Independent Living
The Cubs acquire players from independent leagues from time-to-time, and Bibens-Dirkx is just one of many players who have received a second chance to continue their professional baseball career in recent years by playing independent ball. A typical salary for a player on an independent team is $1,000 a month, so a fellow really has to love the game to spend his summer playing indy ball.
Independent leagues are located all over North America, from Canada to Mexico, and from New England to California. Ex-major leaguers like Jacque Jones, Carl Everett, Armando Benitez, Felix Jose, Willie Banks, Keith Foulke, Pat Mahomes, and Jose Lima dot the rosters, as do a number of former Cubs minor leaguers
EX-CUBS MINOR LEAGUERS PLAYING IN INDEPENDENT LEAGUES
FRONTIER LEAGUE:
Florence Freedom:
3B Billy Mottram
Kalamazoo Kings:
RHP Tommy Mejia
Traverse City Beach Bums:
1B Sean Hoorelbeke
Rockford RiverCats:
RHP John Muller
Windy City Thunderbolts:
RHP Billy Petrick
ATLANTIC LEAGUE:
Bridgeport Bluefish:
OF Adam Greenberg
1B Brandon Sing
Long Island Ducks:
INF Kyle Reynolds
Camden RiverHawks:
LHP Chris Shaver
OF Chris Walker
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION:
Sioux City Express:
1B Luis Bautista
Ft. Worth Cats:
LHP Taylor Parker
NORTHERN LEAGUE:
Gary Southshore RailCats:
RHP Grant Johnson
Schaumburg Flyers:
LHP Carmen Pignatiello
Fargo-Morehead RedHawks:
OF Nic Jackson
LHP Scott Koerber
C Alan Rick
Winnipeg GoldEyes:
RHP Bear Bay
Among the ex-Cub minor leaguers playing indy ball, Billy Mottram (selected by the Cubs in the 36th round of the 2007 draft out of Dowling College before getting released in 2008) leads the Frontier League in home runs and John Muller (signed as a NDFA 5th year senior out of St. Thomas Acquinas College in May 2007) is 2nd in the FL in saves, Adam Greenberg (hit in the helmet with a pitch in his one and only MLB AB on July 9, 2005) and Chris Walker are 3-4 in the Atlantic League in stolen bases, while Brandon Sing is 2nd in the AL in OBP, 3rd in SLG and RBI, 4th in HR, and 8th in BA, and Nic Jackson (2000 3rd round pick out of the U. of Richmond and perennial BA Cubs Top 10 Prospect who was hampered by injuries throughout his seven seasons in the Cubs organization) is 1st in doubles and runs scored, 4th in hits, 5th in stolen bases, and 10th in BA in the Northern League.
RHP Bobby Brownlie (selected by the Cubs in the 1st round of the 2002 draft out of Rutgers and then later released in 2007) was probably one of the two best pitchers in the Atlantic League in May and June while pitching for the Newark Bears, before being acquired by the Atlanta Braves about a week ago. Brownlie is currently in the starting rotation at the Braves AAA International League affiliate in Gwinnett County, GA. (The Braves also acquired the other top starting pitcher from the Atlantic League last week, ex-MLB LHP John Halama from the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs).
And Cubs 2005 #1 pick LHP Mark Pawelek (released by the Cubs the last week of Spring Training) signed with the St. George Roadrunners of the Golden Baseball League in April before being acquired by the Cincinnati Reds in May, and he is presently working out of the bullpen for the Reds Sarasota affiliate in the Florida State League.
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