If Diamondbacks Have Their Way, Record of Independent Players In Majors Will Continue to Climb

The D-Backs’ thirst for quality prospects outside of the June draft and foreign environments saw them purchase 18 contracts during the regular Independent season, now they have picked up the services of eight more players through their annual fall invitation-only tryout camp.  A second such event geared largely for the older talent in the Atlantic League and American Associationis planned for January at the team’s spring training camp in Scottsdale, AZ.

“We looked at (about) 40 arms (at the Crestwood, ILhome of the Windy City Thunderbolts)and probably could have signed them all,” Arizona’s Independent leagues coordinator, Chris Carminucci, recapped this week, not entirely in a joking manner.

Emphasis clearly was on young players this time with only one of the new signees having reached his 25th birthday, and it is easy to understand the Diamondbacks’ interest in Indy players since outfielder David Peralta, barely 27, swept through the team’s farm system this season and into the majors, playing regularly (when healthy) and often hitting in the No. 3 slot (.286-7-35 in 85 games).  Others among Carminucci’s signees, such as hurlers Brandon Sinneryand Dustin Loggins, had not played an inning outside of Independent leagues and did very well in the minor leagues.  Sinnery went 14-7 in the California Leagueand Loggins had a 1.18 earned run average with 48 strikeouts in 38 relief innings in the Northwest League. All three of those players came out of the American Association.

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Independents Had Record 41 in Majors This Season

A record 41 players with Independent experience were active on major league rosters this season, four more than one year ago and one more than the previous highs in 2003 and 2011, based on records maintained by the Independent Baseball Insider.   Nine of the 41 were in the majors for the first time.

Indy Hurlers Credited With 88 Major League Victories

It does not take much imagination to realize the top three winners among the 34 onetime Independent pitchers who wore major league uniforms this season all could play an important part in determining who gets doused with champagne when the World Seriesends.

Max Scherzer (Fort Worth, TX, American Association)means the world to Detroit’schances, as his 17-5 regular-season record shows, while Tanner Roark (Southern Illinois, Frontier League)has won 15 of 25 decisions for Washingtonand Scott Kazmir (Sugar Land, TX, Atlantic League)has gone 14-9 for Oakland, which still is odds on to win an American Leaguewild card berth.

Those 46 combined victories are slightly more than half of the 88 wins (and 67 losses) the former Indy hurlers had compiled through Wednesday.   (A complete list of the wins is posted on www. IndyBaseballChatter.com.)

Holdzkom, 4 Other Indy Players Likely in Postseason Play

Independent Baseball appears virtually certain it will be able to boast of five pitchers on major league postseason rosters although another five are finishing up with possible October combatants and some of them my find their way onto 25-man rosters.

The biggest surprise has to be Pittsburghrookie John Holdzkom, who this typist and many others have reminded was pitching for the Amarillo (TX) Soxof the American Associationas recently as June 19, little over three months ago.

Holdzkom, who has rattled off eight scoreless innings out of the Pirates’bullpen with a win and a save, will be joined in the postseason by Detroitace Max Scherzer (Fort Worth, TX,American Association), Washington’s Tanner Roark (Southern Illinois, Frontier League)and barring a complete collapse this weekend by Oaklandstarter Scott Kazmir (Sugar Land, TX, Atlantic League)and Kansas Cityreliever Aaron Crow(Fort Worth).

Where Is Your Innovative Thinking MLB?

Atlantic Leagueofficials must be chuckling–and a bit pleased, at the same time–that Major League Baseball has announced a Pace of Play committee to study how it might shorten games.  The Atlantic League did the same thing months ago, and with some results, especially at keeping batters from stepping out of the box after nearly every pitch.  It is so obvious since MLB is using the same exact name for its committee (Pace of Play) where the idea started.

I would have expected enough ingenuity from the MLBers to call their group the Length of Game committee, or the Speed-Up gang or maybe even Quicken the Pace.  Well, maybe when the new commissioner takes office.

(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.)