Nine players with Hawaii connections toiled in independent leagues this summer. The pay is nothing to get excited about, but it's a chance to keep playing. Hawaii’s independents
each have their dayBy Al Chase
achase@starbulletin.comIt's also an opportunity to make enough of an impression to create interest from one of the 30 major-league organizations.
Patrick Scalabrini had a season to remember for Quebec of the Northern League. The former Hawaii third baseman was one of the reasons Les Capitales won the East Division's first-half title. He was consistently among the batting leaders and finished fourth with a .327 average. He also was in the top 10 in slugging percentage and on-base percentage.
"I expected to improve a little, but not that much. It was a good season overall," said Scalabrini, who hit .241 for Quebec a year ago.
"I slumped a little at the end, but there really were no ups and downs. I'm surprised about that," said Scalabrini, who plans to substitute teach in the Toronto area in the offseason.
His exploits earned him East Division Rookie of the Year honors and a spot on the division all-star team as the second baseman.
Scalabrini also plans to pursue playing in Italy next year, where the remuneration is considerably better.
"I don't want to play independent ball all my life," he said.
Jonah Martin (Kamehameha, Arizona State) got his first taste of pro ball with the Sioux City (Iowa) Explorers of the Northern League's Central Division. One of five outfielders on the roster, he appeared in 43 games as a spot starter, pinch hitter, designated hitter and defensive replacement. He hit .164 (12-for-73) with four doubles and two homers.
Hawkeye Wayne (Iolani, Columbia), Gabe Memmert (Punahou, Maine) and Key Voshell (Hawaii, Louisville) played in the Frontier League.
Wayne, released by the Seattle Mariners in spring training, joined the Johnstown (Pa.) Johnnies and posted a 6-5 record while starting 15 of 18 games. He finished with a 4.56 ERA.
"It was a bad time to get released. I didn't want to go back to 'A' ball and pitch relief," Wayne said. "Independent ball was an option. I wanted to play where I could get some innings and was with family in the Northeast when I heard Johnstown (Pa.) needed pitching."
Wayne signed with the Johnnies in the Frontier League and posted a 6-5 record with a 4.58 ERA despite playing in a stadium with short foul lines and a configuration resembling a football field.
"I did get my innings (92) and learned to throw a change-up. I really used that a lot and learned a lot about pitching," said Wayne, who hopes to return to organized baseball next year. "I learned I couldn't just rely on throwing the ball really hard."
Memmert began the season with the Canton (Ohio) Coyotes, was released after hitting .271, but signed with Johnstown, the team he played for the previous four seasons.
That proved to be a good move for the left-handed-hitting first baseman, who compiled a .340 average with 10 doubles, a triple, five homers and 29 RBIs in 40 games.
"After I was released by Canton, I tried to find another team, but nothing happened. I was all set to return to Hawaii, but two days before I left, Johnstown called," said Memmert, who played varsity as a junior for Punahou before his family moved to Washington.
"I told myself I was going to prove to all those teams in the Frontier League they made a mistake by not picking me up. That last month in Johnstown turned out to be one of the best in my career. I really appreciated how good it felt to be on the field. I understood about taking it one at-bat at a time, not letting things bother me and have fun. I was motivated."
Frontier League eligibility rules (no one can reach age 27 prior to May 30) prevent Memmert from returning to the league, but he might play one more year.
Voshell, released by Philadelphia during spring training, was inactive until the Richmond (Ind.) Roosters signed him Aug. 5 to provide offensive help for the pennant drive. In 23 games he hit .298 with two homers and 16 RBIs. The Roosters reached the league championship series after ousting Dubois County, where former Hawaii-Hilo hurler Brendan Sagara just completed his second season as the pitching coach.
Ian Perio returned to the Central League for a second season and ran into a unique situation with Fort Worth and later with Amarillo.
"I was on a team (Fort Worth) where I was a set-up guy, but hardly played because the starting pitchers went the distance," the left-hander from Castle High School and the University of San Francisco said. "Then, when I went to Amarillo. Their starters were even better."
He only made a combined five appearances and had a 0-1 record with a 7.27 ERA.
Aaron Pribble (Hawaii) was discovered by the Sonoma County Crushers of the Western League at a tryout camp halfway through the summer.
In six relief appearances and 7 1/3 innings, the left-hander allowed five hits and no earned runs, and got the victory in his only decision.
"I loved the experience, playing baseball every day and playing against good competition," Pribble said. "We had a couple former major-league players on our club and our manager was Kevin Mitchell (11 major-league seasons).
"I'll be with the Crushers next summer, but right now I'm trying to find a place to play winter ball."
Justin Hall, a 1994 St. Anthony graduate who played four seasons in the Oakland and San Francisco organizations, split the season playing second base for the Newark Bears and the Atlantic City Surf in the Atlantic League.
Hall, who battled injuries in each of the four previous seasons, received a call from Newark in the offseason and jumped at the chance to continue playing. He was hitting .265 for the Bears when he was traded to the Surf. What followed was an offensive explosion.
He ripped the ball at a .406 clip for the Surf with a .577 slugging percentage and a .473 on-base percentage.
"This is supposed to be the best of the independent leagues. My goal is to stay healthy and come back here next year if none of the major-league teams call," said Hall, who lived on Maui for nine years and played college ball at Long Beach State.
Damon Yee (Punahou, Vanderbilt) was released by Quebec after one inning on the mound and returned to Seattle, where his girlfriend is finishing nursing school. Whether he tries to stay in pro ball next year is up in the air.
"We go back and forth on whether I'll play again, but I'm sure I'll have the urge next spring. There is nothing definite at this point," Yee said.