Somerset Nears Lead for Graduates Getting to Majors; St. Paul Has 15, Patriots 14

Michael Ryan’srecall to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheimbrings Somerset , NJ within reach of tying for the all-time (1993-2010) record of the most alumni from one Independent team reaching the major leagues.

The St. Paul (MN) Saints, who got a five-year jump on the Patriotssince they started play in the Northern Leaguein 1993 (they now are in the American Association), have seen 15 of their players climb to the majors.  Somerset has had 14.  Ryan is the 140 ^th graduate of an Independent league overall to play in the majors.

Somerset has a sizeable advantage in the Atlantic League. Newarkis second with nine players, followed by Nashua, NH(no longer in the league) with eight, Long Islandhas six, Camdenand the former Atlantic City Surffive apiece, Bridgeportthree, Yorkand Lancasterone each.  Four of the 51 players who have made the climb were with other franchises no longer in operation.

Ryan, who had the fifth highest batting average (.351) in the Pacific Coast Leagueat the time he left Salt Lake Citylast Friday, has been in three of the four Angels games so far, going 1-for-3.

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Cancel Hopes Atlantic League Helps One More Time

Robinson Cancelwould like to be in the major leagues like any other player, and he realizes the Atlantic Leagueis a very good option for possibly making that happen.

“It worked for me once”, he told Ryan Dunleavyof MyCentralJersey.com. “Hopefully, it works again.”

Cancel is catching for the Long Island Ducksthis time as he comes back from offseason surgery to his right elbow, but he still has an admirer in Somerset’s Brett Jodie,who is both pitching coach and director of player personnel.  “He makes you feel confident in calling a game,” Jodie told Dunleavy, and he should know since he was the Patriots’ace in 2003 and Cancel was his batterymate as Somerset won the second of its five league championships.  “If he (Cancel) put down a sign and you weren’t sure about it, he put it down again,” Jodie said.  “He’s good at controlling the run game for you, too.  You always felt like he knew what was going on.”

The 34-year-old catcher had only 15 games of major league play ( Milwaukee,1999) before he joined the Atlantic League, and he got back to that level for a productive 27 games with the New York Metsin 2008 plus one more game last season.

( Subscriptions to the Atlantic League Notebook are available on a monthly or full season basis via www.AtlanticLeagueBaseball.com or www.WirzandAssociates.com .  Bob Wirz also writes a weekly column, the Independent Baseball Insider , as well as a blog, www.IndyBaseballChatter.com. The author has 16 years of major league baseball public relations experience with Kansas City and as chief spokesman for two Commissioners and lives in Stratford, CT.)