Royals’ Crow Latest Talking Point for American Association

     The American Associationalready has plenty of talking points for the inauguration of its sixth season next week, not the least of which is its five new franchises and its expansion to 14 teams, more than in any other Independent Baseball league.

      Its newest headline-drawing major league pitcher could be another point of emphasis.

      That would be 24-year-old Kansas Cityreliever Aaron Crow.  It wasn’t certain until the final days of spring training whether this hard-throwing product of nearby Topeka, KSand the University of Missouriwould even be in the American Leaguebecause his past—and likely his long-term future—has been as a starting pitcher.

      But the bearded right-hander has pretty well proven in one month he is ready to face major league hitters.  This young man, whose first four professional games—three of them starts—came with the American Association’s Fort Worth Cats, has been next to perfect, which earned him Pitcher of the Month honors for the improving Royals.

      Crow has come out of the bullpen 13 times so far, working with a total of 10 runners on base, and the opposition has not scored.  His impressive record is 2-0 with eight hits and five walks allowed in 15.1 innings, and he has 15 strikeouts.

       Asked by The Kansas City Star what has impressed him the most about Crow, Manager Ned Yostreplied:  “The fact that he throws 97 miles an hour with an above average slider, and that when he steps on that mound he’s fearless.  He just comes right after you.”

      Yost has called on Crow four times in the last eight days, and it seems certain the clamor is going to get louder for the 6-foot-3 pitcher to start.  That would give the American Association three starters in the American League’s Central Division, joining teammate Luke Hochevarand Max Scherzerof Detroit,two other touted hurlers who also threw their first pro pitches for Fort Worth.  When Milwaukeereliever Brandon Kintzler,who worked for St . Paul, MNand league newcomer Winnipeg,is added to the mix the American Association quartet has an 11-4 major league record already this season.  Scherzer is 5-0 by himself.

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176 Have Gone From Indy Leagues to MLB Organizations

       We often talk in this space about players having their contracts sold to major league organizations.  The Independent Baseball Insider has just finished its audit of the players with Independent experience who are playing somewhere in the affiliated system for the 30 Americanand National Leaguefranchises, with a current count of 176 players, including 12 who signed or trained with Indy teams but did not play in any regular-season games.

       Sixteen of the group are in the majors with Jay Gibbons (Long Island, NYand Newark, NJ)being reactivated from the Los Angeles Dodgers’disabled list (vision issues) two days ago and the New York Metsbringing southpaw reliever Mike O’Connor (Southern Maryland)onto their roster Wednesday.  Both played in the Atlantic League,Gibbons in 2008-09 and O’Connor in ’09. 

      Our tally has the Atlantic League setting the pace in players back in organizations with 56, including six in the majors, with the Frontier Leaguenext at 42.  The American Associationand the Northern League, the latter no longer active, are credited with 31 apiece although the Northern is one ahead with its five major leaguers.  The Golden Leaguehas 21 on the list followed by the Can-Am Leaguewith 13 and the idle United Leagueat seven. 

      (This is an excerpt from the column Bob Wirz writes year round on Independent Baseball.  Fans may subscribe at www.WirzandAssociates.com , enjoy his blogs, www.AtlanticLeagueBaseball.com and www.IndyBaseballChatter.com , or comment to RWirz@aol.com .  The author has 16 years of major league baseball public relations experience with Kansas City and as spokesman for two Commissioners and lives in Stratford, CT.)