Tag Archives: Frontier League

Independent Ball

From Baggage Handler to Miner to Storm Chaser, Matt Fields is Now Trying to Become Royal

6 Comments

Current Kansas City Royals AAA prospect Matt Fields makes crushing home runs and getting on base look easy for the Omaha Storm Chasers. However, many people don’t know the long and often difficult road that has led him to this point in his career. Drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2004, Fields spent six years in the organization. With the Rays, he reached as high as AA before being released in 2010.

After his release, Fields took his talents to the independent Frontier League. He spent the entire 2011 season with the Southern Illinois Miners;  However, Fields soon learned that independent baseball is a whole different world than affiliated ball. Although he had a great season, hitting .272 with 17 home runs in 57 games, he realized that independent ball can make a player feel stuck and complacent. There are many players who know that they aren’t going anywhere else, so they have a “whatever” attitude.  Those players do whatever they want and don’t play with as much drive and desire as players in an affiliated organization.

Feeling fed up with baseball and trying to please his then- fiancée, Fields started losing his love for the game. After the 2011 season, he decided to retire from baseball and take a job as a baggage handler at the Seattle-Tacoma Airport.  He found out pretty quickly that loading luggage or working a normal 9-5 wasn’t something he was ready to do. He wasn’t ready to give up his childhood dream just yet.  If he did, he knew he would regret it for the rest of his life. His friends and family, especially his mother, encouraged him to give baseball another shot. He was too young and too talented to just give up.

When the 2012 season rolled around, he left that normal life behind and returned to the Southern Illinois Miners.  This time, Fields decided that he was going to make the most out of his second chance. He wanted to just go out there and have fun again. No matter what happened, he planned on making it a year to remember. 31 games into the season, the Royals saw something special in Fields and purchased his contract. He was sent to high-A Wilmington where he finished the season hitting .281 with 17 home runs and had one of the most memorable years of his pro ball career.

He spent the 2013 season crushing home runs with the AA Naturals in Northwest Arkansas. He was named a Texas League All-Star, won the home run derby, and set the single season home run record (31) for the Naturals.  After that stellar year, Fields played the entire 2014 season in AAA Omaha with the Storm Chasers.  Here, his power continued. He hit 28 home runs while batting .262 for the Pacific Coast League champions.

2014 was a big year for him off the field as well. On May 13th, Fields was married to Elizabeth Elizalde Fields. Through all of the ups and downs with baseball and life, she has been his source of happiness while being his rock and supporting his dreams.

Fields has just re-signed with the Royals and has been invited to his first Major League spring training. Currently, he is playing Winter Ball for the Estrellas de Oriente in the Dominican Winter League with a .238 average.

Fields is just one step away from the major leagues with the Royals. It hasn’t always been an easy road, but he wouldn’t change it for anything.  When asked if he has any regrets about returning to baseball, he simply said “none. At all.”

Independent Ball

Braves Prospect Used Indy Ball to Earn His Second Chance at Majors

2 Comments

At the age of 21, pitcher Brandon Cunniff was drafted by the (then) Florida Marlins in the 27th round of the 2010 MLB draft.  He appeared in 17 games for their Gulf Coast League rookie affiliate and 1 game for their short season New York Penn League affiliate in 2010.  In 34.2 total innings, he accumulated 36 strikeouts and 5 saves en route to a respectable 2.34 ERA in his first taste of professional baseball.  However, Cunniff was released before the 2011 season began.

Not wanting to give up, Cunniff turned to independent ball to keep his baseball dreams alive.

In 2011, he signed with the River City Rascals of the Frontier League. He became a dominant closer for the Rascals during the season. In 44 appearances (46.2 IP), he had 53 strikeouts with 9 saves and a 1.54 ERA all while finishing with a 4-0 record.

In 2012, he returned to his role in the Rascals bullpen. After appearing in 28 games, striking out 55 and earning 4 saves, he was traded to the Southern Illinois Miners. Here he finished out the regular season with another nine appearances and 4 saves, striking out 10 hitters in 10 innings.

Cunniff was a great late season addition to the Southern Illinois bullpen as they made their playoff push.  In the post season, he appeared in five games, recorded 4 saves and struck out 9 in only  5.2 innings of work.  His great work closing out games helped propel the Miners to the 2012 Frontier League Championship.

He began the 2013 season back in Southern Illinois.  After 12 innings in as many appearances, Cunniff recorded 8 saves and 23 strikeouts.  He was second in the league in saves when he finally got the news… He was getting a second chance in affiliated ball. After spending two and a half seasons improving his pitching (including increasing his velocity), dominating hitters, and proving himself in the Frontier League, his hard work and perseverance finally paid off.  Cunniff ended his time in the Frontier League with impressive stats;  Overall, he went 7-0 with a 1.57 ERA and 25 saves in 93 appearances.

The Atlanta Braves purchased Cunniff’s contract on June 21, 2013 and sent him to the team’s High-A affiliate, the Lynchburg Hillcats.  He appeared in 20 games for the Hillcats, striking out 39 in 31.2 innings on his way to a 1.99 ERA to finish the season.

Cunniff started the 2014 season in Lynchburg, but quickly pitched himself to a promotion.  In 9 appearances, he pitched 15.2 scoreless innings only allowing 5 total hits while striking out 21.  He then brought his 0.00 ERA to the Double A Mississippi Braves, where he continued his impressive scoreless streak into his first two appearances with the MBraves. The higher level of competition didn’t phase Cunniff.  He finished the 2014 Double A season with a 3-0 record and 52.2 innings pitched in 33 appearances.  He also recorded 50 strikeouts and had a 2.05 ERA.

His great performance recently earned him an invite to play among the top prospects in baseball in the Arizona Fall League. Currently with the Peoria Javelinas, he has pitched 6.2 innings in 5 appearances with 6 strikeouts.

His rise through the Braves organization is impressive and an interesting story to follow, but what’s more interesting is how a player like Cunniff was stuck on Indy Ball Island for so long. Players of his caliber are not often hidden in independent ball for over two years.  The Braves got a steal of a deal when they found this hard throwing pitcher in Southern Illinois.

The Miners have a motto: “Miner For Life.” You’ll always be a Miner even after you’re gone from the team. No matter where you go or what you do, you will always be a part of something special in Southern Illinois. For Cunniff, I think he’ll always fondly remember the team and the Frontier League championship that helped him earn his second chance.