The Gateway Grizzlies will host their 2021 Frontier League season opener Thursday night at GCS Credit Union Ballpark. (Photo courtesy Frontier League)
by Cedric Williams
Senior Editor
It’s been almost a year and half since the Gateway Grizzlies played a regular season Frontier League baseball game. But that will all change tonight, when the Grizzlies will host their 2021 Frontier League season opener against the Quebec Capitales at GCS Credit Union Ballpark in Sauget.
Gateway played its last game on September 7, 2019 due to the covid-19 pandemic wiping out the 2020 season. But the Grizzlies are all set to get back on the field for tonight’s game against the Capitales.
The club announced its final roster moves Wednesday night, and among them were a trade, putting two players on the injured list, signing a player to cover for those injured players, and the final three cuts of spring training so the team can get its roster down to the league maximum of 24 players.
The trade Gateway made was actually completed on Tuesday, when the Grizzlies acquired catcher/third baseman Eric Jones from the Schaumburg Boomers for a player to be named later. Jones played his college ball at Davidson and was drafted by the Minnesota Twins organization in 2019.
The 25-year old from Jacksonville, Fla., played five games for the Twins’ rookie league team in the Gulf Coast League before signing with the Utica Unicorns of the United Shore League. Then the pandemic hit, and like many independent league players, Jones was released and became a free agent.
He then signed with Schaumburg, but that club had an abundance of quality catchers, so he was traded to the Grizzlies, who are always looking for an infusion of young talent. Jones joined Gateway for its final spring training workout on Wednesday and will be in uniform for the season opener tonight.
The two players Gateway put on the injured list were rookie righthanders Paul Young and Erik Kaiser. Young was placed on the 7-day injured list, while Kaiser, who the Grizzlies had just signed 10 days ago, was placed on the 14-day injured list. The club did not announce the nature of either player’s injury.
To cover for Young and Kaiser and make sure it had enough arms in its bullpen, Gateway signed 27-year old righthander Justin Watts, who last played in 2019 as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays organization.
The final moves of spring training were the final cuts that needed to be made to get the Grizzlie roster down to 24.
The final three players Gateway released were outfielder Breland Almadova, catcher/first baseman Nick Gatewood, and catcher/outfielder Justin Lamazares. The two catchers were almost certain to be cut once the Grizzlies traded for Jones, while letting go of Almadova was a bit of a surprise as many thought he was likely to be Gateway’s leadoff man and starting centerfielder to start the season.
Other players cut earlier in the spring included, pitcher Connor Morrisroe, pitcher Josh Norwood, infielder Tyler Plantier, pitcher Neil Uskali, and pitcher Matt Vonderschmidt.
Heading into opening night, Gateway’s roster features 13 pitchers (11 active), three catchers, six infielders, and three outfielders.
Officially, these are the players on the Grizzlies current roster:
Pitchers
Jordan Barrett
Geoffrey Bramblett
Tanner Cable
Aaron Ford
Carter Hayes
Clinton Hollon
Erik Kaiser (14-day IL)
Sebastian Kessay
Augie Sylk
Jorge Tavarez
Carlos Vega
Justin Watts
Paul Young (7-day IL)
Axel Johnson
Nick Rotola
Dustin Woodcock
Catchers
Eric Jones
Andres Regnault
Chase Vallot
Infielders
Abdiel Diaz
Justin Jones
Connor Owings
Jay Prather
Jose Reyes
Jose Rosario
Outfielders
Axel Johnson
Nick Rotola
Dustin Woodcock
Tonight’s season opener is scheduled for a 6:45 p.m. first pitch. The Grizzlies and Capitales will play Game 2, Friday night, also with a 6:45 p.m. start.