We Got Wood - 40.35 - Wild Things? More Like Too Old Things

[7teen]

Last week we mentioned how all eyes were on the Lumberjacks Triple-A team in Quincy, Washington as they pushed for the franchise's first ever post-season berth in the minor leagues. Well, focus has also shifted to the Lumberjacks Rookie level team in Bend, Oregon for much of the same reasons. But also, for all the wrong reasons.

Thirty-seven games into the rookie level season, the Bend Wild Things find themselves just 3 games behind Charlottesville in the Big Country standings (how Charlottesville, Virginia is considered "Big Country" is a whole different story) The Wild Things are also in a tie with the Denison Monarchs for the Wild Card spot in the Frontier League standings. With only a month of games remaining in the rookie league schedule, things are heating up. Of course, they're also heating up elsewhere.

This week, many from around the rookie league circuit complained about the roster structure of the Bend squad. "The Rookie League is for young guys and recent draftees" griped one manager. "This really isn't fair" whined another.

What the teams are bitching over is how the Wild Things roster currently has 9 guys over the age of 25 including four guys over the age of 30. Many feel that is doing an injustice to the principles of the rookie league. Some players on the Bend team however, disagree.

"I just want to play baseball right now" said 30 year old Bend outfielder Thierry Mignot. "They asked if I wanted to play somewhere this year and I said sure. So here I am." Thierry's 1.5 WAR currently leads the team.


What has drawn more critics over the Bend roster construction is the fact that several players, Mignot included, have BBA experience. Mignot, in fact, was on a BBA team as recent as 2038 and has played in over 600 games at the BBA level. While the rookie world grumbles in disgust, Portland GM Chris Wilson shrugs off the naysayers.

"People want to whine and bitch and moan" said Wilson, "but the whole truth of the matter is we didn't even have a minor league roster before the season started. We sent out an all-call after the season started asking for anyone that wanted to play baseball in our farm system to get in touch with us and we'd evaluate you for one of our farm teams. It's not OUR fault guys like Thierry wanted to play for us and were willing to play in the rookie leagues. Maybe these rookie guys need to toughen up a little bit. Besides, the only way to get better is play against guys that are better anyway. Perhaps these young kids should look it as a privilege to play with some former BBA guys."

Wilson concluded by saying he needed to see if there were any pitchers available that may be willing to boost the rookie league staff for the final post-season push and wasn't against sending some guys down from Double-A if it helped ensure Bend a post-season spot.