What Fabulous Match-Ups of Former Indy

What Fabulous Match-Ups of Former Indy

Players in Major League Games

By Bob Wirz

The influx of Independent Baseball players into the majors this month has been exciting, and it is much more than a pure numbers game. Think about these feats, which should have every non-affiliated player, executive and fan jumping for joy:

When Bobby Cramer made his debut in a start for Oakland his mound opponent was none other than Luke Hochevar, who started in an Independent league.
Jay Gibbons’ latest headline-grabber in a series of events that has him playing virtually every day for the Los Angeles Dodgers was a monster home run off a pitcher who had played for one of the same Independent teams.
No fewer than five Indy graduates played significant roles in a single series between the Dodgers and Houston Astros.
John Lindsey got his first hit, and everyone seemed to be cheering.

In other words, Christmas came early and no less than seven Independent leagues could show pride for the role they played.

Bobby Cramer Strong in Major League Debut

Bobby Cramer is the latest of the string of former Independent players to make an early splash in the majors. After missing ’05 and ’06 completely and suffering shoulder woes in Mexico the next winter, the southpaw got a fresh start when Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter was managing Orange County (Fullerton, CA) in the Golden League. A 7-4 season plus two playoff victories for the ’08 league championship Flyers when he had impressive strikeout and walk numbers intrigued Oakland to give the onetime Long Beach State athlete a second chance one year ago.

Now 30, he finds himself in the American League after a 13-3 summer in Mexico and a split of four decisions in Sacramento, and on Monday made his major league debut with 5.1 innings of four-hit, one-run baseball for a 3-1 victory in Kansas City. Former American Association (Fort Worth, TX) starter Luke Hochevar, coming off of elbow issues, was the opposing starter and loser (5-5) despite not being charged with an earned run in five frames of two-hit work. Two of the five relievers who helped nail down the 3-1 Athletics victory also were Indy products, Brad Ziegler (Schaumburg, IL, Northern League) and Craig Breslow (New Jersey Jackals, now in the Can-Am League).

After pointing out Cramer had been through so much just to get to the majors, A’s Manager Bob Geren predicted in advance to MLB.com “I think that this will be a fun step for him. I think he’ll be fine as far as nerves.” The Athletics have used six Independent league players this season, starting with pitcher Edwar Ramirez (Pensacola, FL, now in the American Association, and Edinburg, TX(United League) and outfielder Matt Watson (Lancaster, PA, Atlantic League). Justin James (Kansas City, KS, Northern) also is with the Athletics now.

Two Players From Same Indy Team Square Off

In another of the rare instances when two former Independent players found themselves facing each other on the big stage, Jay Gibbons hit amonstrous three-run home run at the expense of Nelson Figueroa. The irony in this situation is that both players have been with Long Island, NY (Atlantic League), Houston’s Figueroa briefly in 2006 and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Gibbons for part of 2008. Gibbons also was with Newark, NJ in the Atlantic Leaguea year later.

Gibbons, 33, has shaken things up since his overdue recall from Triple-A Albuquerque August 8 to the point Dodgers Manager Joe Torre is openly questioning himself why it was so long in coming and suggesting the lefty hitter could well figure in LA’s plans next season. Playing virtually regularly now that Scott Podsednik is injured, Gibbons also helped the Dodgers break a six-game skid with a two-run, game-winning home run in the 11th earlier in that series in Houston, and now is hitting .300 (15-for-50) with five homers and 15 RBI in 28 games in his first major league action since his 779 games in Baltimore ended in ’07 and the native Californian was targeted in the Mitchell Report.

Called up mainly to pinch hit, Torre told The Riverside (CA) Press Enterprise “right now he’s going to play left field a good portion of the time. With what Gibby has shown us, he certainly deserves more time out there.” Albuquerque Manager Tim Wallach is among those happy for Gibbons, “because he can hit. He can really hit.”

Figueroa may have finally found a home in Houston at age 36, where he has started in rotation since August 17, allowing no more than three earned runs in any of the six outings except when he ran into Gibbons and he was charged with four runs. The right-hander is 5-2 in 27 appearances for the New York Mets, Philadelphia and the Astros this season, posting a nifty 3.34 earned run average.

The series at Minute Maid Park was important on the Independent Baseball scale for a few other reasons. First baseman John Lindsey (New Jersey Jackals, Can-Am League) made the first start of his 16-year professional career, and collected his first hit—a line drive single to left—the next day. He is 1-for-7 in six appearances so far. And, the Dodgers and Astros paraded no less than five Indy players with reliever George Sherrill (Evansville, IN, Frontier League, Sioux Falls, SD, now in the American Association, and Winnipeg, Northern League) for LA and another southpaw, Tim Byrdak (Joliet, IL and Gary, IN, both Northern League), for Houston.

Scott Williamson Confident of Return to Majors

It is common for players to be cautious when talking about getting back to the major leagues. Not so for Somerset, NJcloser Scott Williamson, one of the second-half stars who have gotten the five-time champion Patriots back to the Atlantic League playoffs for a record ninth time in 13 years.

“The way I’m throwing now, there is no reason I can’t be with a (major league) team next year,” Williamson said when interrupted from his laptop crossword puzzle, adding that a number of teams have wanted “to see if I was healthy. Everything came back so fast”, the 1999 National League Rookie of the Year said, while describing the shoulder cleanup surgery performed by Cincinnati Medical Director Dr.Timothy Kremchek last March 2. Williamson had previously undergone Tommy John (elbow) surgery twice. “I got my slider back, my fastball back,” the 34-year-old right-hander said. “I learned a changeup. The biggest thing is I can go two days in a row now.” Williamson had saved 11 games and won another while allowing only one earned run in his last dozen appearances to whittle his ERA to 1.80 until the Long Island (NY) Ducks got to him for four runs in an inning Wednesday.

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Shreveport Triumphs, Pittsfield, Maui in Finals

While four Independent leagues are in their championship finals and the Atlantic League is about to start its playoffs, underdog Shreveport-Bossier, LA is the latest team to enjoy a title run. Ricky Van Asselberg added to the managerial resume he built with United League titles at Alexandria, LA in ’06 and ’07 by leading the Captains to a three-game sweep of powerful Sioux Falls, SD to take the American Association title.

Two first-year teams are in the finals, Pittsfield, MA, led by Manager of the Year Brian Daubach, is in the Can-Am League championship round and Cory Snyder has Maui in a similar situation in the Golden League. A complete rundown of the remaining playoffs:

American Association: Shreveport-Bossier, LA swept Sioux Falls, SD, in three straight to win its first championship.

Atlantic League: Defending champion Somerset, NJ will be at York, PA and Bridgeport, CT will open at Southern Maryland (Waldorf) when the best-of-five division finals begin Wednesday.

Can-Am League: 2009 winner Quebec and league newcomer Pittsfield, MA are 1-1 with the balance of the five-game series starting Thursday night in Canada.

Frontier League: Traverse City, MI, leads River City (O’Fallon, MO), 1-0, in best-of-five finals.

Golden League: Chico, CA leads Maui, HA, 2-0, in best-of-five finals with the rest of the games in Hawaii starting Saturday.

Northern League: Defending champion Fargo, ND has a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five championship series with Game 2 at Kansas City, KS Thursday night.

Rene Rivera’s Bat Big in Playoffs

Affiliated minor league playoffs are difficult to get too excited about as team competition when the likes of Andy Pettitte are given two starts as he rehabs for the major league postseason, but the individual results still mean something.

Among former Independent players, catcher-DHRene Rivera (Camden, NJ, Atlantic League) is ripping for that same Trenton, NJ farm club of the New York Yankees with three home runs (four RBI) and hitting .294 in four appearances. And former Pensacola, FL (American Association) righty Paul Phillips had a five-inning start in which he allowed only two hits and pitched shutout ball as Durham, NC (Tampa Bay) advanced to the championship round. Scott Richmond (Edmonton, Northern League) had a decent start for New Hampshire (Toronto) when he went seven innings and gave up three earned runs even though he suffered the loss.

Tagg Bozied Still Putting Up Big Numbers

Sioux Falls, SD played in the Northern League and the team was known as the Canaries when Tagg Bozied burst onto the professional scene in 2001, but the current fans of the Pheasants of the American Association in that city should be interested in the tremendous season the now 31-year-old corner infielder just finished with Philadelphia’s Double-A Reading (PA) Phillies.

Even though a walk-off home run celebration some years ago may have cost him his best years as a true prospect, Bozied led the Eastern League in hitting (.315), on-base percentage (.402), slugging (.631) and was second in home runs (27) and fourth in runs batted in (92).

(Bob Wirz also writes about Independent Baseball on two other sites, and Fans may subscribe to this Independent Baseball Insider columnat or comment to . Hehas 16 years of major league baseball experience with Kansas City and as spokesman for two Commissioners, and lives in Stratford, CT.)