Wichita’s Job Is Done, Somerset Next as Indy Powers Try to Add Postseason Championships

It seems doubtful anyone would put up much of an argument that the two best teams in Independent Baseball this season, considering the level of play in their separate leagues, have been the Wichita (KS) Wingnutsand the Somerset (NJ) Patriots.

Wichita has finished its quest, winning six of seven playoff games to earn its first American Associationtitle and put an exclamation point to a brilliant run that has seen the Wingnuts go 100 games above .500 (200-100) the last three searsons.  Somersetwill go after the Atlantic Leaguechampionship starting next week, which would allow the Kalaferfamily to extend its league-record to six crowns.  Manager and onetime major league relief standout Sparky Lylewon the first five, second-year boss Brett Jodiewould take this one.

‘Special Team’ Gives Wichita Its First Championship

Even a dominant regular season does not assure an end-of-season title, as Wichita’s Kevin Hooperknows painfully well since the Kansans established the league high for victories (68) last season, then lost for the second year in a row in the championship series.

The Wingnuts had professional baseball’s best record this season, an amazing, modern day league-record 73-27 (.730) run through the always challenging 12-team American Association for their first title in the team’s seven seasons, a history that started back in 2008 when the peppery Hooper won the batting crown (.373) and was the all-star shortstop.

“I think it was our time,” Hooper told The Wichita Eagle soon after the final game.  “You put yourself in the situation this many times (four other playoff runs in five previous seasons as manager), it’s bound to happen.  Everything was set up perfectly, it was just a special team all around.”

Somerset Dominant Even Though Stats Do Not Show It

Raw statistics certainly do not separate the Somerset Patriotsfrom the other seven teams in the Atlantic League, but Brett Jodie’steam has left little doubt to its regular-season superiority by skating its way to a six-game margin in the first half of the split season and repeating as titlists in the second half with a margin that currently stands exactly the same.

Somerset is at 84-52 (.618) with four games to play before entering the playoffs where history has proven–often painfully–that the best team does not always dominate in two short series.

Somerset’s No. 1 statistical attribute may be its stinginess in giving up walks, only 331 in 136 games–2.43 per game–50 less than runnerup York, PA, the other first-half champion.  The Patriots have the league’s third best earned run average at 3.48 (although only slightly behind likely playoff-bound Sugar Land, TXand York) but their offense is further down the ranks, standing fourth in batting average (.261) and sixth in home runs (90).

Sugar Land and Lancaster, PAare closing in on the other two playoff spots–one as Freedom Divisionchampion and the other as a wild card although Southern Maryland (Waldorf)still has a mathematical chance heading into the final four games.

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Indy Grads Homer at Expense of, Yes, Other Indy Hurlers

Not every Independent player now playing in the majors will be in the postseason, but that has not stopped some “how could that happen” performances of late.

Example No. 1:  Boston’s Daniel Nava (Chico, CA, Golden League)had not hit a grand slam in more than four years since his memorable first swing in the majors until he put a temporary dent in Kansas City’spostseason hopes with a four-run clout that led to an 8-4 Red Soxvictory.  Who was the pitcher he victimized?  Another player whose first professional game was in Independent Baseball, Aaron Crow (Fort Worth, TX, American Association).  Boston media report the Royals wanted Nava at the trade deadline only to be told he was not available. Not so incidentally, Nava was hitting .149 when he was sent back to Triiple-A earlier this season.  He has hit over .300 since returning, bumping his season average to .265 as he tries to cement his future in Boston or elsewhere in the majors.

Example No. 2:  San Diego’s Rene Rivera (Camden, NJ, Atlantic League), who has seen his fortunes improve from a backup role as a defensive-minded catcher to a sometimes cleanup hitter for the offensively-challenged Padres, hit his 10th home run of the season (he had four in his career prior to ’14) to win a game against Arizona. The victim was southpaw Vidal Nuno,formerly a Frontier Leaguehurler (Washington, PA).

(This is an excerpt from the column Bob Wirz writes on Independent Baseball.  Thirty-six columns are planned during 2014.  Fans may subscribe for as little as $6.99 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.)