IndependentBaseball.net

Bill Lee, the former Major League pitcher who played from 1969 to 1982, pitched for 5-1/3 innings for the Brockton Rox this weekend.  He got the win, and made the front page of Yahoo.com for his efforts:

• http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=sh-billleewins090510
• http://proxy.espn.go.com/blog/boston/red-sox/post/_/id/5903/spaceman-flies-again

In addition to the names mentioned of people who appeared in a game over the age of 50, the Yahoo article did not mention sports author and former professional pitcher, Pat Jordan, who played for the Waterbury Spirit of the Northeast League in 1997.  Jordan pitched an inning for the team at the age of 56:

• http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1997-08-07/news/9708070099_1_pat-jordan-mike-veeck-pitch

The Can-Am League replaced what was the last of the old Northeast League, so the talent level of the players who faced Jordan and Lee was roughly the same.
Jordan wrote a sequel to his first book (“A False Spring”) called “A Nice Tuesday.”  You can get the information about his book here:

• http://www.amazon.com/Nice-Tuesday-Pat-Jordan/dp/0803276257

Hopefully some sort of story about Lee appears in the near future as well.

Resources for those involved with baseball at any level:

If you, or someone you know, is a youth baseball parent and frustrated with the experience then click here: Youth Baseball Parents

If you, or someone you, want guidance from actual independent minor league baseball executives on how to succeed in the independent minor leagues then click here: Independent Baseball Advice Interviews

If you simply want to find out about independent minor league baseball tryouts then click here: Independent Minor League Baseball Tryouts Notification List

If you, or someone you care about, want to improve the mental game of baseball then click here: Improving Your Baseball Mental Game

If you, or someone you know, need to improve your 60 yard dash time then click here: Click Here

Click this link if you, or someone you know, need baseball equipment which occasionally is on sale and/or offers free shipping (check the site for any such incentives):

In 2008, the Corpus Christi Beach Dawgs of the Continental Baseball League signed 4-foot-6 wrestler, “Little Kato” (http://www.halfpintbrawlers.com/site/castbios.html ), to a one-game contract.  It was supposed to be in honor of Eddie Gaedel who batted for Bill Veeck’s team – the St. Louis Browns – in 1951.

Here are some links regarding that 2008 signing:

• http://www.cblproball.com/pdf/prCBLsmallsurprise5-19-08.pdf
• http://indybaseballchatter.blogspot.com/2008/05/fans-really-can-see-something-new-every.html
• http://lascrucesvaqueros.com/vaqueros.asp?page=68 (picture of his at-bat)

This week, the River City Rascals signed Nick Hagan to a similar contract:

• http://www.cnbc.com/id/38579604
• http://joesportsfan.com/?p=15481
• http://benmaller.com/2010/08/minor-league-team-to-bat-midget-during-game/

You are welcome to chime in with your comments, but please have some tact with what you say!

Resources for those involved with baseball at any level:

If you, or someone you know, is a youth baseball parent and frustrated with the experience then click here: Youth Baseball Parents

If you, or someone you, want guidance from actual independent minor league baseball executives on how to succeed in the independent minor leagues then click here: Independent Baseball Advice Interviews

If you simply want to find out about independent minor league baseball tryouts then click here: Independent Minor League Baseball Tryouts Notification List

If you, or someone you care about, want to improve the mental game of baseball then click here: Improving Your Baseball Mental Game

If you, or someone you know, need to improve your 60 yard dash time then click here: Click Here

Click this link if you, or someone you know, need baseball equipment which occasionally is on sale and/or offers free shipping (check the site for any such incentives):

63 year-old Bill “The Spaceman” Lee has signed a short-term contract with the Brockton Rox of the Can-Am League:

• http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100816&content_id=13530814&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

He pitched for 14 years in the Major Leagues and played his last MLB game in 1982.  Feel free to comment on the situation if you wish.

The Lake Erie Crushers, in recent weeks, have made national headlines by piggy-backing on the LeBron James free agent story.  They offered him a contract and then they had a promotion to keep LeBron in Cleveland.

What is interesting is how the team management thinks about promotions and what is considered successful.  Here is the article:

• http://chronicle.northcoastnow.com/2010/07/01/crushers-smoother-operators-on-and-off-the-field/

The mention of the “viral marketing” nature of the promotion is powerful, as it shows that independent baseball teams can get national attention.  It also discusses their phone call meetings and how promotions can be constructed quickly.

The only question is how an independent baseball team and front office, which has proven that it can get national attention by promotions around a hot topic, can translate that into something which receives the same (or even more) attention AND is focused on the on-field talent.  The goal would be for a large, national audience to care about the specific team (or league) because something of interest is worth their time to pay attention and follow.

If you have ideas on how the same type of publicity could be directed to the on-field action then you are welcome to leave your comments on this post.

It was bound to happen this summer:  an independent minor league baseball team offering a contract to a known athlete (or celebrity) for the remainder of the season.  In this case the Lake Erie Crushers of the Frontier League offered Lebron James a contract.

Here is the article from USA Today:

• http://content.usatoday.com/communities/dailypitch/post/2010/06/independent-baseball-team-offers-max-contract-to-lebron-james/1

Here is a unique promotion, an open wedding promotion in Camden with the Riversharks:

• http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=4013442

Feel free to leave your opinions on this type of promotion:

• http://www.ballparkdigest.com/news/index.html?article_id=2361

Here is an interesting twist to independent baseball:

• http://ballparkbiz.wordpress.com/2010/05/07/colonials-unveil-vintage-unis-for-turn-back-the-century-season/

The Pittsfield Colonials, the new team in the Can-Am League, will wear the early uniform designs of the pre-modern baseball era.  This could be a unique approach to gain awareness and possible merchandise sales.

Throwback/earlier-era merchandise sales are always a tricky subject in the minds of sports teams and leagues.  The reason is because they are tied to history, the current public’s attitude is always fickle.  Simply take a look at the NFL’s “throwback” jerseys in recent years and the flack which some teams received for them like the Denver Broncos.

Hopefully this will work, the players will actually embrace the new (old) look to the uniforms, and that the fans find it unique enough to help spread the word to their friends and family members.  In either case, this is one of the reasons why independent baseball still makes news:  it has the “independence” to do what it feels is necessary to turn a profit.

Feel free to leave your thoughts on the comments field.

If you have ever wanted to coach in the professional baseball world then the Orange County Flyers of the Golden League are going to let you do so: