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A visit to the Golden Baseball League The Golden Baseball League began play this year with teams in Arizona and California. The newest independent baseball league started the season with the stated purpose that all kids should have the opportunity to see professional baseball. In a very fan-friendly atmosphere, the nine teams have worked hard to live up to their promise, providing all the amenities of other minor leagues --- low ticket prices, on-field promotions and entertaining baseball. The league's San Diego entry has a roster that includes former major leaguer Rickey Henderson, still going at it at age 46. One has to hand it to Rickey for his gumption and commitment. When I heard he was playing again, I recalled a story an Arizona Fall League fan told me last season; he was in Newark trying to get Rickey to give an autograph to him but had no luck. When he was walking through the parking lot toward his car after the game, he got to it in time to see someone back an automobile into his. Turns out it was the team batboy moving Rickey Henderson’s car. Also turns out the boy was only 15 years old. Rickey signed for him that night with no problem. The rosters are made up of ball players who have minor and major league experience. I noticed an ex-Oriole farm hand on the Mesa roster, third baseman Mike Done. Another ex-Oriole farmhand was Brian Rios, who retired earlier this year.
The Mesa roster includes ex-major leaguer Marcus Jensen, who played in 145 games over seven major league seasons, batting .184. Jensen made stops in San Francisco, Detroit, Minnesota, St. Louis, Boston, Texas and Milwaukee. Players range in age from the early to late 20s. Some, such as Ryan “Little Unit” Anderson, a former #1 pick of the Seattle Mariners, are looking to get back to the majors, or at least get another shot. Some, I suppose, are hanging on to the game just to keep playing. Some days it beats working for a living in an office. Sunday night I went to HoHokam field in Mesa, Arizona to see my first Golden League game between the Mesa Miners and the Samurai Bears. he Bears are an all-Japanese team managed by former Montreal Expo and Japanese Central League MVP, Warren Cromartie. Founded to give opportunities to Japanese players who slipped through the cracks of the Japanese minor leagues, the Bears are the perpetual visitors in the Golden League. Without a home field of their own, they are on a 96 day road trip through the Golden League. The original plan was to disperse the Japanese players through the leagues teams; however, it was feared they would adopt the American style of play and have trouble readjusting when they returned home. Personally, I enjoyed watching the Bears warm up and play the game. They are very team-oriented and anyone who has watched the Tom Selleck movie, “Mr. Baseball,” can see in person, the Japanese style of play. Team calisthenics, fast defense and hustling all over the field characterizes the Bears, who it seemed were constantly in motion on the base paths. "Little ball," it is called in the States.
I enjoyed watching pitcher Hideki Nagasaka go six innings against the Miners. He walked four, struck out five and gave up four earned runs, two on home runs. Nagasaka is a 26-year-old right hander who obviously has a clue about pitching. He sets up hitters well, and then finishes them off with his breaking stuff. Unfortunately, he has propensity to miss the strike zone frequently, and sometimes, he even misses the catcher all together. The Miners topped the Bears that night, 7-3. I was particularly impressed by Caleb Maher, who was the Angels #9 pick in the 2002 draft. Maher is a good looking first baseman/outfielder who, at age 22, could still find his way to a major league organization for another shot. He is hitting almost .300 and has eight home runs so far this year. His outfield defense may be a bit lacking, however, a player who can hit, can usually find a position on the field. After all, that is what the Designated Hitter was invented for. The league has sent ten players to major league organizations already this year. Alumni Ryan “Little Unit” Anderson, was signed by the Milwaukee Brewers after pitching only one game for the Surprise Fighting Falcons. Ryan was fast tracking his way through the minors until his meteoric rise was derailed by shoulder ailments. Other players picked up include pitcher David Seccombe, who is now a New York Yankee farmhand toiling in the New York/Penn league for Staten Island. He is pitching to a 4-1 record with a 1.57 ERA. --- John
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