Blogtalk Radio this Saturday, 3/1/08

I will be appearing on Tim Perry's Frontier League BlogTalk Radio this Saturday, 3/1/08, at 1 p.m. The show is taped, so if you can't tune in live you can download the half hour show and listen to it at your convenience. I just finished taping the interview, which was more like me babbling for 10 minutes than an interview, but some topics that were covered included the new turf at Wuerfel Park, the All-Star Game, and player moves.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/flhistory

Kalamazoo Kings Hot Stove 2/27/08

Kalamazoo hasn't been very busy this off-season, presumably saving most of their roster spots for guys getting released out of spring training. Here is a look at the current status of the Beach Bums' downstate rivals;

Key Additions:

OF Casey Bowling - The Kings traded their 2008 first round draft pick to the Midwest Sliders for the rights to OF Casey Bowling, who was the Sliders best player in 2007 aside from Nate Yoho, who was traded to Florence near the end of the season (and has since been traded to the United League). Bowling's numbers should improve from the .267, 12 doubles, and 9 home runs he had last year with KZOO's short porch in left.

1B/3B/C Rick Owens - Owens comes to Kalamazoo from the Amarillo Dillas of the United League, where he was teammates with current Beach Bums pitchers Matt Lawrence and Josh Myers (Owens actually played with Lawrence in college at Bellhaven, too). Owens hit .298 with 14 doubles and 4 home runs in 151 at-bats for the Dillas and is another guy that will enjoy Kalamazoo's short porch in left.

Key Losses:

OF Josh Carter - Carter was an All-Star for the Kings last season, hitting .311 with 21 doubles, 12 home runs, and finishing 2nd in the league in RBI with 75. He aged out following the season.

OF Keith Brachold - Brachold hit .261 with 21 doubles and 12 home runs for the Kings, but was traded to Amarillo for Rick Owens following the season.

RHP Dan Caldwell - The submarining Caldwell aged out of the league after a career year in 2007 where he went 2-0 with a 3.69 ERA in 40 appearances, pitching 61 innings, with 42 walks and 51 strikeouts.

RHP Steve Shippey - The former Beach Bums revitalized his career in Kalamazoo after struggling in Traverse City last year. After having an 11.79 ERA in Traverse City, he went 5-3 with a 2.79 ERA in Kalamazoo. Shippey aged out of the league as has signed with Schaumburg of the Northern League.

The Kings also released pitchers John Sullivan, Mark Kelly, and Dane DeValk along with 1B Robert Moron and C Trevor Eastman. Kelly was the best player of the bunch, but he will be an LS-1 in 2008 and is an Australian, which usually raises some logistical and financial concerns with Frontier League teams.

Key Returners:

RHP John Brownell - After being released by Rockford a couple weeks into the 2007 season, the Kings signed Brownell and he pitched very well the rest of the way - 4-4, 3.38 ERA, 56 IP, 25 BB, 45 K, .238 OAV.

OF Jeff Grose - Grose had a terrific rookie season, hitting .314 with 14 doubles, 5 home runs, and a .378 on-base percentage. Grose will most likely be KZOO's everyday center fielder and lead-off man once again in 2008.

OF AJ Johnson - Johnson is a Veteran that the Kings signed at the end of last season who started out hot, but finished with a .263 average with 7 doubles and 5 home runs in 114 at-bats. Another power hitter, AJ should improve on those numbers as an every day guy in 2008, probably either in left field or at 1st base.

2B Kyle Kmiecik - Kmiecik is another Veteran leader of KZOO and had a great second half of the season in 2007. Overall, he hit .281 with 21 doubles and 10 home runs while fielding .971 at 2nd base.

RHP Jeff Long - Long is the workhorse of the KZOO staff, pitching 140 innings in 2007 with an 11-5 record. He will return as the ace of the staff in 2008.

LHP Trent Lare - Lare had a very solid rookie campaign last summer, going 5-4 with a 3.17 ERA in 65 innings.

RHP Sam Mann - Mann was another rookie sensation for the Kings last year, going 6-2 with a 3.65 ERA in 86 innings.

C Mike Russell - Russell is one of the best catchers in the Frontier League and he knows how to hit it to that short porch in left field in Kalamazoo. Last year he hit .255 with 18 doubles and 17 home runs.

3B Joe Ramos - Ramos had an All-Star season in 2007, hitting .302 with 34 doubles, 7 triples, 5 home runs and 32 stolen bases. He also had a .363 on-base percentage.

LHP Jon Troop - Troop was traded from Florence to KZOO at the end of the season last year and had a 1.79 ERA in 17 innings out of the KZOO bullpen down the stretch. He will be a key member of their bullpen again next year.

OF Simon Williams - Williams is another Veteran hitter for the KZOO club - last year he hit .274 with 18 doubles and 9 home runs. However, he led the league in strikeouts with 98.

Kalamazoo returns a solid starting rotation of Jeff Long, Trent Lare, and Sam Mann, as well as a solid group of Veteran hitters in Joe Ramos, Simon Williams, Kyle Kmiecik, Mike Russell and AJ Johnson. Their bullpen will be a question mark heading into next season, but expect them to fill the holes with some solid talent out of spring training and compete for the East Division, as always.

Locke sold to Phillies

Beach Bums left-hander Jared Locke was sold to the Philadelphia Phillies of the National League yesterday, marking the 2nd player in Beach Bums' history to be sold to a Major League organization. Locke joins fellow left-hander Ryan Arial, who was sold to the Baltimore Orioles this time last off-season. Arial was released by the Orioles out of spring training and was signed by the Winnipeg Goldeyes of the Northern League, where he is still playing.

Locke joined the Beach Bums last season after being released by the Texas Rangers organization. In 21 appearances for the Beach Bums, Locke pitched 23.2 innings with a 3.46 ERA, recording 15 walks and 27 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .218 average. Jared's stats are much better than they look - he gave up 4 earned runs in 0 innings of work in his last outing of the season while feeling some arm fatigue - before that outing he was sporting a 1.90 ERA.

Locke, along with teammates Brad Roblin and Brett Bostelman, were invited to a Philadelphia Phillies tryout camp in Clearwater, Florida, over the weekend. The report from the camp was that Roblin, an outfielder out of the University of Michigan who hit .333 in 45 games with the Bums last summer, ran 6.45 seconds in the 60-yard dash, but didn't hit or throw well enough to be signed (for perspective, on the MLB scouting scale, a 6.4 second 60-yard dash would get you the best rating possible, an 80 out of 80, representing the fastest of the fast in the Major Leagues). Bostelman also pitched well during the tryout, but as a 5'11" right-hander who throws 90mph, he will need to prove himself for another year in Traverse City before he gets a look, in my opinion.

With the talented crop of players we have coming into camp this May, you can expect some more MLB organizations signing players during or after the 2008 season. My best guess is that Locke will be competing for a spot with the class high-A Clearwater Thrashers of the Florida State League. If Locke does not make the team, you might still be seeing him in a Beach Bums uniform in 2008, however, he definitely has the talent to keep moving up the ladder. With another year or two in the minors, I could easily see him projecting as a bullpen lefty in the big leagues.

Frontier League Blogtalk Radio, Saturday 2/23

If you haven't checked out the Frontier League's Blogtalk Radio, make sure you listen in tomorrow, broadcast live at 1 p.m. EST.  The Blogtalk is hosted by Stan Murray and Tim Perry and is a highly recommended to the casual Frontier League or Beach Bums fan looking to catch up on what is going on around the league.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/flhistory

Evansville Hot Stove 2/21/08

Evansville has made a couple very significant signings in the past couple days, so now is as good of time as any to give the Beach Bums Nation an update on the Otters, who look to rebound with a new coaching staff for 2008. They will have their work cut out for them - Gateway, Rockford, and Windy City all return a core nucleus of players that took them to the playoffs last season - and Southern Illinois and River City won't be pushovers either.

Like Southern Illinois, Evansville has been extremely busy signing a lot of college players and their roster is already pushing the spring training limits, so I will just give you a run down of the biggest changes on their roster.

Key Additions:

OF Jose Pineda - The Otters made their most significant signing of the off-season today with outfielder Jose Pineda, who is a native of the Dominican Republic. Pineda played in 112 games for the Stockton Ports of the class high-A California League last season, hitting .271 with 25 doubles and 20 home runs. He will provide some much needed power to the Evansville lineup - something they sorely missed last year.

RHP Michael Hyde - The Otters pitching staff was their strength last year and will be again in 2008, especially with the addition of Michael Hyde. Hyde was 3-0 with a 3.46 ERA in 13 innings in rookie ball last year for the Yankees after completing a four year career at Florida State where he went 10-2 as a senior with a 3.35 ERA.

INF Alex Fonseca - Fonseca comes to Evansville after hitting .280 with 4 doubles and 2 home runs in 22 games for the Schaumburg Flyers of the Northern League last year. He also fielded .962 at shortstop, but might play either second base or third base for the Otters who are pretty deep on the infield.

SS Ryan Bethel - Bethel returns to the Otters after being "lent" to the Washington Wild Things for the playoff run last season. Bethel .249 in Evansville last season with 12 doubles and 2 home runs.

Key Losses:

RHP James Conroy - Conroy was the ace of the Otters' staff in 2007, finishing with a 8-9 record, 4.43 ERA, 111 innings pitched, and 97 strikeouts. He was traded to the Gary Railcats following the conclusion of the season.

RHP Michael Bille - Bille was one of the top closers in the Frontier League the past two seasons. Last year he had 15 saves and a 1.70 ERA in 47.2 innings. He was traded to St. Paul of the American Association.

Key Returners:

RHP Jake Haggerty - Haggerty struck out 104 hitters in 105 innings last year and finished with a 5-8 record and 5.02 ERA. He returns for his third season in Evansville.

RHP Justin Jordan - Jordan was a very consistent starter for the Otters last season, compiling a 6-8 record and 3.13 ERA in 123 innings.

CF Zack Pace - Pace was one of only a couple players to play in more than 70 games for the Otters last year, who shuffled players around quite a bit. A very good lead-off type hitter, Pace hit .254 with a .392 on-base percentage in 2007.

RHP Jon Lewis - Lewis was a steady bullpen arm last season, going 2-4 with a 2.76 ERA in 49 innings while striking out 38.

RHP Mark Murray - Murray fit nicely in the starting rotation by the end of the year, and finished a very solid rookie season with a 3-4 record, 3.34 ERA, and 56.2 innings pitched.

OF Daniel Burton - Burton joined the Otters after guiding Louisville to the College World Series last summer. In 44 games in Evansville, Burton hit .244 with 5 doubles and 6 home runs in just 160 at-bats.

Pitching will once again be the strength of Evansville, and if they can get a couple more players that can help them score some runs, they have a chance of giving the big boys in their division a run for their money. Evansville could be the dark horse of the West Division in 2008.

Southern Illinois Hot Stove 2/20/08

The Souther Illinois Miners had an impressive inaugural season in 2007, drawing over 5,000 fans per game and smashing the league attendance record.  On the field, they finished a couple games over .500 at 49-47, and return quite a few key players from last year's squad.  They have also been extremely busy expanding their spring training roster with 32 players (of a maximum of 35) already inking contracts, so I am only going to give a little background on who I consider to be the biggest moves of the off-season for the Miners, because there are so many to talk about.

Key Additions:

3B Brandon Jones -  Jones is a Veteran 3rd basemen that the Miners got from Sioux City of the American Association.  Jones will attempt to fill the shoes of All-Star 3B Chris Hall, who aged out of the league this off-season

1B/DH Tim Dorn - Dorn returns to the Miners after being released by the St. Louis Cardinals this off-season.  Dorn was signed by the Cardinals last year after hitting 12 home runs in just over 30 games with the Miners.

The Miners have also added a whole bunch of rookies to their spring training roster, none of which have previous professional experience other than catcher Jake Smith, who comes over from Sioux Falls of the American Association.

Key Losses:

2B Ralph Santana - Santana was one of the best lead-off men in the Frontier League this past season, hitting .342 with a .430 on-base percentage to go along with a .965 fielding percentage.  Santana aged out of the league and will join the Miners coaching staff.

3B Chris Hall - Hall was the best defensive 3rd basemen in the league last year, making just 6 errors all season at the hot corner.  At the plate he added .318 average with 20 doubles and 13 home runs.  His production offensively and defensively will be tough to replace.

RHP Rick Hummel - Hummel was one of Southern Illinois' best bullpen arms last season, pitching 32.2 innings with a 3-1 record and 1.98 ERA.  Hummel also aged out of the league.

Key Returners:

SS Mike Scanzano - Scanzano was an All-Star last season for the Miners while hitting .309 with a .381 on-base percentage.  He was also steady in the field, committing just 15 errors during the season.

1B Joey Metropoulos - Metropoulos was a late signing by the Miners last summer after he was released by the Blue Jays organization, but he made the most of his time in Southern Illinois, hitting .326 with 11 doubles and 9 home runs in just 39 games.  The combination of Metropoulos and Dorn should be a pretty tough middle of the order for the Miners.

RHP Nick Tisone - Tisone will be the ace of the Southern Illinois staff next year after going 8-3 with a 3.82 ERA in 127 innings.

RHP Chris Little - Little split last season between the Gateway Grizzlies and the Miners, going 8-8 with a 3.80 ERA in 109 innings.  Little has been around the Frontier League for a while now, and has always been very successful.

RHP Travis Hope - Hope was one of the best closers in the Frontier League last season, locking down 14 saves in 44.2 innings to go with a 5-3 record and 1.61 ERA.

The Miners also return quite a few pitchers from last years staff including Brian Blomquist, Griffin Bailey, Ryan Quigley, and Marcus McKenzie to name a few.  Outfielders Kevin Koski, Drew Moffit, Willie Keene, and Eric Suttle also return.

Southern Illinois has some holes to fill in their starting rotation and on the infield, but I expect them to find some quality players out of spring training.  Some of the rookies they signed had good numbers in college, and I'm sure some of them will fit in nicely as well.

It is sure to be a dogfight in the West Division as Gateway, Rockford, and Windy City all return a good deal of their playoff squads from last season.

River City Hot Stove 2/19/08

The River City Rascals have been busy this off-season locking down many key members of last year's squad and making a few moves which will greatly improve their defense.  With the improvements in River City and in Evansville and the addition of Windy City and Rockford, look for the West Division to be very competitive this season.

Here is how the Rascals are looking at this point this off-season:

Key Additions:

OF Luke Bargainer - Bargainer makes his return to the Frontier League after playing the 2007 season in the South Coast League where he hit .292 with 15 doubles, 9 triples, and 7 home runs.   Bargainer also swings left-handed and should have a fun time with the Rascal's short porch in right field.

RHP Jason Baca - The Rascals picked up Baca from the Riverhawks after the season to complete the deal that sent Andrew Sweet to Rockford for the playoff run.  Baca was one of the better bullpen arms in the Frontier League last year, going 4-2 with a 2.03 ERA in 31 innings with 19 walks, 25 strikeouts, and 8 saves.

RHP Josh Regits - Regits attended Central Michigan University before transferring to Madonna College to finish his career, where he was a teammate of former Beach Bum Ben Ramsey.  Regits was traded to River City from Joliet in the off-season, where he spent his rookie season in 2007, pitching 41.1 innings with a 2-4 record and 6.10 ERA.

1B/DH Bobby Mosby - River City traded Mosby to Joliet shortly following the All-Star break last year and he stilled finished 5th in the Frontier League with 19 home runs.  "Big Mo" will once again be one of the premier power hitters in the league in 2008.

OF Phil Laurent - Laurent started the 2007 season with the Rascals, but was signed by the Padres after hitting .341 with 14 doubles, 4 triples, and 12 home runs in just 57 games.  Laurent got nothing short of screwed by the Padres, who put him in rookie ball and got him just 31 at-bats before releasing him this off-season.  Laurent will once again enjoy getting fed fastballs while hitting in front of Bobby Mosby in 2008.

SS Greg Stone - Veteran shortstop Greg Stone comes to the Rascals after playing the past two seasons in Florence.  Stone is a very solid player in the field and at the plate.  Last year he hit .271 with a .348 on-base percentage while fielding .963 at shortstop.

LHP Scott Fogelson - Fogelson also comes over to River City via a trade with Florence.  Fogelson pitched for Kalamazoo last year before being traded to Florence.  Overall, he had a 6-7 record, 3.90 ERA, 92.1 innings pitched, 47 walks, and 69 strikeouts.

UTL Andrew Sweet - Sweet returns to the Rascals after being "lent" to the Rockford Riverhawks for the playoff run - Sweet was traded for a player to be named and the player to be named was Sweet - the league has since make rules stopping teams from making these kinds of deals.  Between Rockford and River City in 2007, Sweet hit .282 with 17 doubles and 5 home runs.

Key Losses:

RHP Steven Brook - Brook pitched every year of his pro career for River City and aged out following the 2007 season.  He was 11-7 with a 5.27 ERA last season and will take over as the Rascals' pitching coach in 2008.  

2B Jeff Landry - The Rascals traded Landry to Florence just recently.  Landry is a solid ball player that will do well for the Freedom.  Last year he hit .291 with 18 doubles and 4 home runs, his first in professional baseball.

OF Trey Hendricks - Hendricks played in all 96 games for the Rascals last year, hitting .258 with 10 doubles and 10 home runs.  He aged out following the season.

Key Returners:

INF Brad Hough - Hough played most his games at SS last year, but I expect him to move to 3B with the addition of SS Greg Stone.  Hough had a very solid year for the Rascals last summer, hitting .285 with 25 doubles and 10 home runs.

DH Andy Bettis - Bettis broke into the Frontier League with a very productive rookie season.  He hit .274 with 16 doubles and 9 home runs in just 67 games last summer.  With Mosby at 1B, you can expect Bettis to be a full time DH.

OF Jeff Miller - Miller signed with the Rascals out of college with just 38 games to play, but he made them count, hitting .307 with 11 doubles and 7 home runs in only 140 at-bats.

SP Chris Clem - Clem didn't have a very good win-loss record last season, but he will be a key part of the Rascals' pitching staff if they plan to make a run for the playoffs this coming season.  Last year he pitched 126 innings with 92 strikeouts, however he surrendered 154 hits and 14 home runs.

The Rascals have a very tough lineup from top to bottom, but the big question mark will be their pitching staff.  The additions of Jason Baca and Scott Fogelson will help, and if they can get a couple more pitchers out of spring training, they could give Windy City, Gateway, and Rockford a run for their money in the West.  As I mentioned earlier, Evansville will be much improved, and I will give you my run down on Southern Illinois tomorrow, who will be led by the return of 1B power threat Tim Dorn. 

The River City Rascals have made some big moves in the off-season which will greatly improve their offense and defense, but the biggest question mark will remain their pitching staff

Chillicothe Paints Hot Stove 2/17/08

The Chillicothe Paints haven't made a ton of off-season moves, but they look to return just about everybody for their 2007 squad, which, at the very least, should give them a sense of cohesion not often found in Frontier League teams.

Key Additions

LHP Joe Brown - Brown comes to the Paints via trade after pitching in Lincoln of the American Association in 2007 where he had a 4.19 ERA in 38.2 innings with 19 walks and 46 strikeouts.  You would have to assume that the Paints are bringing the 26-year old LS-2 to join the starting rotation as very few LS-2 or Veteran players ever come out of the bullpen in the Frontier League.

LHP Brian Gartley - Gartley was the Pitcher of the Year in the South Coast League in 2007, and since South Coast League teams only give their players a one year contract, Gartley signed with the Paints after his South Coast League contract ran out February 1st.  All other independent leagues sign players to a one year contract that includes a one year option, giving them leverage to either negotiate a new contract or trade the player.

2B Drew Saylor - Saylor was an All-American at Kent State, but was released by the Marlins after he struggled in rookie ball.  Last year he was picked up by the Astros, but didn't see much playing time before being released again.  With the opportunity to play every day in Chillicothe, I expect Saylor to be an excellent addition to their ball club.

Key Losses

RHP Darryl Arreola - The Paints sent Arreola to Lincoln in exchange for Brown.  Arreola had a very good year for the Paints last season, going 3-4 in 24 games, including 8 starts, pitching 73.1 innings with 52 strikeouts and 20 walks while holding opponents to a .248 average.

RHP Perry Cunningham - Cunningham pitched four seasons in Chillicothe, racking up 37 career victories.  His numbers slipped a little in 2007, but still finished the season with an 11-5 record and 3.98 ERA in 126.2 innings, 31 walks, and 76 strikeouts.  Cunningham announced his retirement about a month ago.

RHP Eric Teall - Teall had a couple bad outings at the end of the season, but led the Frontier League in ERA for most of the year in 2007.  He finished with a 2-5 record, 3.22 ERA, 16 saves, and 77 strikeouts in 64.1 innings while holding opponents to a .186 average.  Teall retired last month as well.

UTL Lance Koenig - Former Beach Bum Lance Koenig aged out of the league this off-season after hitting a combined .258 with 26 doubles, 42 RBI, and 21 stolen bases between the Beach Bums and Paints last year.

Key Returners

SS Travis Garcia - Garcia was the Frontier League MVP in 2007 and returns for his 3rd consecutive season in Chillicothe and 4th overall in the Frontier League.  Garcia hit .307 last season with 27 doubles, 19 home runs, and 70 RBI to go with a .957 fielding percentage at shortstop.

RHP Ryan Flanigan - Flanigan led the Frontier League in ERA last season at 1.28 to go with a 9-2 record.  In 77 innings he only walked 9 while striking out 56 and holding opponents to a .158 average.  In my opinion, Flanigan is too good to not be in Chillicothe's starting rotation.

3B Adrian Cantu - Cantu had a breakout season last year, hitting .303 with 18 doubles, 13 home runs, and 61 RBI.  He also improved his eye at the plate, drawing 49 walks for a .401 on-base percentage.  In a lineup that had some offensive struggles last season, the Paints really need Cantu to produce in order to protect Garcia.

UTL Paul Rutgers - Rutgers returns for his 3rd year in Chillicothe, and with the signing of 2B Drew Saylor, I expect Rutgers to make a full time move to left field.  Rutgers hit .254 with 22 doubles and 6 home runs last season.

1B Jon Patterson - Patterson is a former 1st round pick of the Yankees out of high school and was released before he turned 21.  I expect him to have a better season in 2008 seeing as he would only be a junior or senior in college if he had gone that route.  Last year he hit .231 with 27 doubles and 7 home runs.

C Dan Cummins - Cummins was a mid-season addition for the Paints and really gave their offense a boost, hitting .289 with 15 doubles and 8 home runs in 232 at-bats.  

The Paints also return outfielders Gavin Ng and Travis Storrer who return after solid rookie seasons in 2007.

The Paints have lost a lot of innings with off-season retirements, but they've already made a few really nice moves to make up for it.  Offensively, they will return almost everybody from last year's team and will upgrade at 2nd base with Drew Saylor.  Depending on what they get out of their pitching staff, especially their starting rotation, they could be a team to watch in 2008.

Pitcher Rory James signs with Beach Bums

Right-handed pitcher Rory James has signed a 2008 contract to play in Traverse City.  James is a 6'10" 230-pound fireballer from Oshkosh, Wisconsin.  He played the 2007 season with the Sioux City Explorers of the American Association - his first in professional baseball.

James comes highly recommended as a pitcher who might have Major League potential.  He has a fastball that tops in the low 90s and an excellent split-finger.  We will look to utilize James in late inning situations or in the starting rotation.

James had much more success out of the bullpen last season - throwing 28 innings with 4 saves, 5.79 ERA, 9 walks, and 25 strikeouts.  Later in the year he was inserted into the starting rotation and struggled with his control.  He finished the season with 49.2 innings pitched, 25 walks, 47 strikeouts, and held opponents to a .279 average.

The American Association is generally considered a double-A caliber league, and James did pretty well considering the 2007 season was his rookie year.  With a year of experience under his belt, I think he could be very tough on Frontier League hitters, especially in Wuerfel Park.

Gateway Grizzlies Hot Stove 2/12/08

The Gateway Grizzlies have been working hard to bring back most of their squad that was an offensive powerhouse in 2007.   Here is how they have done up until this point:

Key Additions

OF Mike Campbell - Campbell is an LS-2 outfielder that played at South Carolina and for two seasons in the Padres Organization.  Last season he hit .235 with 7 doubles, a triple, 3 home runs and 19 RBI in 183 at-bats in class low-A Fort Wayne.  Campbell swings left-handed and could be another double digit home run threat with the short fences at GCS Ballpark in Gateway.

SS Robert Minor - Minor played at the University of Evansville and was signed by the Yankees last summer, but got released this off-season.  He had good defensive numbers in the Yankees organization, but only got 49 pro at-bats between rookie ball and class high-A Tampa.  Minor's offensive numbers aren't impressive, but it looks like he is a good athlete that can play 2B/SS/3B and at the very least will be a good utility guy for the Grizzlies.

Key Losses

RHP Toro Trevino - The Grizzlies released Trevino earlier this week, presumably because of classification issues.  Trevino would have been an LS-2 in 2008.  Last summer, the crafty right hander threw 116 innings for Gateway en route to a 11-5 record and a spot on the league All-Star team.  Trevino is proof for kids that you don't need to throw 100 mph to be successful in professional baseball if you know how to pitch.

OF Dustin Roberts - Roberts had one of the most memorable offensive seasons in Frontier League history in 2007, hitting .301 with 19 doubles, 29 home runs, and 73 RBI.  Roberts retired this off-season.

3B Ryan Sullivan - Played four years for the Grizzlies.  In 2007 he hit .281 with 15 doubles and and 11 home runs in 71 games.  

OF Jon Armitage - Armitage was an All-Star outfielder for Gateway last summer, hitting .336 with 22 doubles and 18 home runs.  His .452 on-base percentage was tops in the Frontier League.  Armitage aged out at the end of the season.

C Eric Beck - Beck was a very nick back-up catcher for the Grizzlies, hitting .293 with 5 doubles and 4 home runs in just 93 at-bats with a .421 on-base percentage - he probably could have been the #1 catcher for most of the team in the Frontier League.  Beck retired following the season.

Key Returners

OF Stephen Holdren - Holdren had a break out year in 2007 with the Grizzlies, hitting .311 with 16 doubles, 8 triples, and 23 home runs.  Holdren hit in the low .200s with only 6 home runs in the Frontier League in 2006.

OF Jeff Vincent - One-time Beach Bum Jeff Vincent also returns for Gateway.  Vincent hit .262 with 7 doubles, 2 triples, and 6 home runs after going over to Gateway in the middle of last season.  Vincent is a 5-tool player that has never really "put it all together," but I expect big things out of him in 2008 while playing with the short fences of GCS ballpark.

1B Mike Breyman - Breyman enters his 5th season in the Frontier League in 2008 (yes, 5th).  Last year he was an All-Star, hitting .331 with 22 doubles and 22 home runs.  He had career highs in most offensive categories last summer, and you can expect him to pick up where he left off.

INF Manny Paula - Paula made a late surge to be Rookie of the Year, hitting .299 with 23 doubles and 15 home runs.  I'm going to guess Paula will be used more at 2B this year as he made 19 errors in just 53 games at 3B in 2007.

SS Ryan Saltzgarber - Saltzgarber had a nice rookie year for Gateway, hitting .320 in 50 games while fielding .942.

C Charlie Lisk - The Veteran Lisk struggled with a .201 average, but when he made contact he made it count - smacking 7 doubles and 15 home runs in 65 games behind the plate for Gateway.  He is an experienced backstop with a good arm, which is hard to find in the Frontier League.

Gateway also returns several pitchers in Eric Dessau (14-2, 3.01 ERA), Billy McKinney, James Hertel (7-1, 1.83 ERA), Justin Staatz, Scott Chambers, and Jason Herman (5-1, 4.79 ERA).  Pitcher Nathan Roush (8-4, 104 IP) and closer Eric Ridener (2.11 ERA, 20 saves) are yet to be named on the Gateway roster, and would be big losses if they decided to retire.

With a very solid nucleus of returning players that helped the Grizzlies reach the playoffs last season, I expect them to be in a heated battle with Windy City and Rockford in the West Division.  That isn't to count out River City, Evansville, and Southern Illinois.  River City has a very strong offensive team coming back and Southern Illinois has made some great off-season pick-ups.  Evansville has a new coaching staff and some key parts to a tough pitching staff coming back, too, and if they can find some offense, they could make some noise.

Frontier League Blog and Podcast

If you're a Frontier League or Beach Bums fan and you haven't checked out Tim Perry's Frontier League Blog, Unofficial Frontier League webpage, or Frontier League Blogtalk Radio, you really should.  Since Frontier League news isn't exactly on Sportscenter every night, Tim does a great job of keeping fans up to date on what is going on around the Frontier League.

From the Bleachers - The blog run by Tim Perry and with at least one correspondent from each Frontier League franchise.  If there isn't any pertinent news in the Frontier League, Tim usually posts a very interesting, "This date in the Frontier League," post.  I love reading this blog.

Tim Perry's Unofficial Frontier League Website - This website may as well be called the Official Unofficial Frontier League Website, because it is the start and finish for all historical Frontier League information.  You can check out season results, team timelines, photo galleries of present and past ballparks, as well as player databases and records.  It's a great way to kill some time and learn more about the Frontier League.

Frontier League Blogtalk Radio - Tim Perry's latest installment in resources for the Frontier League fans.  I'm listening to the first broadcast as I write this and I believe this is going to be a great resource for the casual Beach Bums fan to learn more about the League and how it works.

Rockford Riverhawks Hot Stove 2/8/08

The Rockford Riverhawks have made quite a few moves this off-season - so many that I'm not sure I caught them all.  Their roster was full of LS-2 and Veteran players going into the 2008 season, so it is natural to see them shuffling a lot of players.

Recently, they've made a couple trades with the Golden League for outfielders - swapping 1B Will Henderson for Reno Silver Sox OF Ryan Kowalski as well as C/OF Joey Huskins for St. George Roadrunners OF Greg Burrows.

Key Additions

OF Ryan Kowalski - Hit .285 with 12 doubles and 19 stolen bases for Reno last summer.  It appears that Kowalski will try to replace Veteran center fielder Matt Sauls, who retired earlier this month.

OF Greg Burrows - Burrows had a very brief pro stint with St. George last summer, hitting .305 in 59 at-bats.  He showed he had some pop in his bat, hitting 6 doubles and a home run, as well as some speed on the bases with 5 steals without being caught.

RHP Robert Wooley - Wooley has been moved around a lot in the last couple of years, and I'm not sure he will be done since it is very difficult for a pitcher with a Veteran status to stick with a Frontier League team unless they are putting up Pitcher of the Year numbers.  Wooley had a 3.51 ERA in Southern Illinois before being traded to the American Association in 2007.

RHP Jim Paduch - Rockford acquired Paduch from Gary of the Northern League this off-season.  Paduch is another Veteran in a Rockford roster already clogged by LS-2s and Veterans.  It will be interesting to see if the big righty sticks with the Riverhawks after going 0-3 with a 4.37 ERA in a short stint with Evansville last year after starting the season in the Northern League.

RHP Johnathan Burke - Burke had a brief stint in the CanAm League last season, but was very successful, sporting a 3.86 ERA in 14 IP.

RHP Chris Langlois - The 26-year old Langlois is just an LS-1 by Frontier League standards and had a 2.91 ERA in 21 IP in the Golden League in 2007.  I'm guessing last season was shortened by injury for Langlois, who pitched over 100 innings the year before.

Key Losses

OF Matt Sauls - Sauls anchored the Riverhawks for three years in the outfield, hitting a career high .318 in center field last season with 10 doubles and 7 home runs.  Sauls retired earlier this month.

RHP Tanner Watson - Watson could have easily won the Pitcher of Year Award in the Frontier League in 2008 after going 11-3 with a 2.17 ERA in 103 IP.  He was signed by the Chicago Cubs this off-season.

3B Matt Hagen - Hagen hit .335 with 23 doubles and 13 home runs - numbers the Riverhawks will have to look hard to replace.  Hagen aged out of the Frontier League this off-season.

1B Will Henderson - Henderson hit .265 with 16 doubles and 9 home runs in 2007 while playing 1B for the Riverhawks.  He was traded to the Golden League.

UTL Andrew Sweet - Sweet returns to River City after a late season trade that put him in Rockford for the playoff run.  Sweet hit .282 in 88 games between the two clubs in 2007.

RHP Jason Baca - Baca was one of Rockford's toughest arms out of the pen last year, tossing 31 innings with 8 saves and a 2.03 ERA.  Baca was traded to River City in part of the Andrew Sweet deal.

Also recently missing from Rockford's online roster are outfielder Roberto Valiente (Veteran) and pitchers Brady Salter (7-5, 4.86), Shaun Parker (6-2, 2.76), and Dave Dowling (6-7, 4.22), however, there have been no official announcements on retirements or trades concerning these players.

Key Returners

RHP Mike Marksbury - Marksbury was one of the top closers in the Frontier League last year before being signed by the Milwaukee Brewers.  Marksbury got released this off-season by the Brewers, and will return to be Rockford's closer again in 2008.

1B/OF Brandon Cohen - Cohen had a very good rookie season, hitting 10 doubles and 9 home runs in just over 130 at-bats.  Since Rockford traded for a couple outfielders this off-season, I expect Cohen to occupy either 1B or the DH spot on a regular basis.

LHP Garrett Bauer - Bauer enters his 3rd season in Rockford and his 5th overall.  Last year he went 7-5 with a 4.15 ERA.  Bauer will be an LS-2 in 2008.

RHP James Cramphin - Cramphin had a very good rookie season for the Riverhawks in 2007, going 4-4 with a 3.69 ERA in 68 innings.

RHP Roy Bringelson - Another Rockford rookie returns in 2008, last year Bringelson went 0-5 with a 3.38 ERA in 35 relief appearances.

Rockford has not made an official announcement concerning infielders Brad Dutton and Joe Anthonsen, but I'm guessing at least one of them is going to have to be moved since they are both LS-2s now and Rockford is pretty tight classification-wise.  OF Jason James, who hit .345 last season, is also yet to resign, but I'm assuming he will since he is still listed on their roster online.

Rockford lost most of their offensive production from last season and has put all of their chips into pitching for 2008, however, they have made good moves and along with Gateway, should give Windy City a run for their money in the West Division this coming summer.

Washington Wild Things Hot Stove 2/7/08

The Washington Wild Things were the runner-up to the Frontier League Championship last season, and after division realignment in 2008, the Wild Things would have to be considered the favorite to win the East heading into this summer.

Here is a recap of what Washington has done this off-season:

Key Additions

RHP Ryan Mitchell - Ryan Mitchell comes to Washington via a trade with Worcester of the CanAm League.  Mitchell went 3-4 last year with a 2.35 ERA in 57 IP and according to the article on the Wild Things website, will join the starting rotation.  The 2008 season will be Mitchell's 4th as a professional, but he will still be classified as a Rookie-2, making him extremely valuable in the Frontier League.

RHP Corey Bachman - Bachman was a closer for Virginia Military Institute and got picked up by the Cubs after his senior year in 2007.  Bachman was 3-0 with a 5.40 ERA in 23 innings last year in rookie ball before being released this off-season.

RHP Kevin Salmon - Salmon pitched two seasons in the Phillies organization before his release in the off-season.  In 2007, he pitched 19 innings in class low-A Lakewood going 1-0 with a 4.29 ERA.

Key Losses

LHP Tom Cochran - Cochran was a workhorse for Washington the past two seasons, pitching 127 innings in 2006 and 115 innings in 2007.  He was sent to Worcester as part of the deal that got the Wild Things Ryan Mitchell.

LHP Justin Mattison - Mattison was a great arm out of the bullpen for Washington last season, but since he would be an LS-2 in 2008, the Wild Things weren't going to be able to keep him anyway.  He went 6-1 with a 2.37 ERA in 34 games.  He was also traded to Worcester.

OF Jarod Rine - Rine led the league in stolen bases last season with 33, but hit a little light to take up a Veteran spot - .275 with 10 doubles, 6 triples, and 3 home runs.  He will also play in Worcester in 2008.

RHP Gus Hlebovy - Hlebovy is a significant loss to the Wild Things since he is a great arm out of the bullpen and would only have been an LS-1 in 2008.  Last season he went 3-5 with a 2.35 ERA in 43 innings with 53 strikeouts.  He announced his retirement a yesterday.

C Mario Garza - Garza hit .237 with 12 home runs in 2007 before retiring following the season.  He was a solid ballplayer, but I'm sure the Wild Things will find someone with better offensive production for the Veteran spot he was occupying.

SS Kevin Padgett - Padgett struggled to contribute offensively, hitting just .199, but did have 8 doubles, 4 triples, and 6 home runs.  He also fielded .958 at shortstop.  He also retired following the season.

Key Returners

Washington hasn't been making any announcements concerning players they have resigned for 2008, but I expect core players such as outfielders Chris Sidick, Matt Sutton, and Rob Vernon to return.  I also expect to see Wild Things ace Aaron Ledbetter to be back along with a pretty solid group of guys out of the bullpen.

The Wild Things have a few spots to fill, but they have some Veteran spots to work with, and I expect them to find some great talent to compete for the championship again.

Windy City Hot Stove Recap 2/6/2008

Today's installment of the hot stove gets the Beach Bums Nation up to date on the Frontier League's defending champions - the Windy City Thunderbolts.

Yesterday, the Thunderbolts announced a move that sent C J.P. Lowen, OF Ryan Addison, and a player to be named later to the Macon Music of the South Coast League in exchange for RHP Ross Stout.  Stout was arguably the best pitcher in the South Coast League in 2007, and for an LS-1 classification, the Thunderbolts stole themselves a Pitcher of the Year candidate.  Stout went 11-4 with a 2.38 ERA in his rookie campaign last summer.  The players that Windy City gave up, C Lowen and OF Addison, probably weren't in the Thunderbolts plans this year anyway.  Lowen is now an LS-1 by Frontier League standards and didn't have the type of year that would make in irreplaceable by a rookie in 2007 (.257, 6 home runs, 37 RBI).  OF Addison was a player Windy City had just signed out of Elon College - 2008 will be his first season as a professional.  Stout will be an LS-2 in 2009, so don't be surprised if Windy City gives him back to Macon next season as the player to be named in that deal.

Here is how Windy City shapes up as of 2/6/2008:

Key Additions - 

RHP Ross Stout - All-Star candidate fits in nicely at the top of the rotation.

CF Phil Grau - Grau didn't have a tremendous year in the American Association last season, hitting .221 with 12 doubles, a home run, 24 RBI, and 4 stolen bases.  However, those numbers will go up in the Frontier League as Grau looks to be Windy City's every day center fielder.  He also plays very good defense - fielding 1.000 in 2007.

3B Kevin Noles - Kevin Noles had an outstanding rookie season in the South Coast League last summer, hitting .325 with 16 doubles, 2 triples, and 37 RBI to go with a .393 on-base percentage.  The cause for concern is his fielding percentage, which was .890 after making 26 errors at 3rd base.  With the return of All-Star 3rd basemen Josh Horn and utility-man Amos Ramon to Windy City, my guess is Noles will see most of his playing time at DH.

RHP Stephen Flake - Flake was a dominating pitcher at the NAIA level in 2007 before being signed as a non-drafted fee agent by the Marlins.  A victim of the politics of baseball, or so it seems, Flake had a 1.71 ERA in 21 IP with 22 K in rookie ball last summer before being released this off-season.

Key Losses

OF Rob Marconi - Windy City's lead-off man for most of the year last summer, hit .263 with 19 doubles, 9 home runs, a .369 on-base percentage and 24 stolen bases.  Marconi was traded to Gary of the Northern League.

OF John McCarthy - McCarthy's offensive numbers aren't flashy, but he was the toughest out in the Frontier League last year, striking out only 20 times in 270 at-bats.  He also played extremely tough defense in the outfield, as did Marconi.  McCarthy was also sent to Gary.

RHP Billy Phillips - Phillips was a workhorse for Windy City last summer, logging 116 innings with an 8-5 record and 3.09 ERA.  Phillips will join Marconi and McCarthy in Gary as well.

RHP Shawn Phillips - Phillips was Windy City's best starter, in my opinion, and was signed by the Florida Marlins at the end of a season that saw him throw 121 innings with a 2.45 ERA and an 8-4 record.  Phillips also won the decisive game 5 of the Frontier League Championship Series against Washington.

C J.P. Lowen - It will be interesting to see if the Thunderbolts miss Lowen or not, because while he didn't stand out offensively, he did a very good job handling the best pitching staff in the Frontier League last summer.  Several pitchers on that staff had career years, and don't think Lowen didn't at least have a hand in that.

Coaching Staff - The Thunderbolts waved goodbye to the entire coaching staff except one this off-season.  Manager Andy Haines took a job with the Florida Marlins, pitching coach Brenden Sagara moved on to the Evansville Otters, and hitting coach Ronnie Deck is now the bullpen catch for the Baltimore Orioles at the big league level.

Key Returners -

The only official announcements on returning players include All-Star 3B Josh Horn, utility infielder and pitcher Amos Ramon, All-Star outfielder Mike Coles, and All-Star pitcher Brock Hunton.  However, Windy City has the ability to also bring back the rest of their infield with shortstop Wes Long, second basemen Gilberto Meija, and first basemen Phillip Hawke.

The Thunderbolts also have the ability to bring back the majority of their bullpen, which dominated opposing teams for most of the season.  

Beach Bums Hot Stove Recap 2/4/2008

The Beach Bums have finished trading players at this point in the season and with a couple of contracts for pitchers out and waiting to be returned, we've also nearly wrapped up all of our moves until players start being released out of affiliated spring training in March.  So let's recap what has happened so far this off-season for the Blue & Gold:

Key Returners - 

All-Star 1B/C/DH Curtis Ledbetter (.304 AVG, .393 OBP, .434 SLG) - Ledbetter returns as one of the more steady hitters in the Frontier League.  The Beach Bums will look to Ledbetter to move to 1st base in 2008, but he will also see a few games behind the plate and in the DH spot.

RHP Bryan Rembisz (7-0, 1.78 ERA) - Rembisz got my vote for Rookie of the Year in 2007, but he missed too much of the beginning of the season to get enough votes.  He is one of the toughest competitors I've ever seen on the mound and will anchor our pitching staff in 2008.

2B Steve Young (15 SB, .991 FLD%) - Young returns for his third season in a Beach Bums uniform to help the team search for the franchise's first playoff appearance and championship.  Young is one of the best, if not the best, defensive second basemen in the league.  His sparkling .991 fielding percentage is only half the story as Young had the best range among every day second basemen in 2007.  Young suffered a difficult injury in spring training of last season, separating his shoulder and putting him out of the lineup for 5 weeks.  With his shoulder healthy, look for Young to be a much more productive offensive player in 2008 as well.

Other returners include outfielders Brad Roblin (.333 AVG, .427 OBP), RC Dickerson (12 runs, 4 SB), utility-man Jeff Brown (started at 5 different positions in 2007), and pitchers Ryan Gehring (7-8, 124 IP), Brett Bostelman (2.43 ERA, 37 K), Matt Dillard (2.04 ERA, .194 OAV), Jared Locke (3.42 ERA, .218 OAV), Nick Pepper (3.28 ERA, .243 OAV), and Jeff Williams (4.61 ERA, 52 K).

Key Additions -

OF Jake Whitesides (.281 AVG, 22 2B, 11 3B, 3 HR) - The Beach Bums picked up 8-year professional outfielder Jake Whitesides in a deal with the Joliet Jackhammers in December. Whitesides has played in four different MLB organizations (Astros, Marlins, Cubs, and White Sox) as well as four different independent leagues (Northern, Frontier, CanAm, American Association).  The 2008 season will be Whitesides' second stop in the Frontier League - he was named to the All-Star Team in 2003 for Mid-Missouri when he hit .298 with 23 doubles, 11 triples, 4 home runs, and 22 stolen bases.

3B/1B/DH Matt Imwalle (.263, 25 2B, 15 HR) - The Beach Bums picked up slugging switch hitter Imwalle from Sioux Falls of the American Association where he finished 3rd in the home run race with 15 and 5th in extra base hits with 42 en route to making the All-Star Team.  Imwalle will look to prey on Frontier League hitters - when 2006 Frontier League MVP Ian Church came from the American Association to the Frontier League, he went from 21 doubles and 5 home runs to 39 doubles and 31 home runs.

C Patrick Perry (.305, 17 2B, 7 HR) - Perry was an All-Star in the CanAm League in 2007 after putting up a fantastic offensive season.  He has a good eye at the plate and is very difficult to strike out, which could make Perry one of the toughest outs in the Frontier League in 2008.  Perry is also steady behind the plate with a good arm that has been reported at consistently under 2.0 seconds to second base.  Perry threw out 23% of would-be stealers in 2007.  Perry signed with the Beach Bums as a free agent after playing out his option year for the Worcester Tornadoes.

CF Mike Epping (Triple-A Portland Beavers) - The Beach Bums made a huge off-season signing in outfielder Mike Epping, who finished as the starting center fielder for the Portland Beavers in 2007, the triple-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres.  Epping is a highly touted prospect that has great range in the outfield and terrific speed on the bases.

Other additions include C/OF Johnny Coit (Golden League), C Ryan Kottke (United League), OF James Conrad (Lafayette University), and pitchers Jacob Cook (Toronto Blue Jays Organization), and Josh Myers and Matt Lawrence, who both pitched in the United League in 2007.

Key Losses -

1B Brad Vericker,  SS Justin Holmes, 3B Sam Orr, C Matt Rademacher, and pitchers Robbie McClellan, Tony Casoli, and Phil Tognetti all announced their retirements this off-season.  Orr led all Beach Bums with more than 200 AB in batting average and on-base percentage while Casoli was named the 2006 Frontier League Pitcher of the Year before suffering some arm troubles last season.

OF Zack Kalter (.304 AVG, 51 RBI) - Kalter was one of the Beach Bums' best hitters in 2007, but wanted to play closer to home in California and pursue pitching, which he did in college.  Kalter was traded to Orange County Flyers of the Golden League in January for OF/C Johnny Coit.  He will concentrate 100% on pitching for the Flyers and I expect him to be in their starting rotation.

OF Aaron Garza (.279 AVG, 10 HR) - Garza showed a lot of power at the plate in his rookie season, hitting 10 home runs in just 47 games.  However, like Kalter, he wanted to play closer to home and was traded to the Grand Prairie AirHogs of the American Association in January.

The Beach Bums also lost closer Tyler Meigs (2.11 ERA, 11 saves) and pitcher David Nathanson (5-2, 2.95 ERA) to the Joliet Jackhammers in a deal that ultimately got the Beach Bums outfielder Jake Whitesides and 3B Matt Imwalle.

Beach Bums sign two Catchers

The Traverse City Beach Bums have signed two catchers to 2008 contracts - Patrick Perry and Ryan Kottke.  Picture:  Patrick Perry swings the bat while in college at Northern Colorado in 2004.

Perry is a 6'1" 190-pounder from Longmont, Colorado, who was named to the post season All-Star Team for the Worcester Tornadoes of the CanAm League in 2007 while hitting .305, with 17 doubles, 7 home runs, and 50 RBI.  Perry also has great plate discipline, walking 35 times last season against 41 strikeouts for a .374 on-base percentage.  The CanAm League only selects one catcher to the post-season All-Star Team, and Perry was it.

Perry was drafted in the 7th round of the 2004 MLB draft out of Northern Colorado, where he had a record breaking junior season that included a .478 average, 28 doubles, 13 home runs, and 74 RBI.  He spent two seasons in the Red Sox organization before spending the past two seasons in Worcester.  He played out his option year in 2007 and was granted free agency this off-season.

Perry has a great opportunity to make a lot of noise in the Frontier League.  Like I said when we traded recently traded for Matt Imwalle, players who come from leagues with unlimited age, like the CanAm, Northern, or American Association, tend to see a great increase in their offensive production in the Frontier League.  Last season, Mike Scanzano of Southern Illinois came from the Brockton Rox of the CanAm League the year before, where he hit .278, with a .355 on-base percentage, and .319 slugging percentage.  Last year in the Frontier League he hit .309, with a .381 on-base percentage, and a .344 slugging percentage.  A 10-20% increase in numbers is pretty typical with players coming over from the CanAm League.

Kottke is 6'0" 220-pounder who has kicked around the independent circuit over the past few years, landing a solid season last year in the United League.  Kottke split time between Rio Grande and Laredo last summer, hitting .235 with 5 doubles, a triple, a home run, and 19 RBI in 135 at-bats.  Kottke is a solid defensive catcher with a lot of drive and determination.  He will have the opportunity to battle for some playing time during spring training.

Chillicothe signs five; Two All-Stars retire

The Chillicothe Paints have signed five players in the past week - two pitchers and three outfielders.  The two pitchers are Chris Gomez from UC - Irvine, and Brian Gartley, who played in the South Coast League in 2007.  Gartley was one of the best pitchers in the South Coast League last season, and should be a big boost to the Paints' starting rotation.  In 2007 he went 10-3 with a 2.31 ERA.

The signing of Gartley prompted me to make a few phones calls since there is no record of Gartley being released by the South Coast League or there being any type of trade between the Chillicothe and Bradenton, the team he played on in 2007.  The typical independent contract is a one year deal with a one year option, giving teams leverage to negotiate new terms from year to year or just extend a player's option for the same pay he received the year before.  However, after a little research, it appears that the South Coast League contracts from their inaugural season, which was 2007, were one-year contracts with no option, so all players are free agents.  This would explain why between 8-10 South Coast League players from 2007 have appeared on the rosters of independent teams across the country in the last couple of weeks.  Most notably in Joliet, who is now managed by ex-South Coast League manager Wally Backman, and in Wichita, who is managed by ex-South Coast League Director of Baseball Operations Kash Beauchamp.

However, my research was a little confusing on the South Coast League as pretty much every contact I made in the league had a different opinion of how the players were being handled.  Some said they could "protect" a certain amount of players, some said that the players indeed had an option year in their contract, while others said that everyone was a free agent like I suspected.  The later is the most plausible explanation, otherwise teams like Chillicothe, Joliet, and Wichita would have to trade for players instead of just signing them.  Gartley, for instance, would have had trade value for that league since he was one of their top pitchers in 2007.

Needless to say, what hasn't already been cherry-picked out of the South Coast League will be soon after people like myself catch wind it is a free for all down there.

Back to the Chillicothe Paints - they have also signed three outfielders in the past week, which is a slightly confusing move since it looks like they have their starting outfield from 2007 back for 2008.  The three outfielders are Brad Bohannon, Kyle Patrick, and Montana Dye.  Dye has numbers worth mentioning - he hit .316 with  8 home runs last year at Sacramento State.  Dye will be competing with an outfield that will most likely looking like Paul Rutgers, Gavin Ng, and Travis Storrer from left to right.  The Paints signed former Kent State All-American 2nd basemen Drew Saylor earlier this off-season, which makes me think Rutgers will end up in left field.  It appears these three guys will have an uphill battle to make the squad since Gavin Ng is a good defensive center fielder and respectable leadoff man, while Travis Storrer has one of the best outfield arms in the Frontier League that I saw last year.

In other news, Rockford Riverhawks All-Star outfielder Matt Sauls and Gateway Grizzlies All-Star outfield Dustin Roberts have both announced their retirements.  Sauls hit .318 for Rockford last year and Roberts finished off his career with one of the more memorable offensive seasons in Frontier League history, hitting .301 with 19 doubles, 29 home runs, and 73 RBI.  Roberts is the only player that I've ever seen hit an opposite field home run at Wuerfel Park.

The Traverse City Beach Bums are still waiting for several contracts to return on newly signed players, which includes a couple very nice pitching prospects and the signing of one of the best catchers in the CanAm League in 2007.  Announcements on these players will be made as soon as we have their contracts in our hands.