Thursday's Sports Transactions
San Francisco Chronicle, CA - 31 October 02
QUEBEC LES CAPITALES-Sold the contract of DH Darryl Motley to Kansas City of the Northern League.

Yes, that Darryl Motley. He's 42 years old and he hit .161 in 18 games for Les Capitales de Québec and the Allentown Ambassadors last year.

NORTHEAST LEAGUE SELECTED AS NEW NAME FOR NORTHERN LEAGUE EAST
Nothern League Press Release - 29 October 2002

Champs' retreads a testament to independent leagues
ESPN - 27 October 2002
"Obviously, there are plenty of fans for independent ball -- the St. Paul Saints have sold out almost every game they've played for 10 years while the Atlantic League's Long Island Ducks draw similar crowds to a beautiful facility. And this World Series provided proof there is plenty of talent as well. There were three veterans of independent leagues in the series, including the winning pitcher of Game 5, San Francisco's Chad Zerbe, and the winning pitcher of Game 6, Anaheim's Brendan Donnelly."

I got to see Zerbe and the Angels' Ben Weber pitch in the independent Western Baseball League when I was working for the Tri-City Posse. While I've never seen a Nothern League game yet, the WBL appeared to be a step up from the Class A Midwest League. Of course, the level of play would vary from game to game and team to team. Unfortunately, the WBL appears to be on its last legs, as Chico and Sonoma County have withdrawn from the league and are attempting to join the California League.

From the T-Bones' favorite columnist, Jeffery Flanagan (or is it the other way around?): "In case you missed it in the fine print, the Kansas City T-Bones, our new Northern League team, already is making player transactions. The T-Bones have released infielder Tomoyuki Takayama, (Guess that means they're canceling the much-anticipated Tomoyuki Takayama Bobblehead Day), along with right-hander Chris Vendela, designated hitter Eddie Williams, and infielder Dave Rueber."

From Tracy Ringolsby of the Rocky Mountain News: "So much for Derrick Gibson's NFL dreams. The one-time top prospect in the Rockies system was released by the Cleveland Browns during training camp and will return to to baseball in the independent Northern League in 2003. The Kansas City T-Bones, which played in Duluth-Superior last season, exercised their option on Gibson, who hit .248 with seven home runs and 25 RBI in 55 games for Duluth in 2002"

League breakup a setback for independents
Elmira Star-Gazette - 27 October 2002