Ottawa Champions will play a team from Japan this season

The independent leagues are really thinking progressively!  I previously mentioned the Atlantic League's discussion of starting a team in Cuba.  Well, now the Can-Am League has announced that their team based in Ottawa will play a team from Japan this year!  I think this is very exciting!  I am so impressed with these leagues for mixing things up a bit! 

The Atlantic League in Cuba

I know, there have been a LOT of headlines lately about Cuba....  and many of those mention baseball.  I absolutely love the idea of being able to travel to new and interesting places, ESPECIALLY if baseball is involved! 

I just finished reading some books on JFK, and I get that there is still some bad blood issues there.  BUT, I am glad to see some figurative walls coming down.

Anyway, I found this article about a possible Caribbean Division for the Atlantic League!  Check out the article and see what you think!  The proposed division would include Cuba, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic.

Hats off to the Atlantic League for even considering this sort of thing.  I really think of those guys as super progressive and innovative. 

clevescene.com

http://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2013/09/17/lake-erie-crushers-play-for-survival-in-the-frontier-league-championship

A HUGE tip of the hat goes to my pals at the Cleveland Scene again!  These guys are still giving some mention to their local Frontier League team!!!!

CLASSY!

I have mentioned here before that I lived in Cleveland for about 10 years, and clevescene.com is where I go to keep up with some of the more interesting stories in that area.

AND, when I travel, I always pick up the local free magazines when I can just to get a feel of an area.  I wish more magazines would work to be as good as the Cleveland Scene!

Wild Pitches

Hey, check out this article from West Virginia's Bridgeport News!  It looks like there is some serious talk of a Frontier League team setting up shop in the area!  If you are in the central or eastern part of Kentucky, this might be a nice weekend trip to think about!  I am glad to see the Frontier League coming back to some of their earlier territories!

http://www.exponent-telegram.com/bridgeportnews/news/article_a93a45d4-6833-11e2-bcb8-001a4bcf887a.html#.UQf8bGdq-EY.gmail

Also, a new independent league is taking shape for the 2014 season.  There is some talk of a northern Kentucky team in this league!

Keep up to date on their developments here:

http://indybaseballleague.com/

Washington Wild Things Washington, PA

We absolutely love Consol Energy Park in Washington Pennsylvania.  There is something very special to me about a very small park in this area.

The park is really only a half an hour or so outside of Pittsburgh, making it very easy for a baseball fan to take a weekend trip to the Pittsburgh area for a Pirates game one night, and a Wild Things game on another night.

This park is very close to the local mall.  Washington is the kind of town big enough for a mall, but barely.  There are things to do in the area, but it still has a very rural feel.

The Wild Things have a nice, green skyline going at their park.  I love this!  I like an urban skyline too, but a hill with a bunch of trees on it is so relaxing!

Plus, you still have Pittsburgh close by.  You can still go and see concerts, and do all of the bigger city stuff you want anytime.

Personally, I think Washington would be a great town to live in.  It is close to a beautiful city like Pittsburgh, but it is still far enough away to have its own identity.  It also has a nice smaller mall, and a Frontier League baseball team!

The vibe at a Wild Things game is very local, and very community oriented- like at many minor league parks.  Thats fun.  People seem to know each other, and even if you are an outside you are treated in a familiar way.  The team seems to be OK with tailgating too, as I saw a lot of that going on!

The staff at this park has always been friendly too.  I usually stop by customer service or chat with someone in the ticket booth.


A popular item at the Wild Things game was milk and a cookie!  I know the Florence Freedom have milk and cookies too.

I saw fans lining up a little while before the announcement was made.  Then the line just got bigger.  I think they sell milk and a cookie for a buck!  If the line wasn't so long I would have gotten in on that!

What a great tradition to have at a ball game!  Plus, its affordable!

For some reason, it seems that the weather acts up when I am in Washington.  It just got a little windy on this visit, but I was there once when a rough storm came through- I think it was in 07.  A very solid opera singer performed the National Anthem and it seemed like the storm hit as the singer hit her last night.  It was spectacular!  As she finished the haunting version of the great song, you could see dust clouds come up in the outfield.

I would love to hear form anyone who was at that game.

If you are a baseball road tripper and you haven't been to Washington, you need to go.  The city is a perfect example of what a minor league town should be.  Not too big, locals are friendly, and a scruffy style of play is the norm.

AND, I love the Frontier League.  Its just the perfect league that struggled early on, but has now solidly established itself.  Unlike some affiliated leagues, they still appreciate your business.



http://washingtonwildthings.com/

2012 Florence Freedom

I was able to get to one of my all time favorite parks a few days ago for the first time this season!

I really love the Florence Freedom and the Frontier League.

The who atmosphere is just a lot more casual than at even some single A parks I know.  The staff and the players are more calm and cool.

The players have more to prove too and they play a bit more aggressively.

The Freedom play at such a cool park.  There are funny paintings on the walls in the bathrooms and their between inning stunts are a bit more entertaining than at some parks.  I love the eyeball race.  I love their mascots too!


The park in Florence is another one of the great lower league parks where yo are still in an urban area, but you feel like you are not.  The outfield area overlooks the very green area of town.

Plus, I like Florence.  They have a nice mall, several nice food places close by, and they now have a Half price Books!

On the day i went, the Freedom were playing my other favorite Frontier League team, the Washington Wild Things!  Washington's coach, the legendary Lenny Randle was hamming it up and entertaining the crowd before the game!  He very kindly jumped the fence at one point and went to the stands to sign autographs!

This is easily one of my all time favorite teams and parks.  I think a lot of people over look the indy and smaller league teams which is sad.

The Freedom offer great deals on tickets, have great promos and affordable food items.


http://www.florencefreedom.com/

Luther Williams Field Macon, GA.

I was very excited about stopping by Luther Williams Field in Macon recently. The park is one of the oldest, and it hosted the legendary Macon Peaches for decades. I was glad to find out that an independent pro team in the Peach State League is playing there! I would love to catch a game sometime at this facility. http://peachstateleague.com/

Kansas City T-Bones- Well Done

Some teams have a wicked good sense of humor, like the Kansas City T-Bones.

I thought I would put up an image of their pocket schedule this year.

"Fun...Well Done."

$1 hot dogs and free parking are a pretty big reason to go too.

This is a great park in a great location. AND they have a bull mascot named Sizzle.

Pete Rose Jr.

Last year, we took a road trip to catch some games in Pennsylvania. I was really excited to catch the York Revolution near Gettysburg. This is an exciting park with some notoriety, but they also had Pete Rose Jr. covering 1st!

This year, one of my favorite local teams added Pete to their coaching staff.

I asked several players for the Florence Freedom how their new hitting coach was working out, and they all expressed pure joy at having the minor league/indy league legend with them. The players I talked to seemed really proud to have him.

I asked him to sign a couple of items for me and he very politely did. I hope he is able to hang out in the area and work with the team for some time.

Bear Bay- Jack Hammers and Aeros

Ronald "Bear" Bay pitched in the Cleveland Indians system for a few years, in addition to a couple of other teams.

When I lived in the Cleveland area, I got to see him pitch a few times with the AA Aeros. He was one of those guys who had "it" and you really thought he was close to making it to the majors.

He played with style and talent, and he was one of those guys we were always cheering for.

Unfortunately, things didn't quit work out with the Tribe, and Bear found his way out of affiliated baseball.

I was excited to catch the the Jack Hammers recently, and to see that Bear has hooked up with this fun independent league team.

I sent him a note asking about his career, especially relating to the Akron Aeros and the Cleveland Indians.

Bear responded, letting me know that he is still very connected to the Akron/Cleveland area.

Bear says that he is in Cleveland a lot in the off season.

Also, he met his wife in Akron!!! So, Akron may not have been the next step to the majors, but I think Bear is still proud of the fact that he spent some time in the Tire City!

Congrats to Bear and his exciting professional baseball career.

Kentucky Hustlers

http://www.leaguelineup.com/miscinfo.asp?menuid=35&cmenuid=35&url=lexingtonhustlers&sid=987446327

There is a new Summer College League team in Lexington! They have taken their name from a team that played in the area in the 40s! Here is a link to a great article explaining the team's history. They were one of the first mixed race teams around!

Florence Freedom exhibition games.

The Freedom are getting their act together this year, and they have competed in some exhibition games! I made it up to Champion Windows field this past weekend to catch the Freedom.

I really love this area, and this team. They always put on a great game day experience, and the team always looks good.

The team did not look as strong as it has in the past. Then again, this was an exhibition game. Their opponents were stealing left and right on them. It was a little embarrassing. I am certain manager Toby Rumfield will be working with the boys on this.

The Freedom have a fun and witty staff. Their on field personality is the most animated I have ever seen. Most teams have some guy with a microphone fumbling over cards trying to make in between inning dizzy bat races sound interesting.

Well, the Freedom do the dizzy bat race too, but their on field announcer makes it interesting. She wears a head set microphone which allows her to do flips and other acrobatics during the game. Their announcer is smart too. He does a great job of announcing the players, and can make the occasional side joke too.

Their new mascot, Wally the Water Tower, appeared. The legendary phrase, "Florence Y'all" is part of his costume.

Florence Freedom exhibition games

Hey, if you are anywhere near the top part of the state you should make a point to stop by Champion Window Field. They are having some exhibition games tonight, tomorrow night, and at 1 on Saturday. $5 to get in. They are also asking for items (canned food and hygiene) which will be sent to Nashville thanks to Two Men and a Truck. We all know Nashville needs some assistance at the moment.

The Freedom are a great organization, and always host a fun game day. They are once again showing a ton of class by trying to help our friends in Nashville. Hats off to Two Men and a Truck too.

http://www.florencefreedom.com/

http://www.twomenandatruck.com/

Larry Addington Field- Tri-State Tomahawks

The Frontier League is one of my favorites. They are starting to get some praise, but I feel like they deserve even more.

The league started in 1993. I wasn't keeping up with the league at that time but I have been following them for some time now.

Many of the first few teams in the league didn't make it. I won't go on with details about the early days of the league because Tim Perry's web site does a great job of that. Most of the info I know about the leagues comes from Tim's unofficial Frontier League History page (though it is linked to the official site of the league, giving it some level of "officialness").

http://flhistory.gofreeserve.com/

Tim Perry does an amazing job of covering every team that has ever been in the league, including the short lived Tomahawks.

http://flhistory.gofreeserve.com/Tri-StateTomahawks.htm

Also check out this site for more history and some better photos than the ones I have posted: http://www.digitalballparks.com/

I made the pilgrimage here a few weeks ago, because it did host professional baseball in the Frontier League's inaugural season.

"What's the big deal about that?" you might ask.

Think about how many parks in Kentucky that have hosted professional baseball. I can think of 4 active ones (linked to the left). The triple A Louisville team played at some before their current location, including one that is still standing. There are 2 former Frontier League parks that have hosted the pros in Kentucky.

Larry Addington Field is a very nice high school park. I enjoyed walking around there. I am sure the community is aware of how nice the field is. But it is not really a pro level field.

As I walked around, I thought about my favorite current Frontier League team, the Florence Freedom, and I tried to compare Champion Window Field (where the Freedom plays) to this park.

The Freedom are drawing very respectable crowds to the northern part of Kentucky these days. A Freedom game is exciting and happening. Most games I have been to have at least a few thousand in attendance. Parking is plentiful.

The two parks are totally different. One is a nice minor league park, the other is a nice high school park.

I cannot imagine opening night at the old Tomahawks park. According to the web sites mentioned above, the team drew less than 1000 fans for their entire shortened season. I would love to see some photos or really anything relating to that original Frontier League team.

But this park still stands, and the league is still around!

BOOK: Everything Happens in Chillicothe by Mike Shannon

As you might guess, I really enjoy reading books about baseball. I read a lot of books in general, and I like talking about them. I probably read 5 times more than I ever review on my 2 blogs. If I don't like a book, I won't write about it at all. If I like a book, I write about it.

I hate to rank books. There are many great books out there. I would hate to say that I like one more than another. It just doesn't seem right.

There are things about certain books I like more than others. I like stories about underdogs. I like baseball stories from the lowest levels of the minors. I enjoy the human element in a story. I hate a book where a player is trying to justify why they cheated, or where they try to explain why what they did was not so bad. I appreciate humans being humble.

I have read a lot of great baseball books this year alone. I love many books. When I am asked what my all time favorite baseball book is, I scratch my head. I might ask the person asking me about what they like in a baseball book. If they are a fan of the 50s era Yankees, they might not appreciate a book about the 86 Mets. I will try to think of a book they will like.

If I had to come up with one book that is just great for any baseball fan, if I was forced to disclose my one personal most favorite baseball book ever, and considering my personal biases when it comes to a good baseball book, I would name Mike Shannon's "Everything Happens in Chillicothe." I might answer that question reluctantly, out of respect for all of the other great underrated books out there, but this is my favorite.

"What is the book about?" one might ask.

The book is about a one eyed umpire.

I know what you are thinking. "A one eyed umpire?!?! That's just wrong! Why would someone write a book like that! That's insensitive!"

Relax pal. This isn't a work of fiction. It is a real book about Max McLeary (he does exist!), a real professional baseball umpire- who happens to have one eye.

Mike Shannon is a thoughtful writer, and he correctly decides that following the Frontier League's most interesting personality around for a season would make a great read. I thank Mike Shannon for this.

You get a lot of book for your money with this one. It is 400 pages, but the book is so good, the size won't matter. Don't be intimidated. You will bury your nose in this one and enjoy every moment.

I won't even attempt to summarize it, but it is a good book about quit a character. In fact, Max is such a fascinating person this would be a good book even if he had two eyes.

Max really seems to enjoy umpiring, going to Frontier League games, high school games, etc. He really makes next to nothing doing it. Also, it seemed to me that many of the players in the league had developed a respect for him.

Not to give anything away, but there is a very touching and sad moment in the book involving Max going to see a AAA game in Indianapolis. Max has not maintained a good relationship with his son, Marty McLeary. His son, oddly has become a AAA pitcher and Max makes the trip to see him pitch. After the game, Max makes an attempt to talk to his son.

Mike Shannon really covers the Frontier League and gives some rich info on the leagues history. There are other great Frontier League stories in this book too (including a fun one about a player wining big at the Casino in Evansville).

If you read this book, you come away feeling like Max is a buddy. You feel his pain at times, and grow to like him.

I emailed Bill Lee (President of the Frontier League) a couple of years back and asked him about Max's current status. He told me that Max was involved with a college league team near Cincinnati. Still involved with baseball.

So, here it is. My favorite baseball book.

BOOK: Crocodiles Rock! by Tom Delamater

One of my favorite leagues is the Frontier League. For an independent league it has been around for a long time, though 1993 doesn't seem that long ago.

The league has really transformed. In fact, with the departure of the Chillicothe Paints, there are no original teams in their original city left.

I will save the Frontier League history lesson for another day, but the the league has had some of the coolest named teams ever, including the Canton Crocodiles.

I recently saw a book about Ohio baseball that neglected the Frontier League teams! Fortunately, the teams radio announcer for their 1st season documented that 1997 summer.

Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium in Canton had hosted minor league baseball. The Canton-Akron Indians left the venue to go and play their home games in the new downtown Akron facility. The young but growing Frontier League jumped in immediately and the Canton Crocodiles were born.

Tom Delamater gives a great and easy to understand history of the league leading up to the Crocs entrance. He talks about how the league was very much an Ohio league. He covers all of the politics involved in getting a minor league team to a town. Delamater also describes the chaos of opening night for a new minor league team.

Tom talks about the Crocs season and their battles to make it to the Frontier League Championship. He covers the players, the opponents, and the other teams home fields that he visits.

I personally enjoyed Tom describing the conditions in the broadcaster booths at each of the parks!

One of the interesting characters in the book is Thurman Munson's son, Mike Munson. I won't go on about Thurmon's legacy and all, but how many times does a second generation pro player play in a stadium named after his father? "Crocodiles Rock" documents it.

As a side note on Mike, I found a great article about his restaurant:

http://www.cantonrep.com/entertainment/celebrities/x2015100400/Mike-Munson-fulfilling-his-own-legacy

It has been a while since I read this book- I read it before I started this blog, but it is a great minor league baseball book. The players on the Crocodiles team are mostly forgotten now, as their careers have ended in pro baseball. After their championship game win in Evansville the team went back to Canton (Tom notes that staying another night in Evansville, where they won their championship, was not in the budget).

I appreciate the passion and the scrappy play of the low level minor leagues. Budgets are a huge concern. Players work in the off season. No one, players, coaches or owners, are likely to get rich at this level. I doubt Tom Delamater made money on this book.

I appreciate the fact that he did though. He has preserved a piece of baseball history that might have otherwise been forgotten. As the Frontier League ages, and continues to gain respect (as it has every season) I think more people will become interested in the leagues origins and early days. Thanks to Tom, they will be able to read about one of those teams championship seasons.

This is a well written book by a humble radio announcer for a lower level team. Tom has nothing to prove (or gain) in writing this great book. I can easily say this is one of my top ten favorite baseball books of all time.

Kentucky Horsemen Football

For anyone that follows the Horsemen in Lexington, I have read that they have folded. I actually heard this several days ago, and just hoped it was a nasty rumor. I hoped that they might come back a few days later and announce that they were actually still functioning (like they did a couple of years ago, saying that they were no more, but then announcing a week or two later that they would actually be back in a new league).

Well, it looks like they could not swing the fees that the new Arena 1 League required. I am very sad to hear about this, they really put on a good show at Rupp, and I loved going to the games.

Their web site still appears current, though it hasn't been updated lately. I know the Lexington area will have a new pro basketball team and that's great, but I will really miss the Horsemen. I think they stuck around a lot longer than anyone expected.

Jimmy Stanley- Frontier League

Jimmy Stanley played for a couple of teams in the Frontier League this year, including spending the first part of the season with the Florence Freedom. Being a fellow Lexingtonian, Jimmy let me know a little bit about his very young, pro baseball career.

"It's always been my dream to play pro baseball and I thank God for giving me this chance" Jimmy said. He seems very happy about his opportunity.

He said that his favorite park to play in has been the one in Southern Illinois (Home of the Miners). He was impressed with their huge crowds and amazing facility. His favorite pro team is the Reds. He mentions that he is a huge Griffey fan.

Los Angeles is his favorite sports city, but he bases that mostly on a friends description.

I asked him about the new artificial turf at Champion Window Field. He said that he was a little skeptical of it at first but started to like it after a while. He said that it was different pitching on the turf mound and it did not feel natural.

Jimmy also talked about playing in the 2005 Kentucky State Championship with Lexington Christian Academy. He got to pitch the final game.

Jimmy gives his parents a lot of credit for their support, and he was glad that his pro career started a short drive from home.

I asked Jimmy about being traded from the Florence Freedom to the Kalamazoo Kings. He did say that he was bummed about it at first, but he felt that everything happens for a reason. He said that he is enjoying the area, and he is glad that he got to meet the guys on the team.

Brian Shubsda Newark Bears

I sent a note to former Citadel Catcher Brian Shubsda. Brian sent a very nice note back about himself. I got to see Brian with the Newark Bears this last season.

Concerning his teammates on this exciting Bears team, Brian says, "it is very humbling to be in a clubhouse like ours, with names like Carl Everett, Armando Benitez, and Ramiro Mendoza". He says that he enjoys playing at their park in Newark.

Brian very kindly says that he was glad he could respond to my request for info. He says that getting letters and pictures in the mail is fun.

He also mentions that his best friend, Todd Frazier was with the Louisville Bats this year! That is his Kentucky connection!

Bridgeport Bluefish & The Ballpark at Harbor Yard, CT.

OK, I know Bridgeport is a LONG way from Kentucky, but we did do it on our week long road trip!

I was very excited about seeing this park. I will try to get some pictures up soon, but this is a great park right off of the interstate. It is very accessible, and we didn't have to drive through town to get to it.

They had a nice, well stocked gift shop that even had some bargains. Unfortunately, I did not find a card set, and I did hear rumors that one would not be produced this year for this team. This is unfortunate, as the team seemed talented.

The park is elevated on the outside. You do have to go up a lot of steps to get to the main entrance, and then come down some, depending on where your seat is, once inside.
The really cool thing about this park is it has a very industrial feel. There is some factory beside it, and some other buildings. The Ballpark at Harbor Yard has maybe the coolest feature I have ever found at a park- a rail line. Trains pass over the outfield area every 15 minutes or so. Locals may not appreciate it, and season ticket holders are probably tired of the novelty, but it is unique!

The staff was generally friendly, we talked to a couple of park employees who were great. They obviously took a lot of pride in the team and in the park. The park did seem to have a lot of ushers who were obtrusive at times. I will take enthusiastic ushers anyday over ones that don't pay attention though.

I took a lot of photos at this park, and the pictures don't do it justice. The park is one that you need to see in person.