins with Rockford in 2009); P Tony Marsala (10-8, 4.20 with River City); P Brian Parker (119 games in Baltimore Orioles’ system); P Brett Scarpetta (24-12 last 3 years with Southern Illinois);
Outlook: The RiverHawks returned to the Frontier last month after one season in the now-defunct Northern League, which did not have an age limit. Austin, who led the RiverHawks to the Frontier title in 2004, takes over as manager. He’s already put together a strong pitching staff, and Parejo should be an impact hitter. But you have to wonder if Rockford had enough time to slap together a winning team in only seven weeks.
Did You Know?Austin was the Frontier League MVP in 2004.

Travese City Beach Bums
Location: Travese City, Mich.
Stadium: Wuerfel Park (4,600)
Manager: Gregg Langbehn (3rd year - 97-94 career)
Last year: 55-41, 2nd in East, lost to River City in finals
Key returners: 1B Chase Burch (.299, 19 HR, 88 RBI); P Scott Mueller (4-4, 14 Sv, 2.04).
Impact newcomers: OF Zach Pace (.268, 30 SBs with Oakland County); 3B Jose Vargas (19 HRs last 2 years in Chicago White Sox system).
Outlook: After posting the worst record in franchise history in 2009, the Beach Bums gutted the roster last year as only two players returned. It proved to be the right move. Traverse City made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, thanks in large part to going 12-0 in games against Washington. This year’s team will relay heavily on Pace at the top of the order and Burch in the middle, but better seasons can be expected from outfielders Jason Codirolli and Matt Brown. The Bums have a very young pitching staff, but Wuerfel Park is a pitcher’s haven. Should be back in the playoff hunt.
Did You Know? Beach Bums pitcher Scott Dunn is a product of Slippery Rock University and South Side Beaver High School. He has relatives who live in Hickory.

Washington Wild Things
Location: Washington, Pa.
Stadium: Consol Energy Park (3,200)
Manager: Darin Everson (2nd year, 38-57 in Frontier League)
Last year: 38-57, 5th in East
Key returners: P Justin Edwards (5-2, 3.79); P Kevin Hammons (5-4, 2 Sv, 2.62); OF Chris Sidick (.300, 32 SBs, FL’s all-time leader in games, hits, runs, triples, walks).
Impact newcomers: DH Josh Banda (.270, 14 HR, 52 RBI with River City); 1B Ernie Banks (24 HRs in Frontier League in 2009); P Vidal Nuno (11-8, 3.92 in 2 seasons in Cleveland Indians’ system); P Mick Mattaliano (28 saves in 2008 while in Baltimore Orioles’ system); P Taylor Wulf (1-1, 2.66 with Oakland County).
Outlook:The Wild Things’ record has been on the decline for five consecutive seasons and they haven’t reached the playoffs since 2007. Washington finished 11th in the league in both runs and home runs last year, but both the offense and fielding should be improved as six-year minor-league free agents were signed at catcher, second base and shortstop. The bullpen will be solid, but can the starting pitching give them enough leads to protect?
Did You Know?Wild Things pitching coach Mark Dewey had seven saves for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1993.

Windy City ThunderBolts
Location: Crestwood, Ill.
Stadium: Standard Bank Stadium (2,598)
Manager: Mike Kashirsky (2nd full season, 98-53 career)
Last year: 56-38, 1st in in East, lost to Traverse City in first round of playoffs.
Key returners: OF Brandon Anderson (.275, 23 SBs); OF Ryan Basham (.302, 19 2Bs); P Dustin Williams (7-3, 2.39, league’s Rookie of Year).
Impact newcomers:P Paul Fagan (Frontier League Pitcher of the Year in 2009 with Lake Erie); Todd Privett (9-5, 4.06 with Joliet); OF Josh Womack (2nd round draft pick of Seattle in 2002, nine seasons as a pro, 2,497 career at-bats).
Outlook:The ThunderBolts won the East last year because of a smallball offense – they led the league in batting average but was last in home runs – and solid pitching. If Windy City can find a closer and a reliable RBI guy, the ThunderBolts will be back in the playoff hunt.
Did You Know? The ThunderBolts made the playoffs in each of the last four seasons, the longest current streak in the league.

Cutdown day

2011-05-16T16:24:00.000-07:00

On roster cutdown days in the NFL, teams use someone from their personnel department to go into the locker room and ask players to report to the head coach or general manager. This messenger is called the "Turk."

Well, the "Turk" arrived at Consol Energy Park Monday and there were a few surprised people.

As expected, the Wild Things placed pitcher Justin Edwards on the disabled list while he works his way back from offseason shoulder surgery. Let go were pitcher Blake Hennington and outfielders Joel Hartman and Jeremy Richter. Catcher Greyson Schram was put on the suspended list, which means former California University catcher Stephen Hermann had his chances of making the roster for opening day greatly increase.

The biggest surprise was that pitcher Zach Groh, pictured, was released. Groh had spent three seasons in Washington, and had good results in a five-inning outing during a spring training game Friday against Lake Erie. Groh said afterward that it was only the second time during camp that he had faced hitters.

Groh's release was even more surprising when you consider Washington is two under the limit for players classified as "Experienced" by the Frontier League's roster rules. Only three of the Wild Things' pitchers are classified as "Experienced."

Monday's moves leave Washington with 27 active players. They must get down to 24 before Thursday's season opener. However, being two under the "Experienced" limit makes me think there will be a new player or two arriving before the team leaves Wednesday for Joliet, Ill.

Weekend washout

2011-05-15T10:49:00.000-07:00

The Wild Things were rained out Saturday night in Avon, Ohio., and there were plans to play a doubleheader against the Lake Erie Crushers Sunday afternoon. To nobody's surprise, the DH was rained out. That means of the 36 innings the Wild Things and Crushers wanted to play during spring training, only 14 1/2 were completed. That will make cutting the rosters to 24 players more difficult. Those intrasquad games last week suddenly became more important.

Rain has been a pain throughout the league during spring training. A Windy City-Rockford doubleheader was rained out Sunday. Joliet and Normal played only 4 1/2 innings Saturday, and Evansville and Southern Illinois managed to play only three innings Friday night before being stopped because of rain.

Trimming the roster

2011-05-14T15:15:00.000-07:00

Before leaving for tonight's exhibition game at Lake Erie, the Wild Things made three roster moves, releasing rookie shortstop Gerardo Caceres, rookie first baseman Jake Summers and utility player Wilson Matos, who was with the team last season. Caceres was the Wild Things' first pick in the Frontier League draft last week.

With the league changing its player eligibility rules during the offseason, the roster battles appear pretty clear. When the regular season begins, teams are permitted no more than 13 players classified as Experienced. Washington has 14, but one is pitcher Justin Edwards, who is coming off shoulder surgery and is no yet ready to pitch in a game.

As for the players classified as Rookies, teams must carry a minimum of 11 on the active roster. Washington currently has 19, so no more than eight can be released.

Judging simply by where players are listed on the roster, a backup middle infielder spot might come down to either Zack Stanton (Rookie) and Sean Allaire (Rookie). Rookie Joel Hartman is listed as an outfielder and played center field Thursday and Friday, but he can play the infield in a pinch. The best thing Hartman has going for him is he's a Rookie with experience who can play multiple positions.

It's likely that a rookie catcher will be on the roster when the season begins next week. That will be either Cal (Pa.) product Stephen Hermann or Greyson Schram.

There are only four Experienced pitchers (not a good sign), so there will be at least seven, and possibly eight, Rookie pitchers making the team. At least three Rookie pitchers will be cut.

Let's Play Two, v2.0

2011-05-13T15:39:00.000-07:00

The announcement Thursday night by the Wild Things that they re-acquired first baseman Ernie Banks in a trade with the Lake County Fielders of the independent North American Baseball League certainly was met with surprise.

It wasn't that Banks didn't produce in his first stint with the Wild Things. In 2009, Banks hit .343 with 19 home runs and 55 RBI in only 54 games with Washington before being sent to River City at the trade deadline. He helped the Rascals make the championship series.

Banks, however, is a guy who wears his emotions on his sleeve. When you're playing well and the team is winning, that often is a good thing. But when you're in a slump or the team is losing, those antics can often make things worse. Washington struggled in 2008 and Banks was suspended by then-manager Mark Mason for a stint that season.

Current Wild Things manager Darin Everson says he understands Banks. That's because he managed Banks in 2008, when both were with the Florida Marlins' affiliate in the New York-Penn League.

"Ernie and I have a great relationship," Everson said Thursday night. "He was with me in 2008 on a team that lost in the finals. I had him all through extended spring training that year. We have a lot of respect for each other.

"He's two years older than when he was here last time. My talk with Ernie was very productive. Everything he said was the right thing. He knows what kind of ship I run. He's at his best when all he has to do with work hard and go play.

"Our roster is filled with experienced players," he continued. "Ernie will be surrounded by guys who played multiple years, and guys he played with in the past. He should feel very comfortable here."

Everson said he likes the idea of plugging a player with Banks' power potential into the middle of the lineup.

"The goal when you put a lineup together is to have one that doesn't give the pitcher a break," Everson said. "Ernie helps lengthen our lineup."

Enough is enough

2011-05-13T14:18:00.000-07:00

We've finally reached the point at which I must make some changes to this blog. To be more precise, put some rules in place.

I was thinking about the recent comments about people using this blog for their own personal agenda, and how that's probably chasing away people who want to talk about whatever the posted subject matter is, only to have the discussion ended by somebody "hijacking" the blog.

So here two simple rules that will be enforced beginning tonight:

* Discuss the topic in the post. You can go off-topic to discuss a game, series, player or something current. We've had enough "taxpayer turf" comments on every post to last a lifetime. The turf is in, I've blogged about it. You've commented about it … again and again. Until the topic is brought up again in a post, comments referring to "taxpayer turf" will be deleted.

* Do NOT snipe at other posters by calling them *$$, moron, or some body part. I'm not going to put up with comments that that sound as if they're written by a 10-year-old who wants to use words he overheard in the grade school restroom. In other words, do not engage in name-calling or use derisive nicknames. If you do, the comments will be deleted.

Play ball!

Blogger is back

2011-05-13T12:00:00.000-07:00

Because of a "maintenance issue" with Blogger, this blog was not available the last 24 hours. It's back now, and I should be posting something in a few hours about the Wild Things bringing back Ernie Banks.