AMERICAN ASSOCIATION of Independent Professional Baseball

Here is one roster I beg of everyone to review before heading off to major league spring training camps. It is our list of every player we can find who has worn a uniform in one or more Independent Baseball league. And what a button-popping list it is for those who have lent their talent, in any manner, to help the Independent game evolve into what it has become.

Think of it this way: With 47 players on the list—it still may grow somewhat—it means more than one and a half players for every one of the 30 major league clubs checking in this week in Arizona or Florida has an Independent pedigree. Fifteen of the 47 got there the most difficult way, by starting in an Independent league and working their way up. The Drew brothers, Boston’s J. D. and Arizona’s Stephen, were tucked away while Scott Boras oozed enough money out of an organization, but the other 13 did it without any parachute.

As for their chances of starting the season in the major leagues, most of the 15 who are on 40-man major league rosters will be there while the 32 who are non-roster invitees must make a big impression during the next six weeks.

The roster with the Independent stops in parenthesis. Asterisks (*) identify those who started in an Independent league, number signs (#) indicate player is on the 40-man roster, DNP means a player only trained with the team.

RIGHT-HANDED PITCHERS (19)—#Joe Borowski, Cleveland (Newark, Atlantic League), D. J. Carrasco, Arizona (Johnstown, Frontier League, DNP) Kane Davis, Philadelphia (Somerset and Camden, Atlantic), #Brendan Donnelly, Boston (Ohio Valley, Frontier; Nashua, Atlantic), Jeff Farnsworth, Philadelphia (Atlantic City and Newark, Atlantic), Nate Field, Florida (Sioux City, Northern League), Roberto Giron, Kansas City (Kalamazoo, Frontier; Duluth-Superior, Northern; Rio Grande and Springfield-Ozark, Texas-Louisiana League), Luther Hackman, Milwaukee (Bridgeport, Atlantic), Jeff Harris, Cleveland (Chico, Western League; Quebec, Northeast League), #*Josh Kinney, St. Louis (River City, Frontier), *Kerry Ligtenberg, Cincinnati (Minneapolis, North Central League and Prairie League), #*Matt Miller, Cleveland (Greenville, Big South League and Texas-Louisiana), *Chris Oxspring, Milwaukee (Cook County, Frontier), #Ken Ray, Kansas City (North Shore, Can-Am League; Yuba-Sutter, Western; Long Island, Atlantic), Jason Simontacchi, Washington (Springfield, Frontier; Bridgeport, Atlantic), #Jermaine Van Buren, Washington (Fort Worth, Central), #Jered Weaver, Los Angeles-AL (Camden, Atlantic, DNP), *Matt Wilhite, Los Angeles-AL (Kenosha, Frontier), Mitch Wylie, San Francisco (Sioux City, Northern).

LEFT-HANDED PITCHERS (7)--#Craig Breslow, Boston (New Jersey, Northeast), Tim Byrdak, Detroit (Joliet and Gary, Northern), Jim Crowell, Philadelphia (Atlantic City, Atlantic), Joey Eischen, Detroit (Adirondack, Northeast), Brian Mazone, Philadelphia (Zion, Western; Joliet, Northern), Damian Moss, San Francisco (Long Island, Atlantic), #*George Sherrill, Seattle (Winnipeg and Sioux Falls, Northern; Evansville, Frontier).

CATCHERS (6)--#Eliezer Alfonzo, San Francisco (St. Paul, Northern), Chris Ashby, Florida (St. Paul, Northern), #*Chris Coste, Philadelphia (Brandon, Prairie; Fargo-Moorhead, Northern), Brad King, Minnesota (Long Island, Atlantic), #*Mike Rivera, Milwaukee (Atlantic City, Atlantic; Springfield, Frontier), Steve Torrealba, Detroit (Long Island and Atlantic City, Atlantic).

INFIELDERS (9)—3B Erick Almonte, Colorado (Long Island, Atlantic), *Tagg Bozied, St. Louis (Sioux Falls, Northern), *Mike Cervanek, Baltimore (Chillicothe, Frontier), SS Tomas DeLaRosa, San Francisco (Nashua, Atlantic), #*SS Stephen Drew, Arizona (Camden, Atlantic), 1B Graham Koonce, Kansas City (Tri-City and Chico, Western; San Diego, Golden, DNP), #*1B Kevin Millar, Baltimore (St. Paul, Northern), *lB Brian Myrow, San Diego (Winnipeg, Northern), *SS Rey Ordonez, Seattle (St. Paul, Northern).

OUTFIELDERS (6)--#*J. D. Drew, Boston (St. Paul, Northern), Vince Faison, Oakland (Jackson, Central League), Nathan Haynes, Los Angeles-AL (Gary, Northern), Chad Hermansen, Florida (Sioux Falls, American Association), Curtis Pride, Los Angeles-AL (Nashua, Atlantic), Ruben Sierra, New York-NL (Atlantic City, Atlantic).

(This is an excerpt from the column Bob Wirz writes on Independent Baseball. Fans may subscribe at www.WirzandAssociates.com, order his newest book, The Independent Minor Leagues: 2006 Season in Review, enjoy his blog (www.IndyBaseballChatter.com ) or comment to RWirz@aol.com. The author has 16 years of major league baseball public relations experience with Kansas City and as spokesman for two Commissioners and is located in Stratford, CT.)