The Last Frontier

I have agreed to terms with the Washington Wild Things of the Frontier League, an independent league located in the Great Lakes and upper Midwestern region of the United States.  Washington is located in western Pennsylvania, and opens the season May 21.  Spring training (for once, a spring training that is held entirely during spring) for the Wild Things starts May 6, with five exhibition games scheduled during the two week period leading up to the season. 

As an independent team, Washington has no affiliation with a Major League Baseball organization, and they do not receive any funding from Major League Baseball.  The Frontier League is a part of the Independent Professional Baseball Federation, a loose affiliation among six independent leagues that observe players’ contracts with their specific teams and allow for the trading and selling of players across leagues. 

While Pennsylvania is hardly the last frontier, this provides me the opportunity to play during the 2010 season.  Many Major League players have played for independent teams at some point during their careers, whether it was their first professional experience, somewhere in the middle of their career, or the culmination of their playing days.  Playing for an independent team is not a dead-end street during the Major League quest, and often gives players a rebirth that helps them get noticed by teams that wrote them off earlier in their careers.

With the next stop on this baseball adventure being Washington, Pennsylvania, it is a good thing I have already put myself halfway between Phoenix and Washington.  A recent trek has brought me to Texas, where I am currently working on my swing with swing coach, Jaime Cevallos (his knowledge and products are described on his web site here). 

Another season is nearing and it is another new state of residence.  One of my good friends called my girlfriend and I, “modern gypsies;” it is tough arguing that when you have called six states home in the last four years.  Coal country, here we come.

Catcher for Hire, Will Travel

Tax season has finally finished in what was quite the flurry.  Our office was the only one in the district to meet (and exceed) our goals for new client growth and other office targets.  The stretch run this past three weeks kept my competitive spirit up and was full of many experiences I can draw upon during my professional career after baseball.

With the close of the tax office, I am left only with thoughts of a baseball season that may not come to fruition.  After some sleuthing by my girlfriend, she assembled the email addresses and fax numbers of all the Independent teams in four leagues that had less than two catchers on their rosters and suggested I use a page out of Chris Marchok’s playbook (he faxed flyers to Major League affiliations after being released by the Montreal Expos and was signed by Philadelphia) and contact teams directly.  While this may have been an ulterior motive to her getting itchy feet about being in Tempe for a whole four months, I thought it was a great idea.

The day after sending out emails with my professional and college statistics and resume attached, I received a phone call and three emails the next day (apparently the subject line, which is the title of this post, was catchy).  While one was a response saying the team had no availability at the present time, I had some bites and have a shot at signing on somewhere.  All I need is the opportunity to play to keep the dream alive.  I am looking forward to seeing my new swing and arm slot in game action, to see if my efforts this offseason were beneficial.