Independent League Notebook

By J.J. Cooper
July 29, 2004

Jackals Get In Done The Hard Way

For the New Jersey Jackals, beating New Haven in a one-game playoff to win the first-half title was relatively easy.

Getting to the playoff game was the hard part.

New Jersey won five games in a span of three days to edge New Haven for the Northeast League's Southern Division first-half title. The furious finish capped off a 12-2 run to the title, as the Jackals won must-win game after must-win game down the stretch.

The pressure reached its zenith on the second-to-last day of the first half, as the Jackals headed into their first of back-to-back doubleheaders knowing that they had to win all four games just to force a playoff game against the Cutters.

Thanks to the pitching staff, New Jersey did just that. The Jackals won the first two games with a pair of seven-inning shutouts from Brad Whitworth and Aaron Myers. Less than 12 hours after finishing up the first doubleheader, the Jackals and Elmira Pioneers were back on the diamond, as a scheduled noon start was moved up to 11 a.m., to try to get the doubleheader in before forecast rain showers arrived.

Joel Bennett pitched another complete game for the win in the first game, while Josh Miller went 6 2/3 innings for the victory in the second game. Wilton Veras, the league's leading hitter, hit a home run to help ignite a three-run sixth inning for a 3-2 win in the nightcap. In four games, the Jackals needed only one out from the bullpen.

"It was some ride," New Jersey manager Joe Calfapietra said. "It happened so fast. We had to win, so we didn't realize what was happening. I didn't realize we won four in less than 24 hours until someone wrote an article about it."

With a rested bullpen and starter Mike Perkins working on regular rest, the Jackals were actually in good shape for the one-game playoff the next night. They never trailed, as Perkins allowed just two runs in six innings, while Veras tripled and Kevin Grijak homered in a 6-2 victory.

After winning five games in three days, the Jackals could have been expected to celebrate like they just won Game Seven of the World Series. Instead, maybe from fatigue, they approached the win like they had the entire run.

"When we won that game, my pitching coach, Brian Drahman--he's been with me five years and he's a very close friend--we shook hands and he said go out there and enjoy it now," Calfapietra said. "But it wasn't even like we won a half. Everyone was excited, but it wasn't jubilation with guys throwing their hats. It was business-like."

Aged All-Stars?

Kevin Baez hopes to be following the same path Rickey Henderson took in getting back to major league baseball. One day after earning MVP honors in the Atlantic League all-star game last year, Henderson signed a contract with the Dodgers.

Baez took home this year's MVP by going 2-for-4, driving in two runs and scoring the go-ahead run in the North's 10-8 victory over the South at Camden's Campbell Field.

At 37, Baez, a seventh-round pick of the Mets in the 1988 draft, does not have age on his side. Neither did Henderson, who at age 45 is back in the Atlantic League again this season.

"The league this year is dominated by players who have been out of affiliated and major league baseball for quite some time," said an American League scout, who was one of 12 scouts at the all-star game. "Unless someone has overwhelming numbers I don't see any of these guys getting signed."

The average age of the starters for the South all-stars was 30; for the North it was 32. While a number of players have been signed out of the Atlantic League this season, the all-star game was filled with players who might have less chance to get noticed than their younger teammates.

"All you can do is hope for a chance and hope someone notices you," said Baez, who appeared in his third straight all-star game. "I think age has little to do with it. Just look at Rickey."

Heading into the second half of the season, 21 Atlantic League players have signed contracts with affiliated teams. According to the majority of scouts at the all-star game, the level of play this year is somewhat in decline--a fact league executive director Joe Klein acknowledged.

"The disruption that the visa problem has caused has kept our general managers hard-pressed to keep the level of play strong," Klein said.

--EVERETT MERRILL

INDEPENDENT'S DAY

• It took 2,154 at-bats for Justin Davies to hit his first professional home run. The Long Island (Atlantic) outfielder smacked his first career home run on July 8, in his seventh professional season. "When I first hit it, I didn't know what it felt like. I never hit one before," Davies told Newsday. Apparently Davies liked what it felt like to trot around the bases, as 11 days later he hit his second career home run.

• Here's something affiliated teams rarely have to worry about. Somerset (Atlantic) first baseman Paul Ottavinia retired after he was selected to attend a police academy. Ottavinia was hitting.333-4-25 at the time of his retirement.

• In the first Northeast League vs. Central League all-star game, the Central League won 9-4, as Pensacola's Andy Wilson was named MVP for his 2-for-2, four-RBIs performance. Edinburg's Eric Montoya picked up the win with a scoreless inning of work.

• The South won the Northern League all-star game 8-5. Schaumburg's Chris Weekly was named the player of the game as he had three hits and two RBIs. Joliet's Brian Mazone worked a perfect first inning to be named pitcher of the game.

• Gary (Northern) DH Juan Camacho hit for the cycle in a 12-1 win against Sioux City. Camacho tripled in the first, singled in the fifth, homered in the seventh and added a double in the eighth to complete the cycle. He became the second RailCat to hit for the cycle, joining Tim Flaherty, who did it last year.