What It's About

On the way to GCS Ballpark yesterday afternoon, I stopped by the Frontier League office, which is actually just outside GCS's left field wall, to say hello to FL Commissioner Bill Lee. He wanted to show me something that he had just received in the mail. A young man named Ryan Walling had sent him a drawing of the logos of the League and each of its teams. Bill had already called Ryan and left a message expressing his appreciation and was about to put it in a frame to display in his office. The Commish said that it was things like this youngster taking the time to create such artwork that reminds him everyday of what the League means to its fans. You could tell that it meant a lot to him.

I told you yesterday that I was looking forward to talking with Gateway GM Steve Gomric about the latest food creation at the ballpark. Well, I actually returned to an earlier-introduced item in the Grizzlies "Baseball's Best" line - their version of the soft pretzel. Hand made each day at GCS, the soft pretzel has a hint of cinnamon, combined with a lighter salt that made me order two, pretending that I was going to share with someone else. Steve (still "pound for pound . . ." - you know the rest if you frequent this blog) reveled in my enjoyment of the pretzel. Word is he is dreaming of even bigger things in the litany of stadium food for next season (it's like the Rose Parade - the planning and execution never stop).

I also got to visit with Windy City GM Steve Tahsler, who had traveled to Sauget to watch his ThunderBolts play the Grizzlies. If folks don't know Steve, he is the FL's resident statistician, and not just the numbers of baseball. He, with a committee of others, helps create the League's schedule each season. A graduate of Georgia State University, Steve actually has a degree in statistics and his ability to manipulate the 96-game regular season grid to make things mesh is legendary. He also has had a knack to help teams improve their bottom lines. Not one to mince words, a yes or no from Steve means exactly that (no more verbiage is necessary), people around the FL circuit pay attention to his thoughts on just about any subject involving the business of running a baseball team.

Back on the road today. More reports soon.

Oh To Be Back in Sauget

Traveled to the Metro East area today to see the Windy City ThunderBolts and the Gateway Grizzlies tonight at GCS Ballpark in Sauget, Illinois. The ThunderBolts won the opener Wednesday to jump into a tie (trailing by just percentage points) for first place in the West Division with the River City Rascals.

The Grizzlies and Southern Illinois Miners pulled off a big trade yesterday, with Gateway sending all-star outfielder Stephen Holdren and lefty reliever Adam Revelette to the Miners, receiving outfielder Kevin Koski and all-star closer Chris Wiman in return. It will be interesting to see how that plays out for both squads.

Will be reporting tonight on the tiny burgh of Sauget, one of the smallest, if not the smallest, cities to host professional sports. Will also have a chance to catch up with Grizzlies' GM Steve Gomric and see what food concoction he's dreaming up now. Hope to see you there!

No Jinx

For the record, I did not jinx Kalamazoo's Fran Riordan with yesterday's post. The Kings came from behind and then held on in a precarious ninth inning to edge the Midwest Sliders 3-2 in Ypsilanti for Fran's 412th career win in the Frontier League. Greg Tagert and he are now tied for most all-time managerial victories. The Kings and the Sliders go at it again today to see if Fran can jump into the lead all by his lonesome.

I spoke on the telephone yesterday with FL Commissioner Bill Lee, who is in Ypsilanti, and he reminded me just how important his dining favorites, as listed in the League's Media Guide, are to him and should be to me. He noted that after the game he would be on his way to the Sidetrack Bar and Grill in Y-Town for the best "handcrafted" burger he had ever tasted. I'm not sure how other burgers are crafted, but I do know that Bill is seldom off the mark with his recommendations.

A lot of great action out there today in the FL, including a doubleheader at Rockford's Road Ranger Stadium, home of this year's All-Star Game. Check out a game where you are!

Good Stuff

I'm now fully recovered from the All-Star trip and ready to go again. A few notes today:

At the risk of jinxing him (if I say it that way, it can't happen, right?), Kalamazoo's Fran Riordan is about to tie another career mark. As a player, he still holds the all-time record for games played and runs batted in. Now he is at the threshold of having the most wins as a manager in the Frontier League. At the moment, he has 411 victories in his eight plus seasons, just one behind Greg Tagert, who posted 412 in nine seasons. Tagert, who managed five teams in the FL, is now the skipper of the Northern League's Gary, Indiana team, where he has continued his great success. The Kings have a couple of games left in their current series with the Midwest Sliders, who are playing strong baseball, so Fran has his work cut out for him this weekend. A tip of the cap to you, Fran, for another milestone in your FL career.

What a year it's been for FL players moving on to MLB organizations. Earlier this week, Midwest ace James Albury was signed by the White Sox and Traverse City closer Jeff Williams went to the Yankees. That makes eight Frontier Leaguers that have moved on to the affiliated ranks after the start of the season. I know that I am fixated on the League's mission, but there is no doubt that the FL remains as the premier place for MLB scouts to find young talent to fill out their rosters. Looking at the stats leaders on the Frontier League web site, it wouldn't surprise me to see more action before the end of, and directly after, this 2009 campaign.

See you at a game soon.

17th All-Star Game

Just returned to the home base after driving back from Rockford for Wednesday's All-Star Game. Road Ranger Stadium, which is actually in Loves Park, Illinois, had a solid two-day stretch of fun and fun baseball. The game itself was a pitchers' duel until Florence's Ryan Basham hit a home run in the sixth inning. The visiting East team went on to defeat the West 5-2. Basham became the third straight Freedom player to win the A-S MVP award, following in the footsteps of Angel Molina last year and Reggie Watson in 2007.

A note about the All-Star Most Valuable Player Award. It is named for Alex Gamez, a member of the FL's Zanesville Greys, who was killed in a car accident just after being named to the 1995 All-Star Game. When his family traveled to Zanesville, after this overwhelming tragedy, they asked for his Greys' uniform so that Alex could be buried wearing it. He has become a symbol of what the League stands for - an opportunity for young, talented players, like Alex, to realize their dreams of playing professional baseball. I got to know Alex Gamez and he was a shining star, a star that continues to grace us with its light.

All in all, it was a great trip to northern Illinois for the midsummer classic. Next year, the cream of the League will head downstate, to Marion, Illinois, for the next installment. Hats off to RiverHawks' GM Josh Olerud and the Rockford staff for all of their work to make this year's event a success. Here's looking forward to the job that the Southern Illinois Miners front office will do in preparing Rent One Park for all of the festivities in 2010.

More trips coming up. Don't move the dial!

Tuesday in Rockford

Yesterday's All-Star luncheon recognized the players who had been named to this year's East and West squads, as well as the managers and coaches. I'm always struck by the fact that many of the FL's players, which is true for a lot of baseball players, would be undetectable as professional athletes on the street. It's hard to miss pro basketball and football players in real life, but a great number of baseball guys can fly beneath the radar. One thing that separates them, however, from the general populace is their amazing hand-eye coordination. I can tell you that not a crumb hit the floor yesterday during lunch.

The crowd was welcomed to Rockford at the luncheon by one of the League's interesting personalities, the owner of the host RiverHawks, Kurt Carlson. Kurt, whose brother is the drummer for the Rockford-based band Cheap Trick, has his own compelling story to tell. In 1985, he was aboard TWA Flight 847, which was hijacked on its way from Athens to Rome by people sympathetic to the Iranian leader at the time, Ayatollah Khomeini. Kurt, an Army Reserve major, was returning to the U.S. following a training mission in Egypt. After a Navy Seal was killed by the hijackers, Kurt and seven other military personnel were taken off the plane and kept hostage for 17 days in Beirut, Lebanon. He was eventually rescued and came back to Rockford to a hero's welcome. Kurt wrote a book about his ordeal, "One American Must Die: A Hostage’s Personal Account of the Hijacking of Flight 847", which I recommend highly.

There was also a reunion yesterday. Part of the festivities Tuesday evening at Road Ranger Stadium was the Legends game between the Cubs and White Sox alumni. The owner of the Florence Freedom, Clint Brown, was walking along the concourse when he noticed that one of the players for the Cubs squad was his former high school teammate, Willie Wilson. Yes, that Willie Wilson. It had been more than 30 years since last they talked, but they were able to sit down in the clubhouse and get caught up in no time. Clint was quick to point out to me that he played in the outfield for their New Jersey high school and that the younger Wilson, who was a stellar outfielder for many years in the Big Leagues, was relegated to playing catcher. Clint then added that Willie was the biggest guy on the team, so going behind the plate made sense. He also noted that Willie could have played big-time college basketball or football had he decided on either route.

It was an entertaining day yesterday. Wednesday should offer more fun as the All-Star Game is set for a 7:05 start. Weather should be perfect, so come on out if you're in the area.

All-Star Fun Begins

I've made it to Rockford, Illinois for the start of the FL All-Star Game hoopla. The traveling carnival is staying at the Clock Tower Resort and everyone appears to be in good spirits. For the players, it will be the first time that they've had more than a one-day break from the action since the season began in May.

The first thing on the schedule today is the luncheon here at the Clock Tower. That's when the Commish Bill Lee gets to give a speech to the assembled throng. He'll probably talk about his professional baseball career and how he was a .370 lifetime hitter - .190 his first year and .180 his second year. Actually, he was a better player than he likes to let on, but it makes for good material. If you ever get the chance, you should ask him about the day, with Ted Turner in the stands, he switch-hit against a switch-thrower in a showcase for Braves' farmhands.

Tonight, there's a lot of fun stuff going on at Road Ranger Stadium in nearby Loves Park. A bunch of celebs will be at the ballpark to take part in the Cubs/White Sox Legends Game, followed by the FL's annual home run derby. The great thing about all of it is that the participants, both legends and FL soon-to-be legends, will be available for autographs and baseball conversation in and around the activities. If ever there is a theme running in the Frontier League, it's accessibility to the action and to the players, the way baseball used to be.

Hope to see you at an All-Star event in the next couple of days. Should be good fodder for the ol' blog.

James Keeps on Rollin'/FL Announcers

Hope I don't put the equivalent of the SI jinx on Jason James, but I have to comment on his incredible hitting streak. The Rockford outfielder, who is hitting .438 and leads the FL in that category by almost 60 points, has now hit safely in 36 consecutive games. He long ago passed the single season mark and has now exceeded the combined season record set, improbably, by Kevin Holt, who started his 35-game streak in 1996 with the Johnstown Johnnies and continued on into the 1997 season with the Richmond Roosters.

Friday night, James put himself alone atop the category with one hit in three official at-bats, but that hit, as if to punctuate his tremendous feat, was a home run at, of all places, Homer Stryker Field in Kalamazoo. He is one of those guys that comes along in the Frontier League that makes you scratch your head as to why he isn't moving up the affiliated ranks. James is a good defensive player with a strong arm and is a solid baserunner to go along with his hitting prowess. Oh well, I'm glad we all get to watch what he does night in and night out for the RiverHawks.

Speaking of moving up, it is noteworthy that play-by-play experience in the FL is paying dividends for a group of announcers that are making their mark in the Triple-A International League. It was announced yesterday that former Windy City broadcaster Jason Benetti has taken over as the main voice for the Syracuse Chiefs. Already in the IL are Scott Leo (Richmond) and Ryan Mitchell (Chillicothe) for the Columbus Clippers, who play in a beautiful new stadium in the Arena District of the Ohio capital, and Matt Andrews (Chillicothe) who is on the mike for the Louisville Bats, who inhabit a great ballpark on the Ohio river, Louisville Slugger Stadium, which is right down the road from the factory. Congrats to all of them - I hope they're able to make the next jump soon.

I'm about to get on the road toward Rockford, which will host the FL midsummer classic next Wednesday at Road Ranger Stadium. Will have reports when I get in the neighborhood. More then!

Congrats to Travis

The Frontier League has been fortunate over the years with its ability to move players on to affiliated ball. Announcements that someone has been signed by an organization can be rather routine now, but one caught my eye yesterday and deserves special mention.

Travis Garcia, who played for Ohio Valley when it was a travel team in 2005 and then for the Chillicothe Paints from 2006 through 2008, is one of the League's top players in its history. I am confident that he would be the starting shortstop on many observers' all-time FL squads. For whatever reason, he just wasn't given the opportunity to return to the affiliated ranks.

Yesterday came the announcement that Travis has been signed by the Mariners' organization and will start out at their Double-A club, the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx in Jackson, Tennessee. I couldn't be happier for an alum, one who not only played the game with a lot of grace, but who also represented the FL as well as anyone ever could. He was a first-rate player on the field and an even better person off of it.

Hats off to you, Travis. I'm sure I speak for many FL fans when I wish you all the best as you continue to climb the ladder.

Great Names

Really not much to report from the weekend. Just a quick note about the rosters named for this season's All-Star Game in Rockford. Does Florence sign guys because of their names? The Freedom's catcher, Justin Pickett, and outfielder Ryan Basham were both voted onto the team. Pickett behind the plate? Basham at the plate? C'mon - really.

Reflections

Since my trip, I've been ruminating on the events of that week and would like to offer these random thoughts:

The best new ballpark food: Gateway's "Baseball's Best Nachos" - following up on their Krispy Kreme Cheddar Burger and their Deep Fried Slider, the Grizzlies have put together a teeming nacho plate with a Philly cheese steak flair. My doctor gave me strict instructions before I headed to the road to avoid such fare, but they went unheeded, at least at GCS (oh, and at River City's T.R. Hughes Ballpark with an O'Fallon Brewery root beer float).

Most athletic mascots: Traverse City's Suntan and Sunburn - these furry alter egos are manned by two former college football players who can actually dance it up. There is a routine early in Beach Bums' home games where the music changes rapidly and the duo has to adjust its hoofing style. Outstanding! Honorable mention goes to Kalamazoo's Lulu who does a mean Cupid Shuffle.

Busiest broadcaster: Kalamazoo's play-by-play announcer John Leahy not only does every game solo, he also runs the team's video webcast and simultaneously updates the comments section on the webcast page. The most remarkable part is that he does all of that while having to listen to the Lefler-Zerban comedy hour.

Fittest general manager: Evansville's Liam Miller is constantly walking the circular Bosse Field to monitor the activities on game night. The native Alaskan, who graduated from Indiana State in Terre Haute (don't they all), is a whirling dervish. I did notice that he prefers to proceed counter-clockwise around the stadium - must be a Juneau thing.

P.A. moment: The Frontier League is blessed with outstanding P.A. announcers. My favorite public address moment on the trip was the anticipation in the press box for the deep voice of Wild Things' announcer Bill DiFabio to pronounce Midwest relief pitcher Arshwin Asjes' name. To the delight of the multitude, Bill hit the mark perfectly.

Most pillows on a team hotel bed: River City's Hilton Garden Inn in O'Fallon, Missouri had more pillows than it is possible to use. I took an extra nap so that none of them felt cheated. By the way, the number of pillows matched the number of stars I would give this hotel. Great service, great room, all without an expensive mini-bar.

Now that I've had a chance to get my breath, I am planning for the next road trip. I'll probably head somewhere this weekend to enjoy the Fourth (ballpark fireworks are the best) and then begin preparing for the All-Star Game and accompanying festivities in Rockford. Stay tuned!