The good people of Marion, Illinois are in for another brush with baseball infamy. The Southern Illinois Miners of the Frontier League just signed
left-handed pitcher Danny Almonte.
Ordinarily, signings by expansion indie league baseball teams don't rate too high on the radar screen, but not when it's Danny Almonte. In case you've forgotten, or could give a damn, Almonte was the Little League pitching sensation from the Bronx, New York, wh was part of a major media firestorm in 2001. After dominating the tournament, it came out that he was 14 -- not 12, as some adults claimed.
Almonte, who (purportedly) turns 20 in two weeks, probably wishes he could just be left alone and allowed to be another ballplayer out of thousands trying to pursue a dream. Then again, how much has his notoriety helped him get a shot in the low, low minors? Incidentally -- and you can't make this up -- Marion, Illinois is where Pete Rose served a jail term at a federal pen back in 1990.
Related:
Danny Almonte Wiki
Southern Illinois Miners website
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As someone born and raised in beautiful Marion (Hub o'the Universe, we like to say -- plus our spokesman [spokesmom?] is Marion Ross a/k/a Mrs. C.) I can tell you it's also the home of Oakland announcer Ray Fosse, whose career was cut short by Pete Rose.
Lisa,
Yes, I remember reading that in a magazine profile of Rose... the writer had been an Indians fan when Rose maimed Foose in the '70 All-Star Game. His line was, "That's life for a Cleveland Indians fan: No justice, only irony."
Wasn't Marion trying to move the South Bend Silverhawks from the Midwest League south? I remember the deal didn't go thru, but it was either going to Marion or Alton.
Gotta admit I'm not up on the manoeuvring of indie-league baseball teams.... I just saw the deal last night when I was doing the agate at my newspaper job.
The Frontier League once had a team in Ontario called the London Werewolves with mascot Warren Z. Von -- no word if it was pronounced Zee or Zed, though.
You're right, Big Head. They did try to get the Silver Hawks, but the deal fell through. That's when the people hooked up with the Frontier League.
One of the "promotions" you can sign up with for the Miners is "Adopt A Miner," which means pretty much what it sounds like: Some dude who couldn't make it in the bigs comes and lives in your house. Yeaaaaah. I don't think they've had many takers.
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