Chris
Sitler, the catcher for the Expansion Division leading
Lighthouse Point Beacons was released from the hospital on
Wednesday after undergoing surgery to remove malignant matter
and tissue from his lung. Doctors proclaimed that the surgery
was successful and that Sitler should make a full recovery.
Beacons' officials, while not writing Sitler off for the
remainder of the season, do not expect the former Sportsmanship
Award winner to return until next season.
Sitler, who has not played since December 3, had surgery last
week. It was a similar procedure to one that Sitler underwent
when he was seven years old.
According to his doctors, Sitler's lung responded well to
the procedure, rejuvenating to 90% capacity almost
immediately.
Although Sitler was previously aware that he may require
surgery, he had been hoping to wait until after the season.
After getting married on December 7, Sitler began experiencing
severe symptoms while he and his bride were on a brief
honeymoon.
Doctors are confident that Sitler will be able to resume
normal activities by the end of January.
While not ruling out a return for the this season's playoffs,
Sitler's prognosis suggests a return to full strength by next
season.
October
20, 2007-Sentries Trade Nieto To Stars:
The Margate Sentries
have parted ways with former league MVP Raul Nieto.
In a trade with the Hollywood Stars,
the Sentries acquired a first and a second round draft choice in
the 2008-2009 Fall/Winter draft in exchange for Nieto.
Although he had held out thus far this season, the Stars
expect Nieto to join the team next week.
Nieto, still considered one of the league's top power hitters,
suffered through his least productive campaign, last season.
Nieto hit a very respectable .350, but drove in only eight runs
and was guilty of, sometimes, playing ambivalent defense. Nieto
is normally considered to be a very good outfielder.
Three seasons ago, in the 2006 Spring/Summer season, Nieto was
voted the Expansion Division's Most Valuable Player Award. In
that season, Nieto hit .453 and tied for third in the league in
RBI.
The Stars are expected to bat Nieto
third or fourth and the power infusion in the middle of the
lineup will be most welcome as the team is still searching for
its first win of the season.
It will be interesting to see how the addition of Nieto,
primarily a center fielder, changes the Stars defensive lineup.
The team's defense has been one of the Stars' few positive
during their early season struggles.
The trade does leave the Stars depleted of top draft choices for
the next two seasons as they previously traded their top three
picks in next season's draft to the Sunrise Sunsets for, as yet
still unsigned, pitcher Joe Adair.
August 13,
2007-Sentries' Dave Gardner Battling Cancer:
Dave Gardner, the
Margate Sentries' veteran outfielder and former Sportsmanship
Award winner, announced that he was diagnosed with cancer.
Gardner was informed by doctors that
the cancer began in his colon and has spread to his liver and
other parts of his abdominal region. The cancer is said to be in
an advanced stage.
Despite the grim prognosis, Gardner remained upbeat and
optimistic regarding his chances for overcoming the disease.
After revealing his condition,
Gardner informed the team that he intended to continue playing
as long as he was able. In Saturday's game, Gardner delivered a
perfect suicide squeeze bunt during the Fightin' Phils 14-2 win
over the Tri-Cities Tritons at Fort Lauderdale Stadium.
The very popular Gardner, who was a key reserve on the
Sentries' 2005 Fall/Winter season Expansion Division champions,
is also the father of Josh Gardner, the all star right fielder
from the Lighthouse Point Beacons.
June 14, 2007-Federal
Leaguers To Appear In TV Commercial:
Five
Federal League players and two league umpires spent Wednesday,
June 13, at Fort Lauderdale Stadium shooting a television
commercial for the MIami Herald.
The ad, which will appear on TV throughout South Florida
this summer, features Andrew Peterson (Margate Sentries), Jose
Morales (Lighthouse Point Beacons), Carlos Rodriguez, Jr.
(Sunrise Sunsets), Joe Grant (Davie Goliaths), and Jon Simon
(South Florida Sun Devils) performing various baseball scenes.
Long time Federal League umpires Jeff Bilus and Jerry Giroux
appear in the ad as well.
Peterson appears as a batter. Morales performs as a catcher.
Rodriguez and Simon were cast as infielders and Grant was chosen
to be a baserunner.
The commercial, which will likely run as a sixty second spot,
took eight hours to produce.
April 19, 2007- Stoves
To Take Leave Of Absence From Playball Academy:
Two
months after winning the Original Division championship in his
initial season at the helm, and just days before his team's
season opener, Craig Stoves, manager of the Playball Academy
Internationals, announced that he would be taking a leave of
absence from the organization to attend to personal business in
his native Australia.
Stoves, who served as a coach and a scout for the Academy
since 1995 before being named manager last year, said in a phone
interview that he expects to return to the United States, and to
the Playball Academy, in the future, but that he did not have a
timetable.
"I felt it was only fair," Stoves said. "I do not
know how long it will take me to attend to some non-baseball
related matters that I must take care of in Australia. It could
be a month, it could be six months. Under those conditions, I
needed to let the organization find a replacement."
The Playball Academy has yet to name a successor for Stoves nor
has it indicated if the next Cadets' manager will be labeled an
interim choice or will be designated as the team's full time
manager with Stoves, upon his return, assuming a different role.
Stoves expects to remain with the club through May 8.
April 9, 2007- Former
Federal Leaguer Recalled To Majors:
Rick
Vanden Hurk, a right handed pitcher who hurled for the Playball
Academy team in 2003 and 2004, has been recalled to the major
leagues by the Florida Marlins.
Vanden Hurk, who began the season on the roster of the
double-A Carolina Mudcats, was signed by the Marlins after
pitching for Randy Kierce's Cadets for four seasons.
The soon to be 22 year old Vanden Hurk split time between the
Gulf Coast League and Jupiter of the Florida State League last
season. In 25 innings combined, Vanden Hurk compiled a 1.80 ERA
and limited opposing batters to an impressive .111 batting
average.
Vanden Hurk, a six foot, five, 195 pound righty, hails from
Eindoven in the Netherlands.
Upon making his major league debut, Vanden Hurk will become the
fifth former Federal Leaguer to reach the big leagues.
April 4, 2007- Expansion
Division Clubs Shuffle Rosters:
The
2007 Spring/Summer season manager's meetings concluded Wednesday
night and several Expansion Division teams will have new looks
in the coming campaign.
Perhaps, more than any other team, the Tri-Cities Tritons
will have plenty of new faces after trading David Bourns to the
Davie Goliaths for Marlowe Boylan and John King and acquiring
Francis Eckert from the Margate Sentries. Additionally, the
Water Dwellers released some notable names, including Brian
Herman, Ted Nosek, and Mike Orris.
The Goliaths, in addition to welcoming Bourns aboard, signed
four of their five draft picks as the Expansion Series finalists
look to reload. The Philistines will be hard pressed to replace
second baseman Randy Talley, who, at last report, intends to
take this season off.
Although, they made but a few off season moves, it could be
argued that no team did more to improve itself than the Margate
Sentries. After acquiring outfield prospect Jorge Garcia and
veteran pitcher Shawn Flanders in the draft, the Gatekeepers
resigned former all-star slugger Chris Albert.
The Hollywood Stars signed their two top draft choices, pitchers
Jeffrey O' Kelley and Mike Miller. O' Kelley deals from the
right side, while Miller is a southpaw. The addition of two
promising hurlers, along with the return to active duty of
valuable veterans Teo Zorrilla, Jason Trujillo, and Andy Turner
could push the Stars toward the top of the standings.
The Sunrise Sunsets were able to strengthen their lineup via the
draft, but will still be in the market to add some pitching
depth as opening day approaches.
That leaves the defending Expansion Series champions, the
Lighthouse Point Beacons. The Guiding Lights entered into the
off season with the knowledge that both their ace reliever Tom
Krasnor and all star catcher Tony Borras would be out for the
season. The B's obtained the services of catcher Chris Sitler
through the draft, but were unable to land a pitcher to bolster
their mounds corps.
Although the meetings have ended, it is likely that some more
deals will follow before the season opens on April 21.
March 27, 2007- Sentries Trade
Eckert To Tritons:
The
Tri-Cities Tritons continued their pre season roster activity as
they completed a deal with the Margate Sentries that netted them
Francis Eckert in exchange for a second round pick in next
season's draft.
Eckert, who will likely be given a chance to win the
Tritons' second base job this season, hit .231 last season for
the Gatekeepers. Eckert, who can also catch, play capably in the
outfield, and contribute to the mound corps, is a lifetime .286
hitter in a career spanning ten seasons.
Originally drafted by the Lighthouse Point Beacons prior to the
2002 Spring/Summer season, Eckert was traded to the Tritons on
opening day of that season. The Tritons eventually traded Eckert
to the Sentries. As a member of the Sentries, Eckert never
enjoyed a defined role.
Relations between Eckert and his teammates on the Sentries
soured last season, particularly after Eckert was removed from a
game on November 11 for not running out a ground ball that he
had hit. After that point, Eckert had frequent run-ins with
former Sentries' manager Steve Caplan.
Current Sentries' manager Phil Laufman dealt Eckert only after
Eckert requested a trade.
March 12, 2007- Goliaths Acquire
Bourns From Tritons For Boylan And King:
The
Davie Goliaths pulled off a blockbuster trade, acquiring David
Bourns from the Tri-Cities Tritons in exchanged for Marlowe
Boylan and John King. The teams also agreed to swap second round
picks in the upcoming draft. Additionally, the Tritons will send
the Goliaths their third round pick in his season's draft.
Bourns, the ace of the Triton staff
for the past five seasons and the team's former manager, went
4-3 with a 5.88 ERA last season. Bourns led the Tritons in
innings pitched and also batted .289 with 10 RBI.
Both Boylan and King
completed their first seasons with the Goliaths. Boylan took
over the third base job for the Philistines and hit .364 with 11
RBI out of the clean up spot. King started the season in the
Goliaths' rotation, but by season's end had moved into a utility
role. King finished the season with a .205 average.
It was reported that Bourns
had been occasionally critical of his Triton teammates during
last season, particularly of the team's defense. Although the
team kept the criticism and any reaction to it under wraps, it
is believed that a situation had developed that hastened Bourns'
departure from the Sons of Poseidon.
Tritons manager Mike Whittaker expects Boylan and King to make
the starting lineup with both players being called upon to join
the pitching staff as well. King will probably move into the
starting rotation.
March 3, 2007- Mirabal Of
Internationals Signs Pro Contract With Dodgers:
After
helping to lead the Playball Academy Internationals to the
Original Division championship, shortstop Peter Mirabal signed a
pro contract this week with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Mirabal, 19, is a native of
Venezuela and joined the Playball squad prior to the start of
the season. Mirabal was originally supposed to play with the
South Florida Riptide, but, after gaining free agent status,
chose to play with the Internationals instead.
After a stellar
regular season, Mirabal went 11-30 with seven runs scored and
four RBI in the Cadets' seven playoff games. Mirabal was named
the Original Division's Playoff MVP for the 2006-2007
Fall/Winter season.
Playball Academy manager
Craig Stoves said of the signing, "While losing Peter will
be a blow to the team, this is why we brought him here, to help
get him signed."
Mirabal signed with the Dodgers on Thursday and reported to the
team's minor league camp in Vero Beach.
December 23, 2006- City Holds
Emergency Meeting, Votes To Upgrade Fort Lauderdale Stadium:
It
looked extremely rocky for the Baltimore Orioles new spring
training facility and a new permanent home for Federal League's
South Florida operations. The vote stood 3-2 with but an inning
left to play.
Said another way, the city commission of Fort Lauderdale shocked
the Orioles and Federal League officials earlier in the week by
voting, 3-2, against the deal that would allow a new multi-field
facility to be built on the present site of Lockhart Stadium,
south of the baseball stadium. The deal includes funding that
would allow the Orioles to upgrade their current spring training
facility to a much more modern complex.
Despite assertions from the city commissioners that the deal
would be approved, at least two commissioners did an about face
and voted against the proposal earlier this week. This meant
that the deal was dead unless a special meeting could be called,
the vote retaken, and the deal approved, all before December 28.
Additionally, a special meeting could only be called by one of
the commissioners that voted against the proposal.
Fortunately, for the Orioles and Federal League, city
commissioner Charlotte Rodstrom called the meeting. Perhaps as
fortunate was the fact that commissioner Carlton Moore, the
proposal's staunchest opponent, missed the meeting.
After the Orioles agreed to restructure the deal, removing any
financial obligation on the city's part, the commission voted
unanimously to approve the deal.
Broward county officials have already approved a $24 million
package as part of their responsibility to the future complex.
The state will fund $15 million, to be approved at a January 2
meeting, as part of their commitment to keep teams training in
Florida. The Orioles will contribute any remaining costs in the
proposed $40 million project.
Once the complex is completed, league officials have been
promised by the Orioles, the new facility will become the full
time home of Federal League Baseball in South Florida.
The new facility will add three new full size fields, two will
be lighted, to the three fields already in existence.
November 28, 2006- Caplan Resigns As Sentries' Manager: Federal
League.com has learned that Steve Caplan, the manager of the
Margate Sentries for the past five and a half seasons, has
resigned that post, effective immediately.
Caplan made his decision known via a telephone call to the
league office on Tuesday morning. Caplan declined an opportunity
to address the media.
Caplan's resignation was not a surprise. There had be
rumors of a growing dissension on the Sentries. Some of Caplan's
players had complained about what they termed his negativity,
but it is hard to argue that despite an unpopular style, Caplan
did get results in his tenure as manager.
In
his five and a half seasons, Caplan compiled a 75-55 record,
good for a .577 winning percentage. Caplan also took the
Sentries to the Expansion Series twice, losing both times. The
Sentries did win the post season tournament, and claimed a
league championship as a result, after the hurricane shortened
2005-2006 Fall/Winter season.
Prior to Caplan taking over the team, the Sentries had
never had a winning record and had made only two playoff
appearances. Under Caplan the Sentries finished with winning
records in four of his five complete seasons and made the
playoffs five straight times.
Catcher Phil Laufman and pitcher Rich
Albanese, who ran the team
when Caplan was hospitalized last season, are the frontrunners
to be named as the new Sentries' manager. Inside sources
indicate that Laufman will accept the title if offered.
There was no official comment from any of the Sentries' players
or anyone else in the organization.
October 28, 2006-League Mulls New Schedule Format: After
the 2005-2006 Fall/Winter season was shortened due to Hurricane
Wilma, and facing some potential scheduling concerns due to the
current season's weather influenced late start, the league
office has been considering a plan to drop the split season
format in use since the league's inception in 1993 and adapting
a longer single season format.
Under
the plan, the league would play one, not two, seasons per
calendar year. The season, starting in April and ending in
December, would be essentially doubled in length.
The plan, despite generating some very early positive
reactions, does present some complications. Teams would have
some financial issues in that their expenses would be due mostly
before the start of the season in April, as opposed to spread
out as they are now.
The long season would also complicate matters for college
players, who are typically available only in the summer. One
league insider noted that college players were transient within
the league under the current system anyway and the single season
format would have virtually no impact on collegiate players.
"Frequently, the college guys are here for most of the
Spring/Summer season, but gone before the playoffs. Those guys
would still basically be here throughout the summer and then
miss the playoffs anyway. A league scout noted. "Or, they
might be back for the playoffs if the postseason was played in
late December or early January."
Raising
the expense money in a shorter amount of time remains the key
impediment to all of the teams green lighting the plan, however.
Teams generally have two cycles of fundraising under the current
system. The new system would require the teams to generate twice
as much money in half the amount of time.
The benefits might outweigh the concerns.
One
principle benefit would be an easier to work with schedule.
"Without question, schedule flexibility would be
incredibly enhanced," a league expert said.
With the season ending in late December or early January, as
opposed to late January or early February, there would be time
to have a tournament of champions after each division
championship is decided. The league has constructed a plan to
have the three league champions meet in a double elimination
tournament over the course of one week. A trophy, named the
Founder's Cup, has already been designed and ordered in
anticipation of the event.
An
informal poll of league players has shown a majority
(approximately 63%) favor the new format. A poll of league fans
reveals overwhelming support (approximately 91%) for the new
format amongst that sector.
A
lot more discussion will certainly precede any changes to the
schedule, but it is apparent that the single season format is
generating a great deal of interest.
October 14, 2006-Tritons Make Two Trades In Advance Of
Opening Day: The
Tri-Cities Tritons announced a pair of trades on the eve of
their 2006-2007 Fall/Winter season opener.
In the first deal, the Tritons sent veteran infielder
Donny Gagliano to the Hollywood Stars for a fourth round choice
in next season's draft.
Gagliano originally came into the league with the Tritons before
being traded to the Lighthouse Point Beacons. The Beacons later
traded Gagliano to the Margate Sentries. After signing as a free
agent with the Stars, Gagliano was returned to the Tritons in a
trade five seasons ago.
A veteran of 10 seasons, Gagliano, known for his solid glove
work at both third and second, is a
lifetime .264 hitter.
Gagliano can also be employed as a catcher.
In another deal, the Tritons sent prospect Alexander Ortiz and a
third round pick in next season's draft to the Sunrise Sunsets
in exchange for rookie catcher James Lyons.
Lyons has made one appearance for the Sunsets, going 0-3 with an
RBI in Monday night's loss to the Davie Goliaths.
