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Independent Ball

United Shore League Sends Fifth Player to Affiliated Ball

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With all the negative news surrounding the start-up Empire League, it’s nice to see a new league that is thriving.

The United Shore Professional Baseball League (USPBL) has announced that they have had their fifth player signed to a major league organization.  The USPBL, which has had sold-out crowds all season long at Jimmy John’s field, is proving to be a great stepping stone for young players looking to get into affiliated baseball.

UNITED SHORE PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL LEAGUE SENDS FIFTH PLAYER THIS SEASON TO A MAJOR LEAGUE ORGANIZATION 
Eastside Diamond Hoppers First Baseman Dalton DiNatale signed by Los Angeles Dodgers  
 
ROCHESTER, Mich. July 24, 2016—The United Shore Professional Baseball League (USPBL) today announced that Dalton DiNatale, a first baseman for the Eastside Diamond Hoppers, has been signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers. He will report immediately to the Dodgers organization.
The signing marks the fifth time in the 2016 season that a USPBL player has been signed by a Major League Baseball organization.  Earlier this year, Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers pitcher Ross Vance was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals while Beavers infielder Aaron Bossi was signed by the New York Yankees, and Eastside Diamond Hoppers pitcher Chris McDonald and Utica Unicorns pitcher Evan Piechota were both signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.
Dalton DiNatale played college baseball at Arizona State University, and he was drafted in 2015 but released after 1 year in the minors.  The 6’4” left-handed hitting first baseman was snapped up by the USPBL earlier this year, and DiNatale worked extensively on his hitting during his time with the USPBL this season.
“I knew that I needed to make great strides with my swing to get another shot at affiliated baseball. The USPBL offered a great hitting program with top notch instructors so it was a natural fit. Forcehitting.com, the USPBL hitting program, really helped me understand my swing. I also was playing for managers in Jim Essian and Paul Noce with MLB experience, so it was the perfect combination to help me get back to the MiLB. I just want to give it my best shot, and the good Lord willing, things will work out,” said DiNatale when he received news that he was being signed by the Dodgers.
“Whether it’s a college kid passed over or an exceptional young man like Dalton who needs just a little bit of help, that’s our goal. We are a finishing school for these young men and we take great pride in making every player better,” said Andy Appleby, Commissioner and Founder of the USPBL.
 
About United Shore Professional Baseball League
Rochester Hills, MI-based General Sports and Entertainment founded the United Shore Professional Baseball League (USPBL), an independent professional baseball league, in Metro Detroit in 2015.  The league plays in the brand new, state-of-the-art $15 million ballpark named Jimmy John’s Field located in downtown Utica, Mich.  First of its kind for the region, the USPBL provides a fun and exciting family atmosphere while showcasing top baseball talent to fans of all ages. The inaugural season, which began on Memorial Day 2016, features three teams—the Utica Unicorns, the Eastside Diamond Hoppers and the Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers. Additional teams and ballparks will be added in future years.
Here’s a look at how the other four players are doing after signing:
  • Ross Vance (Johnson City Cardinals – Rookie) 7 games, 8.1 IP, 12 K, 4.32 ERA
  • Aaron Bossi (GCL Yankees East – Rookie) 11 games, 23 AB, .304 avg
  • Chris McDonald (GCL Pirates – Rookie) 4 games, 10.1 IP, 2-1 record, 6.10 ERA
  • Evan Piechota (GCL Pirates – Rookie) 3 games, 4.2 IP, 1-0 record, 0.00 ERA

(All stats courtesy of MiLB.com)

Independent Ball

Time for the Empire League to Pay Up

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Here we go again…

I’m sure that’s what most readers are thinking when they see this title.
And you know what? They’re right.

I was hoping there wouldn’t have to be a post like this again after what went down last summer with those start-up leagues, but here we are.

The Empire League has been going on for over a month. Games have been played (including the All-Star game), a few players have been promoted, and everything from an outsider’s perspective seems to be going well… except for one small little detail that no one has mentioned.

As it turns out – according to the multiple players who have reached out to Indy Ball Island – none of the players or staff have been paid.

Players were promised pay once a month (or twice a month depending on whenever the sponsors decided to send the checks). When players ask about where these checks are, they keep being told that the sponsors are getting the money and sending it to the league for the players’ pay. So far, no one has seen a dime.

That’s not all. There have been stories about players having to play games with the “official league balls” used for little league practice. Players have also been forced to sleep inside a rest stop when their team van broke down while other players have been driving themselves back and forth to games on the road. One team, the Watertown Bucks, even had a Go Fund Me set up – no money has been raised.

The players are trying to make the most of it and keep pushing along. They get to play ball and have some fun doing it, but they’re also starting to run into some financial issues that just can’t be ignored anymore. Most of these guys paid for spring training out of pocket and have been trying to live and play baseball with their own money for well over a month. They have been promised a salary, yet the excuses keep coming and the pay date keeps being pushed further and further back.

It’s time for the Empire League to step up and pay these guys who have been playing hard for over a month just trying to live the dream, but who are now just trying to live.

*Update* about two hours after this post went live, the Empire League had this to say on their Facebook page.
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