With Atlanta’s Chipper Jones making an early run at Major League Baseball’s first .400 batting average in 67 years, I thought it might be fun to look at similar seasons at the minor league level.  The data at Baseball-Reference’s minor league site goes back as far as 1992, a seventeen year span in which there have been ten .400 seasons.

Sort of.

The thing with these stats is that the minimum number of plate appearances necessary for inclusion among the leaders is 150, a far cry from the 502 required to become eligible for a major league batting title.  Under those parameters, the following players can claim to be in the company of Ted Williams, Ty Cobb, Rogers Hornsby, et al:

Greg Morrison, 1997 Medicine Hat Blue Jays (Pioneer League - Rookie): .448 (108-241)
Rene Reyes, 1998 AZL Rockies (Arizona League - Rookie): .429 (76-177)
Kevin Sweeney, 1996 Lethbridge Black Diamonds (Pioneer League - Rookie): .424 (86-203)
Paul Chiaffredo, 1997 St. Catharine’s Stompers (New York-Penn League - Low A): .423 (69-163)
Hernan Iribarren, 2004 2 Teams (2 Leagues - Rookie/A): .422 (108-256)
Jason Ellison, 2006 Fresno Grizzlies (Pacific Coast League - AAA): .406 (78-192)
Rene Agueron, 2005 Bluefield Orioles (Appalachian League - Rookie): .405 (66-163)
Erubiel Durazo, 1999 2 Teams (2 Leagues - AA/AAA): .404 (139-344)
Ruben Salazar, 1999 Elizabethton Twins (Appalachian League - Rookie): .401 (105-262)
Harvey Pulliam, 1997 Colorado Springs Sky Sox (Pacific Coast League - AAA): .401 (55-137)

Originally, I thought I had found the mother lode, the greatest (small sample size) batting average of all time, when I saw that Billings’ Nick Morrow had hit a remarkable .651 in 1994.  Yes, .651.  It was such a huge number that more research was required, which led to an unhappy discovery: Minor League Reference listed Morrow with 82 hits in 126 at-bats; The Baseball Cube, credits him with 82 hits in 246 at-bats, for a much more believable (and ordinary) .333 mark.  Much a pity.

The new number one, Morrison’s .448, is still pretty impressive (and backed up by two sources).  Personally, I’m a fan of Durazo’s 1999 campaign - 344 at-bats is a decent number, the most on the list, and he accomplished it at the AA and AAA levels rather than Rookie ball.

Early on this season, several players are in position to add their names to the list:

Terry Tiffee, Las Vegas 51s (Pacific Coast League - AAA): .430 (68-15
Jamie D’Antona, Tucson Sidewinders (Pacific Coast League - AAA): .421 (53-126)
Shane Robinson, Springfield Cardinals (Texas League - AA): .413 (50-121)
Pablo Sandoval, San Jose Giants (California League - High A): .406 (54-133)
Luis Maza, Las Vegas 51s (Pacific Coast League - AAA): .402 (51-127)

Should be fun to keep an eye on the Tiffee-Maza battle in Sin City for the next few weeks, though it won’t take much of a mini-slump for either to drop below .400.

The Z-meter tracks the story arcs of 25 top prospects (or players we just like) on their way to the bigs. It is named after current Washington Nationals star Ryan Zimmerman, who made the transition from anchoring the University of Virginia to starring in MLB in one year.

Promoted:

Evan Longoria, 3B, Durham (AAA) to Tampa Bay Rays (MLB)
Luke Hochevar, RHP, Omaha (AAA) to Kansas City Royals (MLB)
Max Scherzer, RHP, Tucson (AAA) to Arizona Diamondbacks (MLB)

Antonio Bastardo, LHP, Clearwater (A) to Reading (AA)

Travis Snider, OF, Dunedin (A-Advanced) to New Hampshire (AA)

Josh Vitters, 3B, Boise (Short A) to Peoria (A)

Mets pitching prospect Eric Niesen is out as his ERA climbs skyward. Josh Vitters from Peoria hasn’t picked up any stats for two weeks due to an injured hand, so we’re going to have to let him go for this season unless he starts tearing it up. Matt LaPorta and Mat Gamel from Huntsville are in. Colby Rasmus is hanging by a thread.

We’ve been keeping a close eye on the nice stats of Clayton Kershaw, who was on schedule to make his big-league debut despite having a difficult time putting wins on the board. MiLB.com says that promotion to the Dodgers is now on hold, after Kershaw got knocked around by the Mobile BayBears (Diamondbacks). Jay Bruce continues to scorch triple-A, and we’re all just waiting with bated breath to see him in a Reds uni. Elvis Andrus stole three bases and hit .750 in a single game on the 14th, so we’re giving him the red line. Mike Moustakas is slowly clawing his way out of his early doldrums, hitting .500 since May 9th.

Let’s see who else is hot this week:

Jay Bruce, CF - Louisville Bats (Reds): .352 - 25R - 7HR - 30RBI - 7SB - .613 SLG - .991 OPS

Homer Bailey, RHP - Louisville Bats (Reds): 8GS - 4W - 3L - 3.55 ERA - 14BB - 40K

Andrew McCutchen, CF - Indianapolis Indians (Pirates): .282 - 24R - 6HR - 19RBI - 11SB - .470 SLG - .844 OPS

Carlos Gonzalez, RF - Sacramento River Cats (Athletics): .303 - 12R - 3HR - 13RBI - 1SB - .424 SLG - .785 OPS

Ian Stewart, 3B - Colorado Springs Sky Sox (Rockies): .268 - 33R - 9HR - 32RBI - 3SB - .587 SLG - .945 OPS

Joe Koshansky, 1B - Colorado Springs Sky Sox (Rockies): .282 - 24R - 6HR - 29RBI - 0SB - .527 SLG - .904 OPS

Colby Rasmus, OF - Memphis Redbirds (Cardinals): .194 - 22R - 6HR - 15RBI - 5SB - .329 SLG - .612 OPS

Clayton Kershaw, LHP - Jacksonville Suns (Dodgers): 7GS - 0W - 3L - 2.21 ERA - 11BB - 40K

Justin Masterson, RHP - Portland Sea Dogs (Red Sox): 7GS - 1W - 2L - 3.06 ERA - 14BB - 34K

Fernando Martinez, CF - Binghamton Mets (Mets): .277 - 19R - 3HR - 15RBI - 3SB - .406 SLG - .718 OPS

Jacob McGee, LHP - Montgomery Biscuits (Rays): 7GS - 3W - 2L - 4.58 ERA - 16BB - 36K

Cameron Maybin, CF - Carolina Mudcats (Marlins): .241 - 22R - 5HR - 11RBI - 6SB - .409 SLG - .775 OPS

Lars Anderson, 1B - Lancaster JetHawks (Red Sox): .246 - 23R - 5HR - 18RBI - 0SB - .435 SLG - .801 OPS

Wade Davis, RHP - Montgomery Biscuits (Rays): 8GS - 3W - 2L - 3.64 ERA - 16BB - 35K

Elvis Andrus, SS - Frisco RoughRiders (Rangers): .281 - 21R - 0HR - 18RBI - 10BB - 14SB - .333 SLG - .671 OPS

Jeff Samardzija, P - Tennessee Smokies (Cubs): 8GS - 3W - 3L - 4.81 ERA - 24BB - 23K

Luke Montz, C - Harrisburg Senators (Nationals): .346 - 14R - 7HR - 31RBI - 9BB - 0SB - .667 SLG - 1.073 OPS

Travis Snider, RF - New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Blue Jays): .182 - 15R - 4HR - 7RBI - 1SB - .351 SLG - .666 OPS

Antonio Bastardo, LHP - Reading Phillies (Phillies): 3GS - 1W - 1L - 3.06 ERA - 5BB - 15K

Matt LaPorta, CF - Huntsville Stars (Brewers): .314 - 32R - 10HR - 38 RBI - 0SB - .629 SLG - 1.049 OPS

Mat Gamel, 3B - Huntsville Stars (Brewers): /367 - 37R - 9HR - 35RBI - 2SB - .665 SLG - 1.091 OPS

Ian Gac, 1B - Clinton LumberKings (Rangers): .357 - 32R - 14HR - 40RBI - 22BB - 1SB - .762 SLG - 1.233 OPS

Rick Porcello, RHP - Lakeland Flying Tigers (Detroit): 8GS - 3W - 4L - 1.74 ERA - 13BB - 23K

Matt Wieters, C - Frederick Keys (Orioles): .333 - 26R - 8HR - 22RBI - 18BB - 1SB - .581 SLG - 1.003 OPS

Mike Moustakas, SS - Burlington Bees (Royals): .240 - 14R - 4HR - 13RBI - 3SB - .364 SLG - .659 OPS

Getting to know other writers is one of the best things about having a blog. Since OMDQ and I have been in the writing version of the Bus Leagues for more than a year, we have met some great people we are proud to call friends & colleagues. One of those is Jordi, who writes about baseball, politics, and other blood sports at his site, The Serious Tip. Today, he shares his weekend experiences going from MLB to A-ball in South Florida. Enjoy.

From the rural sandlots to the city stadiums, the basic premise of baseball – three strikes, three outs, nine innings, etc – remains constant. Sure, the talent level rises with every step to the majors, but does an increase in whiz-bang glitz and glamour make for a more entertaining game? Is happiness and emotional attachment at the ballpark directly related to cost and hype? Or have I been reading too much Freakonomics?

These questions are a result of seeing two games of various levels this past weekend. Last Friday night, I used one of my season tickets and saw James Shields of the Tampa Bay Rays one-hit the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The next night, I traveled to Viera, nee Melbourne, Florida, received a free ticket and watched the Class-A Florida State League Brevard County Manatees take on the Tampa Yankees.

As anyone who has followed my past writings knows, I am a closet Rays fan. Although I grew up a Mets fan, since moving to Tampa two years ago, I’ve had an interest in the Rays, especially in regards to the team’s transformation from doormat to dominant. So as an admirer, and not yet a full-blown fan, I was on my feet applauding what may have been the best pitching performance in franchise history.

Unlike my newfound fascination with the Rays, the Brevard County Manatees have been my favorite minor league team since their inception in 1994. Formerly a Marlins’ farm team, the Manatees are now the A-ball representative of the Milwaukee Brewers. Personally, I still wear the teal Manatees hat. I think it looks better than the newer red and blue version.

My two weekend destinations, independent of the score, couldn’t have been more different. A trip to the Trop is almost like a journey to the amusement park. Despite its reputation as a bad place for baseball, the Rays ownership has turned Tropicana Field into a fan friendly experience, with batting cages, speed gun contests, and plenty of other bells, whistles, gizmos, and doo-dads. The coup de grace of this new Trop is the new large video score board installed before the 2007 season. Every stat the above-average fan needs is broadcast, from OPS to pitch count, WHIP to walks per nine innings.

Even the fans at Tropicana Field have their own vibe. Whereas a growing number are starting to pepper the stands with Upton and Shields jerseys, many still wear generic merchandise mixed with attention-getting flare such as clown wigs and boxing robes. Topping off this group of new fans was an American Idol contestant in town to sing the National Anthem.

A Manatees game at Space Coast Stadium, on the other hand, is a far different experience. Instead of a celebrity singing for America, for example, the Manatees had two anonymous local crooners. Instead of a promotional foul line race between characters dressed as Pepsi, Aquafina, and Sierra Mist, the Manatees featured two local little league coaches dressed in generic ketchup and mustard bottles. Instead of amplified stereo noise, blinking lights, and new-age scoreboard, Space Coast Stadium relied on an old fashioned public address system and a video screen fit for an Sega Genesis.

So was the Rays’ game I paid for that much better than the low-budget Class-A Manatees contest I saw for free? Well, in this case, yes. But only because of the magnificent pitching artistry of James Shields. If not for the great Mr. Shields, it might have been a toss-up.

Thanks, Jordi! Readers will also enjoy hearing about the J-man’s quest to join the minor-league ranks during open tryouts.

You may have noticed that last week I kind of skipped the whole “Spotlight on” series. I realized that doing a link dump every other day was overkill, and also noticed that nobody was clicking on the links. So, instead, I’ll be doing something a little more fun - looking at specific teams and prospects that grab my interest.

Today, I’m checking out the Huntsville Stars (Brewers) as suggested by reader Andrew. They have two slugging geniuses who go by variations of the name Matthew, and some pretty cool promotions and such as well. So let’s check them out.

First up, the Mat(t)s. Here’s the 411 from Andrew’s comment:

The Brewers have the Wonder Mat(t)’s!

Mat Gamel .375/8/33/.438/.681/1.119
Matt LaPorta .336/10/38/.433/.688/1.121

I may be a homer, but these guys are raking in Hunstville. And they’re both named Matt! ESPN can do things with this!

We may have to wait a while for these guys to get to ESPN’s radar, but right now, they’re on ours.

Mat Gamel is a sweet-swinging lefty from Jacksonville, FL who was drafted in the 4th round of the 2005 amateur draft out of Chipola College, which has produced a handful of players who made it to the show. Gamel is a third baseman, and Brewers pundits claim he fields his position well. He worked his way up from Rookie ball to his current perch in double-A. The boy can hit.

Matt LaPorta is another Floridian. He put in four years of SEC baseball with the Gators, before the Brewers made him the 7th pick last year. With his NCAA experience backing him up, LaPorta has made a much faster rise to the Stars, where he is playing in the outfield and doing much damage in the batter’s box.

The Brewers are a young team, so no telling when these two Sunshine Staters will get their shots at the big time. We’ll be keeping an eye on them, though.

Other Huntsville Stars News:

The Stars are 26-11, which is good for the lead in the Northern division of the Southern League. I don’t know what kind of compass they’re using out there…

May 24th is Meatloaf Night Joe Davis stadium. You can register for the contest to determine the best brick of ground meat, or just taste-test and vote. If I lived in Huntsville, I’d probably indulge in the latter.

And, finally, here’s what the official Huntsville hat looks like.

Let us know about your favorite players at your Bus League outpost, and we’ll give their club the same treatment!

The Atlantic City Surf sent out a team newsletter on Friday that included the following tidbit about Can-Am League newcomer Ottawa:

The Can-Am League’s new Ottawa franchise has announced that it will be changing its nickname from “Rapids” to “Rapidz.” In addition, the club unveiled a new logo (left).

Understandably, they also changed the logo, from this:

To this:

It appears the name change came about because the team was sold to Zip.ca - hence the new “z” at the end - and the color scheme is more in line with the old Ottawa Lynx, which moved following the 2007 season.  Still, seems odd - the Rapids logo wasn’t half bad.

Here at Bus Leagues, we get by with a little help from our friends. With hundreds of minor-league teams and stadiums in the United States alone, we don’t even entertain the notion that we can visit all of them. That’s where helpful readers come in. A friend of the site who comments under the moniker “willenvelope” offered us some shots taken at Waterfront Stadium, home of the AA Trenton Thunder (Yankees). There’s no way I could improve on the commentary he included, so you’re reading his words:

“The approach to Waterfront Stadium takes you past the Trenton State Prison on Cass Street, the former site of New Jersey’s death row, now spiffed up with a baseball-themed mural. That’s my car — the ThunderGolf — on the right.”

“Just another sunny day at the old ballgame.”

“Not really sure what the Babe’s doing here. I guess he was on a rehab assignment. He’ll be back with the big squad in a couple weeks.”

“Possibly simultaneously listening to the Phillies game. Though the Thunder is a Yankees affiliate, this is more of a Philly crowd. Great heckling. (Not from this guy, though.)”

“For the uninitiated, pork roll is a processed meat that’s kind of like a thick-sliced baloney, fried on the griddle. You can’t really find it outside of central and south Jersey, where it’s traditionally a breakfast meat and the key component to the cherished pork-roll-egg-and-cheese sandwich. But Trenton is Pork Roll Ground Zero, so they serve it up three meals a day. Hence the handsome, if fanciful, pork-roll-and-peppers hoagie, pictured above.” (editor’s note: I consider it a federal crime that I am denied access to something called a pork roll due to simple geography)

“It looked like this. And it ruled. That’s a Brooklyn Brown Ale in the background.”

“Trenton has two mascots. Strike the Lightning Bolt is new since I was last here (in maybe 2000, when they were a Boston affiliate). Thunder is a chicken with the mondo-outrageous sunglasses that cereal-commercial characters wear. I like Strike better.”

“Doesn’t look like Strike’s arms enjoy a whole lot of lateral movement.”

“A guy in a chicken suit shooting balled-up T-shirts into the crowd with a hydraulic air bazooka. Oh, by the way, this was a good game (background). Thunder vs. Portland Sea Dogs. The Thunder ultimately prevailed 1-0.”

“That dude on the left is holding Strike’s dinner.”

Thanks a million, Will. This was just part of Will’s set (WordPress charges for extra photo space, can you believe that?), so you can see the rest by visiting his flickr page.

Every Thursday, Extra P shares with us the triumphs and travails of 25 of minor league baseball’s best prospects.  From Jay Bruce to Eric Niesen, every player who appears on the Z-Meter has a realistic chance at making the major leagues, even if the likelihood is great that at least a few won’t pan out in the end.

A level beyond the Z-Meter, in an area that we haven’t really covered much, are the guys who were included on Baseball America’s preseason Top 100 prospects list and promptly followed that up by excelling at the major league level.  Thirty-six players on that list have seen action in The Show at some point; 16 began the season in the majors (one, the Yankees’ Ian Kennedy, has been sent back down to AAA), 9 were called up within the first few weeks (Tampa Bay’s Jeff Niemann returned to the minors shortly after), and 11 played in previous seasons but are currently in the Bus Leagues for more seasoning.

I thought it would be an interesting exercise to track the outstanding single-game performances of those players who have spent time on major league rosters this season.  As of yesterday, May 7, seven prospects had enjoyed at least one game that I, the lone judge in this exercise, have deemed “special”. 

Johnny Cueto (Reds): April 3 – 7 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 10 SO
Jacoby Ellsbury (Red Sox): April 22 – 3-5, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 3 RS
Kosuke Fukudome (Cubs): March 31 – 3-3, 2B, HR, 3 RBI
Carlos Gomez (Twins): May 7 – 4-6, 2B, 3B, HR, 3 RBI, 2 RS
Max Scherzer (Diamondbacks): April 29 – 4.1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 7 SO
Geovany Soto (Cubs): April 30 – 2-4, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 2 RS
Joey Votto (Reds): May 7 – 3-4, 3 HR, 4 RBI, 3 RS

The Z-meter tracks the story arcs of 25 top prospects (or players we just like) on their way to the bigs. It is named after current Washington Nationals star Ryan Zimmerman, who made the transition from anchoring the University of Virginia to starring in MLB in one year.

Promoted:

Evan Longoria, 3B, Durham (AAA) to Tampa Bay Rays (MLB)
Luke Hochevar, RHP, Omaha (AAA) to Kansas City Royals (MLB)
Max Scherzer, RHP, Tucson (AAA) to Arizona Diamondbacks (MLB)

Antonio Bastardo, LHP, Clearwater (A) to Reading (AA)

Travis Snider, OF, Dunedin (A-Advanced) to New Hampshire (AA)

Josh Vitters, 3B, Boise (Short A) to Peoria (A)

Our man with the great name and even better arm, Antonio Bastardo, was called up from A to AA this week. That makes him a Reading Phillie, so we’ll reset his numbers and see how he does at this level (he already has one win). Clayton Kershaw gets a hot line even though he hasn’t won a game. This is because he hasn’t allowed an earned run since April 15, so he’s clearly doing his job - can’t blame him for the team’s failures. Royals phenom Mike Moustakas has hit three home runs and stolen two bases since last week, so we’ll give him a red line even though his overall numbers are poor - he’s obviously figuring some stuff out recently.

Let’s see who’s hot this week:

Jay Bruce, CF - Louisville Bats (Reds): .320 - 19R - 5HR - 23RBI - 7SB - .541 SLG - .884 OPS

Homer Bailey, RHP - Louisville Bats (Reds): 7GS - 4W - 3L - 2.72 ERA - 12BB - 39K

Andrew McCutchen, CF - Indianapolis Indians (Pirates): .288 - 23R - 6HR - 17RBI - 9SB - .504 SLG - .890 OPS

Carlos Gonzalez, RF - Sacramento River Cats (Athletics): .343 - 11R - 3HR - 10RBI - 0SB - .514 SLG - .925 OPS

Ian Stewart, 3B - Colorado Springs Sky Sox (Rockies): .254 - 26R - 9HR - 29RBI - 3SB - .568 SLG - .904 OPS

Joe Koshansky, 1B - Colorado Springs Sky Sox (Rockies): .279 - 22R - 5HR - 19RBI - 0SB - .532 SLG - .916 OPS

Colby Rasmus, OF - Memphis Redbirds (Cardinals): .200 - 19R - 5HR - 14RBI - 5SB - .344 SLG - .641 OPS

Clayton Kershaw, LHP - Jacksonville Suns (Dodgers): 6GS - 0W - 3L - 1.08 ERA - 11BB - 37K

Justin Masterson, RHP - Portland Sea Dogs (Red Sox): 6GS - 1W - 2L - 3.25 ERA - 10BB - 34K

Fernando Martinez, CF - Binghamton Mets (Mets): .250 - 15R - 1HR - 12RBI - 3SB - .350 SLG - .630 OPS

Jacob McGee, LHP - Montgomery Biscuits (Rays): 6GS - 3W - 2L - 34.20 ERA - 13BB - 30K

Cameron Maybin, CF - Carolina Mudcats (Marlins): .252 - 19R - 4HR - 10RBI - 6SB - .423 SLG - .818 OPS

Lars Anderson, 1B - Lancaster JetHawks (Red Sox): .264 - 21R - 5HR - 15RBI - 0SB - .471 SLG - .840 OPS

Wade Davis, RHP - Montgomery Biscuits (Rays): 7GS - 3W - 2L - 3.51 ERA - 13BB - 29K

Elvis Andrus, SS - Frisco RoughRiders (Rangers): .266 - 15R - 0HR - 13RBI - 7BB - 9SB - .305 SLG - .624 OPS

Jeff Samardzija, P - Tennessee Smokies (Cubs): 7GS - 3W - 2L - 3.44 ERA - 20BB - 21K

Luke Montz, C - Harrisburg Senators (Nationals): .364 - 14R - 7HR - 31RBI - 9BB - 0SB - .701 SLG - 1.127 OPS

Travis Snider, RF - New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Blue Jays): .143 - 7R - 2HR - 4RBI - 0SB - .250 SLG - .544 OPS

Antonio Bastardo, LHP - Reading Phillies (Phillies): 1GS - 1W - 0L - 1.59 ERA - 3BB - 4K

Ian Gac, 1B - Clinton LumberKings (Rangers): .375 - 29R - 12HR - 35RBI - 16BB - 1SB - .798 SLG - 1.278 OPS

Rick Porcello, RHP - Lakeland Flying Tigers (Detroit): 7GS - 2W - 4L - 1.98 ERA - 12BB - 22K

Josh Vitters, 3B - Peoria Chiefs (Cubs): .214 - 1R - 0HR - 1RBI - 0BB - 0SB - .429 SLG - .643 OPS

Matt Wieters, C - Frederick Keys (Orioles): .340 - 22R - 5HR - 18RBI - 15BB - 1SB - .540 SLG - .960 OPS

Mike Moustakas, SS - Burlington Bees (Royals): .213 - 12R - 4HR - 9RBI - 3SB - .333 SLG - .607 OPS

Eric Niesen, P - St. Lucie Mets (Mets): 5GS - 0W - 3L - 5.33 ERA - 13BB - 21K

A couple days ago, I noticed that Clinton’s Ian Gac was leading the Midwest League in batting average (still is), homeruns and runs batted in, and wondered out loud if any player has ever won that league’s Triple Crown.  An article on MiLB.com talked about Moe Hill, who was the first to take all three titles in 1974, and another source mentioned Joey Meyer in 1984, but I wasn’t sure if those were correct, or if they were the only two.

Seeking confirmation, I emailed the Midwest League offices.  Today, they sent the following reply:

Joseph “Joey” Meyer, Beloit, 1984, .320 Batting Average, 30 Home Runs, 102 Runs Batted In….is the last MWL player to win the Triple Crown.  Only one other, in 1974, Elmore “Moe” Hill, Wisconsin Rapids, .339 Batting Average, 32 Home Runs, 113 Runs Batted In.

I remember Meyer from his 1988 Topps Future Stars baseball card.  He was awesome in the minor league, crushing a ton of homeruns (120 in four seasons in A, AA, and AAA), but only put up 18 in two major league seasons with the Brewers.  Hill’s career was odd - he clearly had the ability to advance to AA, AAA or the major leagues, but for some reason spent eight years playing in A ball for the Wisconsin Rapids Twins.

So there you have it: if Gac-Man manages to hang on and win the Triple Crown this year, he would be only the third player in Midwest League history to do so.

Longtime readers at Extra P’s original home, The Extrapolater, are undoubtedly familiar with his classic Porn Name All-Stars.  The feature ran just like it sounds: every so often, he would look over the rosters of college football teams in a given conference and highlight the ones that truly belonged on a porn set.

With Extra P’s blessing, I decided to attempt the same thing with independent league rosters.  Was it a rousing success?  A horrible failure?  Something in between?  You be the judge.  I do know this: if it works, you can expect to see future installments featuring affiliated leagues.  (Is Stubby Clapp still active?)

Inactive
Evan Cherry (inactive) - Alexandria Aces

Pitching Coach
Dick Such - Camden Riversharks

Left-Handed Pitchers
Adam Cox - Atlantic City Surf
Jake Upwood - Edmonton Cracker-Cats
Drew Dickinson - Gary SouthShore RailCats
Randy Leek - Long Island Ducks
Kevin Beavers - Quebec Capitales

Right-Handed Pitchers
Keegan Laycock - Bay Area Toros
Randy Dicken - Bridgeport Bluefish
Darren Sack - Camden Riversharks
BJ Litchfield - El Paso Diablos
Eric Ridener - Gateway Grizzlies
James Beever - Harlingen WhiteWings
Jeff Long - Kalamazoo Kings
Daryl Arreola - Lincoln Saltdogs
Juan Done - New Jersey Jackals
Nick Casanova - Orange County Flyers
Josh Bone - Shreveport Sports
Ronald Ball - Wichita Wingnuts
Ross Stout - Windy City Thunderbolts

Outfielders
BJ Weed - Atlantic City Surf
Logan Wood - Edinburg Coyotes
Dan Maycock - Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks
Jarred Ball - Lancaster Barnstormers
Kevin Haverbusch - Long Island Ducks

Infielders
Daniel Cox - Brockton Rox
Austin Wasserman - Nashua Pride
Pat Cummins - Orange County Flyers
Brett Flowers - Reno Silver Sox
Wes Long - Windy City ThunderBolts

Catchers
Billy Cox - Pensacola Pelicana