Release and photo courtesy Chicago Dogs Rosemont, Ill. — Chicago Dogs 1B Keon Barnum, the American Association’s 2019 Player of the Year, he has been selected as the top player in all of independent baseball, being named Baseball America’s Independent Baseball Player of the Year, the outlet announced. In Barnum’s first season with the Dogs,...Read More

Nearly two dozen current and former American Association players are spending their off-seasons in the Australian Baseball League. The league features a mix of players from Australia and New Zealand, as well as the rest of the baseball world. In his first season in the ABL, C Jeremy Martinez (pictured, St. Paul ’19,), one of...Read More

By Bob Wirz When the subject comes up of trying to pinpoint the next group of American Association players who could join the major league ranks before long one certain indicator is to find those now in Triple-A, the top minor league level. Offseason rosters usually get set before the Winter Meetings, and looking at...Read More

By Bob Wirz Another recent American Association pitcher must feel like he has struck oil, this time in Japan. Tayler Scott, who received considerable attention last summer when he became the first South African native to pitch in the major leagues, has signed to play with the Hiroshima Carp, and NPBTracker.com, which helped announce the...Read More

By Bob Wirz It is not exactly new for a relief pitcher to mature in the American Association and not too much later find himself getting a major league opportunity.  Prime examples among current major leaguers include St. Louis’s John Brebbia (Sioux Falls and Laredo), Atlanta’s Chris Martin (Grand Prairie) and Tampa Bay’s Chaz Roe...Read More

By Bob Wirz  It is only a bad joke to say that every American Association player should be looking up to Chris Martin these days even if the Atlanta Braves reliever does measure out at a basketball-worthy 6-foot-8. The real reason to use Martin as an example to today’s players comes about because the right-handed...Read More

LINCOLN, NE – The Lincoln Saltdogs have hired James Frisbie as the team’s next field manager, the club has announced. Frisbie, 47, takes over for Bobby Brown, who managed the ‘Dogs in each of the last four seasons. “We are extremely thrilled to welcome James Frisbie (Friz) to the Lincoln Saltdogs organization,” said Saltdogs President/GM...Read More

Dozens of current and former American Association players are spending their off-seasons in the Venezuelan Winter League, highlighted by OF Denis Phipps (pictured, Laredo ’14-’16, Texas ’17), who leads the league with five home runs and 15 RBI for Anzoategui. Two league alumni are managing this season: Margarita’s Alex Nunez (Laredo ’16) and Anzoategui’s Jackson...Read More

By Bob Wirz While it still is early to know all of the teams headed to the resumption of baseball in the Olympics next year, some of those who have made the Premier 12 trials in Japan outstanding already can be identified. Onetime Gary SouthShore right-hander Adam Quintana has continued to help Mexico although another...Read More

MOORHEAD, MN – The American Association has announced the schedule for the 2020 season. CLICK HERE FOR THE 2020 SCHEDULE The 2020 schedule is balanced, with each club playing 100 games comprised of two home series and two road series inside its division, and one home series and one road series against the clubs outside...Read More