Improved Angels Benefitting From Trio of Hurlers Who Came Via Independent Ranks

The Los Angeles Angels’ bid to bounce back from their horrific start—they have won nine of 11—was fortified Wednesday night when onetime Atlantic League (Camden, NJ) trainee and current ace Jered Weaver came off the disabled list to start the 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers , but the truth is the Halos would not be as upbeat about getting back into the American League West race without the contributions of no less than three bonafide Independent Baseball graduates.

Jerome Williams ( Lancaster , PA , Atlantic League as well as the former Golden League) has given Mike Scioscia’s crew a major lift since he returned to the rotation, turning in wins in his only three decisions and compiling a 2.02 earned run average in his last four starts.  He has not given up more than two earned runs in any of the games to improve his season record to 4-1, 2.58.

Robert Coello (Edmonton and Calgary, Golden League), who had only 12 uninspired major league appearances prior to this season, has been brilliant out of the bullpen with his so-called WTF out pitch, and fellow right-hander Dane DeLaRosa has been a workhorse ever since his early-season promotion from Triple-A Salt Lake City.

All three are earning their way.  “Jerome’s been pitching terrific baseball”, Scioscia told The Whittier (CA) Daily News , and that was before his latest victory in which he limited Kansas City to two runs in six innings earlier this week.  It seems unimaginable he will not continue in the rotation.  Coello, the youngest of the trio at 28 and a converted catcher, has emphasized “the WTF” pitch, as he described it to Yahoo Sports , to limit opponents to six hits and one earned run in 10.1 innings over eight appearances since coming up from Salt Lake City.  The 1-1 record, one save and 0.87 ERA tell only part of the story because he has fanned 18 batters and walked only one.  His mystery pitch Yahoo described as “a forkball, jammed deep between his index and middle fingers and released, amazingly, with next to no spin, like a knuckeball.”

DeLaRosa, who has pitched in both the Atlantic League ( Southern Maryland ) and American Association ( El Paso , TX ) , told The Los Angeles Times recently that he actually found himself while working with private pitching coach Dom Johnson , the son of former slugger Deron Johnson, before joining his fourth Golden League team back in ’09.  Johnson helped correct mechanical flaws, and “it pretty much changed my career”, the pitcher said.  He has worked in 25 games for the Angels already, even though he did not open the season with them.  He is 1-1 with a 4.21 ERA for the season, but except for one bad outing against the Chicago White Sox would have a 1.04 ERA for his last 10 appearances.

Scott Rice No. 1 in Majors in Mound Appearances

Rookie Scott Rice has a nice major league-wide distinction today, in addition to helping the New York Mets win their third in a row against the cross-town New York Yankees by nailing down five outs and giving up just one hit (three strikeouts) Wednesday night.  The onetime Atlantic League lefty ( Long Island , NY , Newark , NJ ,  York , PA ) has more appearances than any other pitcher.  He has appeared in 60 per cent (30 of 50 Mets games) and has allowed only 17 hits in 25.2 innings while splitting six decisions and compiling a 3.16 earned run average.

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Minicozzi, Coe Earn Weekly Honors

Mark Minicozzi was in the Independent ranks for quite a while, partly because of injuries, but the first baseman is making the most of being back in the affiliated ranks.  Playing for San Francisco’s Double-A team in Richmond, VA , the 30-year-old is both the reigning Offensive Player of the Week (13-for-26, nine RBI and nine runs) and the Eastern League’s hitting leader at .354.  Another Worcester, MA (Can-Am) player along with Camden, NJ (Atlantic League) and two Northern League teams (Kansas City, KS and Winnipeg) now in the American Association , he has five homers and 33 RBI and ranks fourth in the league in OPS (.966) and fifth in on-base percentage (.441).

 Onetime St. Paul, MN (American Association) pitcher Robert Coe took Pitcher of the Week honors in the Midwest League ( South Bend , IN ) for six innings of two-hit, shutout baseball.  Arizona has since moved the 25-year-old to its High-A team in Lancaster, CA , where the righty turned in three scoreless relief innings in his initial appearance.

By BOB DUTTON The Kansas City Star

Updated: 2013-03-26T05:37:57Z

             (This is an excerpt from the column Bob Wirz writes year round on Independent Baseball.  Forty columns are planned during 2013.  Fans may subscribe at www.WirzandAssociates.com , enjoy added stories on the blog 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.)