Durham, N.C. — The contract of Laredo Lemurs C Zane Chavez has been purchased by the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, the American Association announced on Thursday. In his first season with Laredo, Chavez, 29, played in 70 games, tying for the club lead with 17 doubles to go along with a .260 average, six home runs and 38...Read More

Word is getting around.  Quickly. Perhaps it was the emergence of Wichita’s Junior Guerra as a top-flight starter in Milwaukee or maybe the fact the Wingnuts’ James Hoyt broke into the major leagues in Houston and Tim Adleman of Lincoln and El Paso debuted with Cincinnati.  And, maybe it is merely the continued maturation of...Read More

Durham, N.C. — The contract of Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks 1B Dustin Geiger has been purchased by the Miami Marlins organization, the American Association announced on Friday. The Merritt Island, Fla., native has been a solid performer in the league over the past two seasons, hitting .285 with a combined 46 doubles, 23 home runs and 111 RBI...Read More

Independent Baseball Chatter – by Bob Wirz Only one year removed from earning Pitcher of the Year honors in the American Association, Patrick Johnson may be building a similar resume in the tough Dominican League. The right-hander, who was 15-1 with a 2.08 earned run average at Sioux City, turned in his third consecutive stingy...Read More

Courtesy Kansas City T-Bones Media Relations KANSAS CITY, Kan. – The Kansas City T-Bones announced that the Colorado Rockies have purchased the contract of RHP David Holman. Holman, an Andale, Kan. native, went 4-5 with a 4.36 ERA for the T-Bones in 2016, his first full season since Tommy John surgery kept him out of baseball...Read More

Durham, N.C. — The contract of Wichita Wingnuts 3B Zack Cox has been purchased by the Detroit Tigers organization, the American Association announced on Wednesday. Cox, 27, was superb in his first season with the Wingnuts in 2016, tying for second with 30 doubles, tying for third with 77 runs scored and finishing fifth with 122...Read More

Independent Baseball Chatter – by Bob Wirz Jared Mortensen makes a very good story for the American Association because it was in the league where he threw his very first professional pitches in 2013. Three years after breaking in with a 4-6, 3.77 season as mostly a starter at Grand Prairie, the 28-year-old righthander suddenly...Read More

Independent Baseball Chatter – by Bob Wirz When the name Molina comes up in baseball the natural thought is of a catcher as in brothers Bengie, Jose and Yadier, the latter still a standout with the St. Louis Cardinals.  Those are the Puerto Rican Molinas. San Francisco Giants fans may one day before long start...Read More

Courtesy Kansas City T-Bones Media Relations KANSAS CITY, Kan. – The Kansas City T-Bones have announced that Joe Calfapietra has been hired as the club’s new manager. Calfapietra, 46, brings to Kansas City an overall record of 848-740 in 17 seasons as a manager, all at the independent level. Calfapietra spent the past 14 seasons...Read More

Add onetime Independent Player of the Year Balbino Fuenmayor (Laredo ’13) to the mix as the Atlanta Braves juggle faces in the organization prior to the move to a new stadium and, hopefully, a better position in the National League East standings. The slugging first baseman (and occasional third baseman) shed his free agent status...Read More