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.
