Independent Baseball Insider
Vol. 12, No. 32, October 30, 2014
By Bob Wirz
Independent Players Get New Deals
Free agency is looming for many onetime Independent stars as it always does this time of year when major league organizations do a shakedown of their rosters although at least four players have avoided the problem by agreeing to new offers from their current organization.
It is no surprise to see power-hitting Dennis Raben (Lincoln 2013) on the re-signed list after his 31-home run season for the Los Angeles Angels, who still have him on their Class A Inland Empire roster.
American Association grads Mark Hamburger (St. Paul 2013, pictured) and Jeff Howell (St. Paul and Lincoln, 2011) remain one level below the majors with Minnesota and Washington, respectively. Hamburger is a righty, Howell a catcher.
(Fans not yet getting the complete Independent Baseball Insider column, which will be published 36 times in 2014, may do so for as little as $6.99 at www.WirzandAssociates.com. Bob Wirz provides supplemental stories about Independent Baseball on his blog, www.IndyBaseballChatter.com. The author has 16 years of major league baseball experience with Kansas City and as chief spokesman for two Commissioners, and lives in Stratford, CT.)
