Tag Archives: Frontier League

Independent Ball

2017 Frontier League Draft Class – One Month Later

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We are about one month into the Frontier League season, so it is time to check in to see how the players from the 2017 draft are doing with their teams.

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16 drafted players started the season on a roster for Opening Day. As of June 18th, ten of those players are still on a roster. One player changed positions (drafted as a catcher and has become a pitcher). One is playing both a position and pitching. Two players are on different teams than the one that drafted them. Another player is currently on the DL.

One additional player who was released before opening day is now playing for the team that originally drafted him.

The remaining players:
Aaron Burns (RHP) R1 WildThings – In 6 games (4 starts, 22 IP), he has a 2.45 ERA with 16 K and a 0-0 record.
Cosimo Cannella (1B) R1 Boomers – Has a .266 avg in 17 games (64 AB) with 9 RBI and 1 HR.
Brook Clark (UTL) R1 Beach Bums – He has a .240 avg in 10 games (25 AB) with 3 RBI.
Matt Sabel (LHP) R1 WildThings – He has a 6.23 ERA with 6 K in 9 games (8.2 IP).
Stephen Swagerty (RHP) R1 Rascals – In 11 games (8.2 IP), he has a 0-2 record and a 9.34 ERA with 11 K and 12 BB.
Brian McKenna (RHP) R1 Slammers – Moved from catcher to pitcher. In 10 games (10.1 IP), he has a 2.61 ERA with 9 K and 10 BB.
Kyle Carter (OF) R2 Cornbelters – He has played as both a position player and a pitcher this season. In 5 games (8 AB), he has a .250 avg. As a pitcher, he has pitched in 4 games (5.1 IP) with a 6.75 ERA.
Cody Mincey (RHP) R1 Thunderbolts – Placed on waivers. Picked up by Rascals. He has a combined ERA of 5.25 and 2-0 record with 14 K in 13 games (12 IP).
Ryan O’Malley (3B) R2 Miners – Released by Miners. Picked up by Grizzlies. Placed on waivers. Picked up by Boomers. In 17 total games (49 AB), he has a .224 avg with 4 RBI and 1 HR.
Austin Goss (RHP) R1 Boomers – On the DL since June 3rd. In 5 games (10.1 IP), he has a 4.35 ERA and a 1-0 record.

Steven Pollakov (C) Slammers – RELEASED on May 11th. Re-signed to the Slammers May 13th. He has a .217 avg with 5 RBI in 18 games (46 AB).

The released players:

Chris Amato (SS) R1 Miners – Traded to Thunderbolts. Released May 23rd. Did not play.
Danny Britt (C) R1 Thunderbolts – Released May 23rd. Only played 1 game with no hits and one walk.
Chris Dula (RHP) Exp Grizzlies – Released May 23rd. In 1 game (1 IP), he allowed 2 ER (18.00 ERA).
Colin Kelly (RHP) R1 Grizzlies – Released May 23rd. He had a 10.12 ERA in just 3 games (2.2 IP).
Nick Bozman (LHP) R1 Crushers – Released May 30th. He had a 10.80 ERA and 0-1 record in 4 games (5IP).
Bob Wheatley (LHP) Exp Cornbelters – Released June 13th. In 5 games (all starts – 21.2 IP), he had a 2-3 record with a 7.06 ERA.

Independent Ball

Experience… How Much Does It Really Matter in the Frontier League?

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The Frontier League is the only independent league (of the top four – Atlantic, American Association, Can-Am, and Frontier) that has a maximum age for players.

The league prides itself on being a league for younger players who are looking to get promoted, either to affiliated baseball or to a “higher” independent league.

This results in a wide range of experience for players on Frontier League rosters.  While they have their own designations for experience levels (Rookie-1, Rookie-2, Experienced, Veteran), these levels are broken down by total pro experience including both affiliated and independent playing time.

This article breaks it down a step further and disregards total years of experience, while focusing solely on the type of experience. Each roster is broken down by the number of players who have regular season affiliated experience, independent league experience only, and then the players who have college only experience and are true professional rookies.

Here is the break down of every Frontier League team’s active roster as of 5/15/17.

 Affiliated
Experience		 Indy
Only		  College
Only
 Joliet
Slammers		  13  7 3

 Lake Erie
Crushers

  9  13  2

 Schaumburg
Boomers

  13  8  3
 Traverse City Beach Bums  9  10  4

 Washington
Wild Things

  14  6  4
 Windy City
Thunderbolts		  8  12  4
 Evansville
Otters		 13 6 5
Florence
Freedom		 4 15 5
 Gateway
Grizzlies		  12  4  8
 Normal
Cornbelters		  13  6  5
 River City
Rascals		  8  12  4
 Southern
Illinois Miners		 9 10 5

*Roughly half of the affiliated players were just released from an organization and have no independent league experience, the other half have been in indy ball for at least a full season, including some for multiple seasons.

Throughout the season, Indy Ball Island will check these numbers. Do they stay at relatively the same ratio, or will one specific group’s numbers fall or rise as the season continues.

We’ll also look at if the type of experience on each team matters when it comes to the overall league standings.

Currently the team full of the least amount of affiliated experience players (the Florence Freedom) are 6-0 and at the top of the Frontier League West Division standings.