Marietta College: Baseball

“My college coach always told me it doesn’t matter which door you go through, it’s just that you get in,” said Ohio Valley Redcoats outfielder Chase Crump, who begins his first season in professional baseball.

Crump is just now catching his breath following a whirlwind of activity which saw the 23-year-old from Pinesville, La., end his college baseball career on a Friday then drive two days with his father to a Frontier League tryout in Washington, Pa. After getting drafted by the Redcoats, Crump immediately headed north to spring training in Lorain.

There was no time in between to attend his own graduation from Louisiana College.

“When I was drafted, I was shocked at first , but of course I was thrilled,” Crump said. “It is a dream to eventually play professionally and make it to the show. It really didn’t hit me until we got back to Lorain, and it wasn’t until the second or third night after practice that I realized that I am getting paid to play baseball.

“I’ve been accepted into graduate school to get my master’s degree in September, but unless I get released I won’t be back in time, and that’s OK. I didn’t really want to go to graduate school anyway. I just didn’t know what I wanted to do, so I am glad this worked out.”

The Frontier League, which is not affiliated with major league baseball, has age restrictions and guidelines for the amount of professional experience each player carries. The experience on the Redcoats roster ranges from rookie status to two years.

Players with three years or more are considered veterans. Teams are limited to a maximum of three veteran players.

As in Crump’s case, several Redcoat players are just coming out of college. Others like pitcher Ryan Childs and third baseman Travis Garcia have received a taste of minor-league ball — Childs with the Baltimore Orioles organization and Garcia with the New York Mets organization.

Both were cut from their minor-league teams earlier this year before Redcoats manager Mark Mason contacted them to try out with his club.

“I thought this would be a good chance to try and get back into affiliated ball,” Childs said. “I had not heard a tremendous amount about the Frontier League. It’s not much different from affiliated ball — it’s all about guys who want to make it in affiliated ball. Talent-wise, it is not much different.”

In the clubhouse, Garcia wears a Mets jersey underneath his regular Redcoats practice uniform. It’s his motivation to climb back into affiliated baseball.

“When you get released, it hurts a lot,” Garcia said. “Not that everybody looks down on you, but you kind of look like a failure because not everybody understands the situation of minor league ball. It’s just to prove everybody wrong and show that I belong.

“I just need to stay focused, stay in God, stay faithful and it will all happen.”

As many as 225 Frontier League players have been signed by major league organizations since its inception in 1993. At the beginning of the 2005 season, 35 players were still active, including Brendan Donnelly. Donnelly, a member of the 1994 Ohio Valley Redcoats, earned a win during the Anaheim Angels’ World Championship season in 2002.

“I told every one of these guys when they decided to sign with me that my No. 1 goal would be to get them out of this league and into affiliated baseball,” Mason said. “That is just as important as wins and losses because when other guys are looking for an opportunity, it is a lot easier to replace guys that get taken.”

The early frontrunners for a promotion through seven games are Travis Garcia (.393), Jaziel Mendoza (.333 , 3 HRs and 7 RBIs), and Jason Boyd (.333, 2 HRs and 9 RBIs).

“I think we have some players who have the ability to move on,” Mason said. “I think if people come out and watch these guys play, they will have an idea who they are.”