Independent Baseball Insider: Vol. 11, No. 31, September 12, 2013
By Bob Wirz
Twenty-one years ago when Kash Beauchamp was signed off the St. Paul (MN) Saints’ roster in the Northern League and assigned to Class AA the naysayers were continuing to pooh-pooh the future of this new thing called Independent Baseball. Those who believed it could succeed likely were in the minority.
We have pointed out the growth in acceptance of the player talent in these non-major league-affiliated leagues in this space week after week, year after year, but what we are about to lay out might surprise even the most enthusiastic supporters of the Indy game back in 1993.
Yes, some of the 28 pitchers who have appeared in the Independent leagues and have been in the majors this season were merely staying sharp before the free agent draft or while agents negotiated contracts, but that does not explain the staggering fact hurlers whose resumes include the non-affiliated game have been credited with 106 major league victories this season, and there are another two and a half weeks to go.
Boston or Atlanta, the MLB clubs with the best winning percentages, could reach 100 wins. Team Independent would easily overshadow either one, and not be far off the best winning percentage the major leagues can offer with its composite 106-72 (.596) record.
Detroit’s Max Scherzer (pictured), one of those perceived as a strong major league candidate from the day he left the University of Missouri and put on a uniform of the Fort Worth (TX) Cats of the American Association, is the unquestioned leader of Team Independent because of his 19-3 record, but no less than 22 pitchers have registered at least one major league victory this season.
The complete list of onetime Independent Baseball hurlers in the major leagues this season along with their Independent affiliations and their 2013 MLB record (through Thursday afternoon):
| Pitcher | MLB Team |
Independent Team(s), League(s) |
Record |
| *Scherzer, Max | Det |
Fort Worth, American Assn. |
19-3 |
| Ziegler, Brad | Ariz |
Schaumburg, Northern |
8-1 |
| Kazmir, Scott | Cleve |
Sugar Land, Atlantic |
8-8 |
| *Crow, Aaron | KC |
Fort Worth, American Assn. |
7-5 |
| Williams, Jerome | LA-AL |
Lancaster, Atlantic; Long Beach, Golden |
7-10 |
| DeLaRosa, Dane | LA-AL |
Southern Maryland, Atlantic; El Paso, American Assn.; Victoria, Orange County, Long Beach and Yuma, Golden |
6-1 |
| *Scheppers, Tanner | Tex |
St. Paul, American Assn. |
6-2 |
| *Roark, Tanner | Wash |
Southern Illinois, Frontier |
6-0 |
| Delabar, Steve | Tor |
Brockton, Can-Am; Florence, Frontier |
5-3 |
| Breslow, Craig | Bos |
New Jersey, Northeast |
5-2 |
| *Hochevar, Luke | KC |
Fort Worth, American Assn. |
4-2 |
| Rice, Scott | NY-NL |
York, Long Island and Newark, Atlantic |
4-5 |
| Axelrod, Dylan | Chi-AL |
Windy City, Frontier |
4-9 |
| Kintzler, Brandon | Mil |
St. Paul, American Assn.; Winnipeg, Northern |
3-2 |
| *Thatcher, Joe | SD, Ariz |
River City, Frontier |
3-2 |
| Thielbar, Caleb | Minn |
St. Paul, American Assn. |
3-2 |
| Coello, Robert | LA-AL |
Edmonton and Calgary, Golden |
2-2 |
| Albers, Andrew | Minn |
Quebec, Can-Am |
2-2 |
| *Paxton, James | Sea |
Grand Prairie, American Assn. |
1-0 |
| Roe, Chaz | Ariz |
Laredo, American Assn. |
1-0 |
| Valdes, Raul | Phil |
New Jersey and Nashua, Can-Am |
1-1 |
| Nuno, Vidal | NY-AL |
Washington, Frontier |
1-2 |
| Bydrak, Tim | NY-NL |
Gary and Joliet, Northern |
0-0 |
| Kensing, Logan | Col |
Bridgeport, Atlantic |
0-0 |
| Garcia, Luis | Phil |
Newark, Can-Am |
0-1 |
| *Burke, Greg | NY-NL |
Atlantic City, Atlantic |
0-2 |
| Johnson, Kris | Pitt |
Kansas City, American Assn. |
0-2 |
| Wilhelmsen, Tom | Sea |
Tucson, Golden |
0-3 |
| Totals | 106-72 |
*First professional game was in an Independent league
