Starting from scratch
Tri-city begins its initial spring training as independent
Tri-city Valleycats embark on first season in independent Frontier League after loss of MLB affiliation.
Pitcher Andrew Bellatti and outfielder Avery Tuck each came from their mutual hometown of San Diego to report for the first Tri-city Valleycats spring training in franchise history.
Though Bellatti and Tuck met years ago, the baseball resumes they’ve authored since then are very different. Bellatti, 29, is a former major leaguer who pitched for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2015. Tuck, 23, has only reached Single-a.
That speaks volumes about the diversity of the Tri-city roster as the Valleycats embark on their first season as a member of the independent Frontier
League after losing their Major League Baseball affiliation.
The Valleycats opened the two-week camp on Thursday under new manager
Pete Incaviglia at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium. They make their season debut at the Sussex County (N.J.) Miners on May 27
and will play their home opener against the New Jersey Jackals on June 4.
“Oh my God, It’s like Christmas Day,” said Incaviglia, the former Texas Rangers and Philadelphia Phillies slugger. “You go out and you research these guys and you do as much history as you can on them, and I’m just excited to see what we really have. You really don’t know what you have until you get them on the field and watch them interact and throw and hit and field. I feel like it’s a good group. I have high hopes.”
The Valleycats never had spring training when they were a New Yorkpenn League affiliate of the Houston Astros for 18 years. The season began in mid-june, shortly after the college draft. There were just a few days of practice and maybe an exhibition game against the Albany Dutchmen, a summer wooden-bat collegiate team, before the Valleycats would launch into their games.
Those Valleycats teams were comprised mainly of players in their early 20s either straight out of the draft or promoted from Houston’s rookie-league affiliates.
This Tri-city roster has a 35-year-old — former big-league outfielder Denis Phipps, a native of the Dominican Republic who had yet to report because of visa and travel issues. Experience on the roster ranges from no affiliated ball to Phipps and Bellatti.
All are looking for a way back into affiliated baseball.
Bellatti spent last year away from baseball during the pandemic following the birth of his daughter, Brylyn.
“This is definitely a blessing,” said Bellatti, who played for Incaviglia in independent Sugar Land (Texas) in 2019. “To be linked back up with Pete and you know how he runs his teams, I’m just really, anxious to get going again. That’s the ultimate goal (to get back to affiliated ball). I mean, no one goes to indy ball to stay in indy ball.”
Ten years ago, Bellatti pitched at Bruno Stadium as a visitor with the Hudson Valley Renegades, then the NYPL affiliate of the Rays. He threw 5 2⁄3 scoreless innings against the Valleycats on Aug. 14, 2011, in front of a sellout crowd of 4,557.
Tuck also has experience at the ballpark known as “The Joe.” He went 2-for-5 with a triple for the Connecticut Tigers on July 27, 2019. He was released by the Tigers last year and spent the season out of baseball. He worked on his swing while home in San Diego.
“I can’t even tell you how happy I am,” Tuck said. “It’s been too long and I’m very grateful that the Valleycats gave me a chance. It’s a weight off my shoulders just to be playing baseball again. I’ve been playing it all my life and it’s just a part of me now.”
The Valleycats currently have 31 players in spring training. Incaviglia must cut down to 28 by May 23 and 24 by the season opener.
“It should be good competition,” Incaviglia said. “Usually the competition brings out the best in the players.”
The Valleycats have exhibition games against the Province of Quebec, a Canadian Frontier League team, at 3 p.m. Sunday and 6 p.m. Monday at Bruno Stadium. Both games are open to season-ticket holders for free and others for $5 each.