Great story from our friend Jason Bristol who is a must follow on twitter @JasonBristol. Private instructor Mark Wetzel has made a career as a hitting instructor despite being legally blind. Among his clients are former Cincinnati Reds prospect Eric Eymann who now plays for the York Revolution in the Atlantic League who talks about his experience being taught by Wetzel. It’s an awe inspiring story.
Tag Archives: Independent League
Former Texas Rangers Prospect Casey Benjamin’s Baseball Dream Continues As A Southern Maryland Blue Crab
The odds of making it to the majors were against Casey Benjamin but that did not stop the North Dakota native from giving it his best shot. Benjamin went undrafted in 2003 before signing a free agent deal with the Texas Rangers after a collegiate career at Tennessee Tech. Over the next seven years he worked his way through the Rangers minor league chain topping out with the Triple-A Oklahoma City Redhawks. A 2009 season in which the .250 career hitter batted just .231 with the Redhawks marked the end of his stint in the Rangers organization. In 2010 Benjamin decided to head to the independent Atlantic League where many former prospects, suspects, and former major leaguers go to continue to fuel their passion for the game, and hope for one more chance at affiliated ball. In the story Benjamin talks about his Atlantic League experience, the sense of family he gets from his Southern Maryland Blue Crabs teammates, and his preparation for life after baseball.
West Fargo graduate not giving up on his baseball dream — InForum.com
VIDEO: Kobayashi Throws Out 1st Pitch, Eats 6 Burgers In :47 And Films Classic Commercial At Gary Railcats Game
This has got to qualify as the best independent league promotion of the year. The Gary South Shore Railcats on the American Association brought in legendary competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi to throw out the first pitch, sign autographs, and take on fans in a hamburger eating contest. In addition to those festivities Kobayashi even filmed a classic commercial for the club. All three videos below are all kinds of awesome.
Kobayashi Throws Out The First Pitch & Downs Burgers
More of the Eating Contest, Autograph Signing, and Interview
Awesome Commercial Spot
Los Angeles Angels Pitcher Jerome Williams Didn’t Answer The Call He’s Been Waiting For Since 2007
The last time Jerome Williams pitched in the big leagues it was 2007 and he went 0-5 with a 7.20 ERA in six starts for the Washington Nationals. Since then the former 1st round pick of the San Francisco Giants back in 1999 has literally gone around the globe in an effort to return to the majors. Since his stint with the Nationals, Williams has been a member of the Las Vegas 51’s, Sacramento Rivercats, Salt Lake City Bees, Inland Empire 66ers, Long Beach Armada, Lancaster Barnstormers, and even the Uni-President Lions in Taiwan. When Williams phone rang Tuesday night, he didn’t answer it. A text message later, he found out he was headed back to the big leagues for the first time in over four years. He responded with 2/3 of an inning of scoreless ball closing out Anaheim’s 4-3 loss to the Rangers on Wednesday. Williams was promoted after going 7-2 with a 3.91ERA in 10 starts at Triple-A Salt Lake covering 73.2 innings in which he struck out 60 while walking just 15. In the story by Angels beat writer Bill Plunkett who is a must follow on twitter @billplunkettocr, Williams talks about his disbelief at being back in the big leagues, the long journey between now and 2007, and overcoming the label of being “lazy” during his first run in the majors with the Giants, Cubs, and Nationals.
Williams back in majors with Angels after long absence — OCRegister.com
VIDEO: Skydiver Who Is Supposed To Fly Game Ball To The Mound Instead Crashes Into Outfield Wall
This clip is a couple of years old but one that I had not seen before today and judging by the view count, you haven’t either. It comes as a web extra from the Playing For Peanuts documentary that follows Wally Backman as he manages the independent South Georgia Peanuts. They hire a skydiver to fly down and deliver the baseball to the pitcher, but instead of landing near the mound, the dude crashes into the outfield fence.
Woman Falls Throwing Out First Pitch At A Minor League Game And Somehow Still Throws A Strike
The independent league Joliet Slammers allow fans who purchase certain ticket packages the opportunity to throw out a first pitch prior to the start of their game. This lady is celebrating her 40th birthday and is among those given the first pitch honor. She makes the Big 40 memorable by falling as she releases the pitch but somehow manages to still throw a strike. John Wall could take notes.
Former Kansas City Royals Bonus Baby Chris Lubanski Refuses To Give Up On His Big League Dreams
It’s hard to believe that Chris Lubanski is still just 26 years old. The Kennedy Kenrick High School in Pennsylvania product never lived up to the hype he carried when the Kansas City Royals made him the 5th overall pick of the 2003 draft. After three promising seasons in Low-A, High-A, and Double-A as he climbed the organizational ladder, Lubanski hit a wall when he got to Triple-A batting just .208, .242, and .227 in three seasons with the Omaha Royals. By the end of the 2009 season, the Royals had given up and he signed with the Toronto Blue Jays and put up respectable numbers, hitting .293 with 24(2B), 6(3B), 17HR’s, and 57RBI’s in 100 games during an injury plagued season for the Las Vegas 51’s. He landed with the Florida Marlins organization in 2011 but was released in Spring Training and was not picked up by another club, so the former bonus baby found himself on the fringes of professional baseball as a member of the Chico Outlaws of the independent North American League. Lubanski’s prayers of a second chance at affiliated ball were answered by the Philadelphia Phillies who signed him in early August and sent him to Double-A Reading, miles from where he grew up. In the story, Lubanski talks about refusing to give up on his big league dreams, the opportunity to play at a stadium that he used to roam as a kid, and keeping the faith as he has dealt with loads of adversity. It’s a great read.
Lubanski’s road finally winds to Reading — Reading Eagle
Former Minnesota Twins Great Gary Gaetti To Manage Sugar Land Skeeters Indy League Team
The Sugar Land Skeeters who will open play as an expansion franchise in the independent Atlantic League in 2012 has made a splash hiring Houston resident and former Minnesota Twins star Gary Gaetti as their first manager. The team has already created a good deal of buzz for the seven story tall state of Texas shaped scoreboard it plans to have at Star Tex Power Field which is currently being built for the team. In the story, Gaetti talks about his desire to manage, his style of play, and how his perspective on independent league baseball changed when his son Joe Gaetti failed to land a job in affiliated baseball and landed in the Atlantic League as a player. It’s a pretty good read.
Gaetti introduced as Sugar Land Skeeters manager — Houston Chronicle
VIDEO: 69 Year Old Former Astros Manager Hal Lanier Explodes With Anger Following Indy League Ejection
Last week we told you about 69 year old former Houston Astros manager Hal Lanier’s new gig as manager of the Frontier League’s Normal Cornbelters. Well over the weekend he got tossed one batter into a game for arguing that his lead off hitter was hit by a pitch. The umpire disagreed, and Lanier exploded with the fury of a 20 year old. The video was shot by PA man Brett Myhres who you can follow on twitter @BrettMyhers
Former Houston Astros Manager Hal Lanier Still Managing At Age 69
The Normal CornBelters of the Frontier League are likely the only team in the league to have a former National League Manager of the Year calling the shots. Hal Lanier is coaching the team at the ripe old age of 69. The former mid 1980’s Astros manager also played in the majors for San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. In the article Lanier talks about staying young through coaching baseball, instructing in the minor leagues at his age, and enjoying the life of a normal retiree from his Florida home in the off season.
CornBelters’ Lanier still teaching at 69 — TheSouthern.com