Choosing a Wild Things dream team
Observer-Reporter
Aaron Ledbetter won 27 games with Washington and pitched the Wild Things to within one win of the Frontier League championship in 2007.
Observer-Reporter
James Harris (4), a former first-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Rays, is one of two Wild Things to win the Frontier League's Most Valuable Player award. Harris is the only Washington player to hit for the cycle in a game.
Josh Loggins won the 2003 Frontier League Most Valuable Player award when he batted .331 with 24 home runs and 72 RBI. Loggins played the rare combination of catcher and center field.
Outfielder Chris Sidick played seven season and 588 games for the Wild Things. He also was one of the best defensive players in team history.
Sports fans, by nature, love lists.
It doesn’t matter if it’s top-5, top-10 or top-25 rankings, single-season or career leaders lists, or the top 100 this or that, if it’s ranked in some fashion sports fans will debate the list’s order and its credibility.
With that in mind, somebody suggested that, because I have covered the Washington Wild Things since their inaugural season in 2002, I should determine their all-time team for the 20-year anniversary. It seemed a simple task at the time. Pick the best players to come through Washington and you have the team.
Easy, right? A little thought, a check of the statistics and a few minutes of writing and it’s done, right?
Well, in the famous words of ESPN’s Lee Corso, “not so fast.”
First, how do you determine the best? Do you credit a player only for what he did with Washington, or do you consider what he did after playing for the Wild Things, such as the four who went on to a major league roster?
Should players who had one very good season, or less time, in Washington be given as much value as a guy who played many seasons (Chris Sidick, Hector Roa and Zack Strecker, for example)?
First, to use a baseball term, let’s go over the ground rules.
To be on the all-time team, the player must have spent one full season in Washington or gone on to play in the major leagues. Any Frontier League Hall of Famer — yes, the Frontier League, which has been around since 1993, has a Hall of Fame — is on the team, if the bulk of his career was spent in Washington. Multi-year players are given the nod over those who played well but spent only one season with the Wild Things. The Frontier League has a 24-man roster limit, so that’s the guideline we’ll use. I tried picking the most deserving players, regardless of position, but had to choose at least one player at every position.
Pitchers
Tom Cochran – Played two seasons with Washington (2006-07), compiling a 14-13 record and throwing a one-hitter. His best outing might have come in Game 2 of the 2007 finals when he took a no-hitter into the seventh inning. Went on to make it to the major leagues with the Cincinnati Reds.
Thomas Dorminy – One of five lefty pitchers on this list, Dorminy won nine regular-season games, two more in the playoffs and was named the Frontier League’s Pitcher of the Year in his lone season (2018) in Washington.
Trevor Foss – Posted a 20-8 record and 2.82 ERA over two seasons (2016-17) despite missing a month of the former when his contract was purchased by the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. Foss struck out 14 in a playoff game against Florence.
Ryan Hennen – Acquired by Washington with the second pick at the Frontier League tryout last year. Though he had no pro experience and played only one season of college ball, Hennen posted an 11-3 record with a league-leading 2.45 ERA and was named both the Pitcher of the Year and Rookie of the Year. Currently in the Kansas City Royals organization.
Jared Howton – Washington’s ace in its inaugural season, Howton was 11-3 with a league-best 1.89 ERA and named the Pitcher of the Year. Was 7-2, 2.60 in 2003 before a shoulder injury ended his season. Frontier League Hall of Famer.
Jonathan Kountis – Had 32 saves in 2014, establishing a league single-season record that still stands today. Added nine more saves in 2015. Frontier League Hall of Famer.
Zack Grotz – Pitched in 29 games (4-2, 10 saves, 1.36) in 2016 before being sold to the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. Pitched in 19 major-league games for Seattle.
Aaron Ledbetter – The best pitcher to wear a Wild Things uniform, this Frontier League Hall of Famer had command with four pitches. Acquired in a trade with River City in 2006, Ledbetter had a 27-9 career record with Washington and was 14-2 with a 2.71 ERA in 2007, when he was the Frontier League Pitcher of the Year. Frontier League Hall of Famer.
James Meeker – North Allegheny graduate and relief pitcher was with Washington from 2018 to 2021 but was never the closer. As a setup man, Meeker got better with age and last season pitched in 30 games without allowing a run. He ended his time here with a streak of 34 consecutive scoreless innings. Currently in the Milwaukee Brewers organization.
Vidal Nuno – Pitched in only six games for Washington in 2011 (was 2-3, 2.83) before being signed by the New York Yankees organization. Became the first Wild Things player to make it to the major leagues, appearing in 155 games with the Yankees, Arizona, Seattle, Baltimore and Tampa Bay.
Jim Popp – Pittsburgh native was at the back end of the Wild Things’ bullpen for three years (2004-06), posting a 12-5 record and 38 saves with a 2.47 ERA.
Chris Smith – Washington’s best pitcher during some lean years (2011-12). Smith was 9-6 with a 2.92 ERA and two shutouts in 2012. He went on to pitch in four major league games with Toronto in 2017 before an injury ended his career.
Zach Strecker – The Frontier League’s saves leader with 74, Strecker was with Washington from 2017 through 2021. Always available, Strecker pitched in a team-record 51 games twice during his career.
Oufielders
Mike Arbinger – Former Pittsburgh Pirates minor leaguer hit .297 over three seasons (2004-06) with 26 home runs. Had an 88-RBI season in 2005.
James Harris – Former first-round draft pick of Tampa Bay, Harris played two years (2017-18) with the Wild Things, hitting .303 with 21 home runs and 44 stolen bases. Was the FL’s Most Valuable Player in 2018.
Stewart Ijames – Strong-armed right fielder batted .306 over two seasons (2013-14) with 43 doubles and 31 home runs before having his contract purchased at midseason by Arizona. Made it to Class AAA with the Diamondbacks.
Josh Loggins – The best hitter in Wild Things history? Loggins batted .338 with 31 doubles, 5 triples, 29 home runs, 117 RBI and 19 stolen bases over two seasons (2002 and 2003). Was a rare player in that he played catcher and center field. Frontier League Hall of Famer.
Chris Sidick – No player is more closely linked to the Wild Things than Sidick, a Canon-McMillan graduate who played seven years (2005-2011) in Washington and holds almost all the team career offensive records. A Frontier League Hall of Famer, Sidick once hit an amazing 16 triples in one season.
Catcher
Shaun Argento – The first in a long line of quality defensive catchers for Washington. What makes Argento stand out is he also could hit. Was the leader of the Wild Things’ inaugural team in 2002 and an MVP contender as he batted .352 with 62 RBI before breaking his thumb in the final week of the regular season and missing the playoffs.
Infielders
C.J. Beatty – Played three years in Washington (2013-15) and is the only Wild Things player to be All-Frontier League at two positions (second base and designated hitter). Had a pair of 18-homer seasons. Currently works as a motivational speaker.
Carter Bell – Third base has often been a problem area for the Wild Things. One year, they played 12 different third basemen. Bell was an above-average defender at third base and batted .289 with 30 stolen bases in 2014. He was traded to Joliet at midseason in 2015.
Brett Grandstrand – Shortstop was a strong position for the Wild Things during their early days and Grandstrand was here for three of those (2006, 2008-09) around a stint in the Tampa Bay system. No Wild Things infielder had as much range as Grandstrand, who batted .272 with Washington.
Kane Sweeney – Played only one year (2017) in Washington but he spent it on base. The guy was always there, drawing 87 walks and hitting .296 as a first baseman. Currently an assistant coach at South Carolina-Upstate.
Designated hitter
Jacob Dempsey – Power-hitting lefty belted 57 home runs, drove in 221 runs and batted .280 over three seasons (2008-10). Was a two-time All-Frontier League hitter. His 31 home runs in 2009 remains the franchise single-season record.