Pitching Helps Optimism for Both Early Second-Half Leaders

A head-to-head series between Lancaster and Bridgeport presented an ideal opportunity to check the pulse of these second-half division leaders.     Both managers, Tom Herr of the Barnstormers and Willie Upshaw of the host Bluefish, believe their starting pitching has gotten better as the 140-game season has progressed, and that fact alone could keep them […]

Rare Home Run Feats by Nava and Guerrero Make It Tough for Others to Take Spotlight

Two extraordinary feats, both a few days old now, continue to take much of the thunder away from everything else that is happening in Independent Baseball.  They deserve the attention because the accomplishments were not predictable, will not likely happen again any time soon, and they sent everyone scrambling to baseball’s treasurer record books. The […]

Pitchers Not Always the Priority for Major League Clubs; Stavisky Retires While Phelps Is Out

It often seems like pitchers are the top priority when major league teams go shopping in the Atlantic League or any of the seven other Independent leagues for talent.  As a prime example, only four of the 16 former Indy players currently active or on disabled lists with any of the 30 teams are position […]

Two-Time Batting Champ Victor Rodriguez, Wily Mo Pena Could Add Substantially for Bridgeport

York’s worst-to-first dash can only encourage others to keep striving to improve, and that certainly seems to be the case for Bridgeport. The Bluefish, eager to return to the upper ranks of the Atlantic League since 1999 championship Manager Willie Upshaw was available from Day One (he took over in mid-season last year), were stung […]