Tim McNab pitched a scoreless 2/3 of an inning in the Atlantic League's All-Star game. (Photo provided by Tim McNab)
Cruising the Atlantic
Former Owl Friday: Tim McNab's eye-opening experience in the Atlantic League is helping him appreciate an All-Star season even more.
Originally published on
7/9/2010
by
Chuck King
Tim McNab’s appreciation for the game of baseball reached a newer and certainly more somber level last week.
Adam Witter, a catcher on McNab’s Atlantic League Lancaster team, called his teammates and the opposing Southern Maryland players together between games of a double header to make an announcement.
In the days prior Witter had felt the tingling in his hand work itself all the way up his arm to the back of his neck. Witter had just learned the results of some medical tests – he had Multiple Sclerosis.
“His career ended basically right then,” said McNab. “It was one of the most real moments of my life. It was absolutely crazy. You see grown man crying in front of the team and you realize you can’t take anything for granted.”
Prior to Witter’s announcement, McNab had been breezing through his first season of independent ball, which features a league comprised of teams that aren’t affiliated - and therefore don’t serve as developmental entities - with Major League Baseball clubs.
After eight years in the New York Mets organization, McNab has spent this season mowing down Atlantic League rosters which most every night feature former major league players whose names are familiar to even casual baseball fans.
Sporting a 4-2 record and sub-3.00 ERA during the first half of the season, McNab became one of only four relievers chosen for the Atlantic League’s All-Star game. As McNab prepared to leave Lancaster on Monday for the game held on Long Island, Witter showed up to wish him good luck.
McNab posted a solid outing in Tuesday’s All-Star game, pitching a scoreless 2/3 of an inning.
“It was a major sense of accomplishment not only to perform well but just to be associated with the guys out there,” McNab said of his first All-Star game appearance as a professional. “It was a packed house in Long Island and New York gives you a different feel. Everything is bigger.”
McNab was back in Lancaster on Thursday where he pitched a scoreless ninth against Somerset to record his fourth save of the season.
“I thought I could come here and compete to get to an affiliated job,” McNab said. “Go out there and put some good numbers up and you never know what could happen.”
His quest to move from independent to affiliated ball isn’t without merit. The Oakland organization signed teammate Matt Watson away from Lancaster after the start of the season. This week Watson was promoted to the major leagues.
Even if that opportunity doesn’t come for McNab this year, he’s enjoying his time in Lancaster.
“If someone did not know baseball, they would think this is an affiliated league,” McNab said. “It’s a great league and the fans take to it really well, too. You would definitely think you’re at a Triple A ballpark.”
Stepping up: Dan Cook is riding a five-game hitting streak for the Class A South Atlantic League’s Augusta GreenJackets and has hit in eight of his last 10 games…Class AA Bowie reliever Brandon Cooney did not allow an earned run in June and already has three scoreless appearances in July… Travis Ozga is showing the Mets made the right move by promoting him to Class A Savannah. He’s hitting .367 with a homer and four RBI in his first 11 games.
Low and away: Michael Crotta (4-5) has a 6.00 ERA for Class AAA Indianapolis and is winless in his last five starts. …After coming out of the pen in his first two appearances for short-season Class A Staten Island, Mike Gipson has started in his last two appearances, allowing five earned runs in 5 2/3 innings.
Indy ins and outs: Chris Salberg (8-0, 2.68) will be one of the players representing Sioux Falls in the American Association’s All-Star game. …Danny Bomback enjoyed his Fourth of July, going 3–for-4 with four RBI for Pittsfield in a Can-Am League game against New Jersey.