Levi Payton: New Cleburne team has Blasters feel
By Levi Payton
lpayton@joplinglobe.com
Levi Payton
Oct 24, 2016
061416 Blasters Laredo 3
Globe | Laurie Sisk
Blasters center fielder Oscar Mesa slides safely into second base as Laredos J.D. Pulfer applies the late tag during an American Association game this past season at Joe Becker Stadium.
Since the Joplin Blasters pulled up stakes and folded their tent over at Joe Becker Stadium, there has been little more than a squeak from the club's former owners save for the litigation the Suarez Group filed through attorney Steve Hays claiming the city of Joplin owes money for added expenses the team feels were unjustly incurred.
You'll recall a Sept. 6 column that the Suarezes had, according to sources, entered a preliminary agreement with the new Cleburne Railroaders franchise for Oscar Suarez to run the baseball management for the team and his son, former Blasters GM and field manager Gabe Suarez, to be the field manager for the team.
That deal was, as reported, contingent on a successful vote by the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball to award expansion to Cleburne for the 2017 season.
The American Association did just that a few weeks ago, the same day it was revealed the Blasters' franchise had folded.
While the Railroaders franchise has yet to publicly name its baseball operations staff namely a general manager recent moves seem to indicate the team already has someone in place. And, there is a connection between Cleburne and the defunct Blasters.
In making their first roster moves in team history on Oct. 13, the Railroaders added eight players for the 2017 season: right-handed pitchers Harrison Lee, Mario Morales and Roby Romero, infielders Mitch Glasser, Alex Polston, Brandon Tierney and Geraldo Valentin and outfielder Oscar Mesa.
If those names ring a bell, they should. All eight players were Joplin Blasters last season Glasser and Mesa were with the team since its inception. Suarez, who also serves as a player agent, represented several players who played for the Blasters.
Of course, this could all just be a matter of great coincidence. But it says something that Cleburne's front office hasn't responded to multiple inquiries submitted by the Globe requesting comment regarding the team's relationship with the Suarezes, which was rumored long before the 2016 season was complete.
To his credit, Oscar Suarez acknowledged interest from the Cleburne franchise and others during an interview on Aug. 28, but he never directly confirmed or denied any agreement between the parties.
Sometimes silence is wisdom's best reply.
Sure, it's possible the Railroaders could choose a candidate other than Suarez once the dust settles. And maybe Railroaders brass was simply perusing the unemployment line and cherry-picked some of the Blasters' top talent from 2016. Among other notable Blasters, rookie infielder Will Soto was claimed by Laredo, while right-handed pitchers Keith Picht (Sioux City) and Victor Ramirez (Winnipeg) landed on other teams the same day as Cleburne's claims.
Transactions from Oct. 11 has Joplin releasing pitchers Santos Arias, Alberto Castillo, Alex De La Cruz, Carlos Fuentes, Axel Johnson and Robert Orozco, catchers Ermindo Escobar and Conor Sullivan, infielders Cie Arell, Edwin Gomez and Sergio Leon, and outfielders Zack Burling, KC Huth and Mark Krueger. As of Monday, none of those players appear to have signed or been claimed by another team.
So again, perhaps it's all coincidence. Or maybe it's not. Even when the Blasters' impending demise seemed inevitable last season, Suarez spoke late into the year of keeping his core group of players intact for future seasons.
That doesn't make sense for an owner who had one foot out the door midway through the season. Unless there was already a plan in place, of course.
So did Oscar Suarez have some influence in the Railroaders' claims for their inaugural roster? Will his son, Gabe Suarez, indeed be named Cleburne's inaugural field manager?
For now, no one is talking. But, much like the anticipation that built for the Blasters' impending demise, these moves seem inevitable and, at this point, nothing would be a surprise.
Where there's smoke, there's often fire.
Levi Payton is sports reporter for The Joplin Globe. Contact him at
lpayton@joplinglobe.com.
Tags
Cleburne Railroaders
Joplin Blasters
Also the city of Joplin currently has a 12 million dollar law suit against the Blasters. There is also an academy team planned for the stadium which probably has a better chance of success
http://www.cleburneeaglesacademybaseball.com