Former Cal standout back playing at Wild Things Park
Mick Fennell’s baseball career has come full circle.
Fennell, a Butler native, was a versatile and productive player for four seasons at California University, which plays its home games at Wild Things Park. He could be found roaming the outfield or playing the infield or even pitching for the Vulcans. Wherever Fennell played, he excelled. Fennell played so well that he caught the attention of the St. Louis Cardinals, who selected the left-handed hitter in the 22nd round of the 2016 draft.
Fast forward to today and Fennell is back playing at Wild Things Park. He is one of 34 players in camp trying to secure a roster spot with the Frontier League team for its season opener May 11 at Evansville.
It’s only natural for minor league baseball players to want to be someplace else, playing for a different team at a higher level of competition, but Fennell finds comfort in knowing that he has come home. He knows every nook and cranny of the ballpark and can find some advantage to that.
“I played here for four years, so I how the field plays, how the turf plays,” Fennell said during a break in the team’s camp earlier this week.
For four years, the ballpark played to Fennell’s liking. He had a .372 career batting average for California, and despite being only 5-10 and 190 pounds, he showed plenty of power by hitting 16 home runs. He also won 16 games a pitcher.
As a junior, Fennell was a third team All-American. As a senior, he was the PSAC West Division Player of the Year and a semifinalist for the Tino Martinez Award, which is given annually to the top player in NCAA Division II.
With the Cardinals, however, Fennell had trouble getting at-bats in what is a farm system crowded with talented outfielders. After being drafted, Fennell spent the 2016 season with the State College Spikes of the New York-Penn League. He batted .256 in 42 games during his first season of pro ball.
Last year, Fennell played eight games for State College before being promoted to Peoria of the Class A Midwest League. Overall, he batted .254 in 54 games.
Things started well this year at minor league spring training. Before major league cuts had players moving from the big-league to minor-league camps, Fennell was working with the Cardinals’ Class AAA Memphis and Class AA Springfield teams.
“I thought I did alright,” Fennell said. “You always want to do better, but I thought I was doing well this spring, though I had only about 10 at-bats in games. I was getting on base. I was surprised when I was released, but I shouldn’t have been. The Memphis/Springfield group had 17 outfielders before the major-league cuts began moving down. I should have known something was up when they gave me back-to-back days off.”
Fennell was released after the off days and it took only a matter of hours, not days, for the Wild Things to contact him.
“Because of all the work I put in during the offseason, I knew that I wanted to give independent baseball a try,” Fennell said. “It’s nice that the Wild Things have given me that chance.”
Fennell has some things working in his favor as he tries to make the opening day roster, and they have nothing to do with him knowing the ballpark. In the Frontier League, where rosters can fall to as few as 22 active players, position flexibility can enhance a player’s value. Fennell spent his first two seasons at Cal as an infielder before moving to center field for his final two years. And with Rashad Brown, the Wild Things’ center fielder last season, not returning this year, Washington has an opening at the position.
“Between the lines, I’m a guy who is going to bust his butt,” said Fennell, who had 60 career stolen bases at Cal. “I take pride in my defense. On offense, I’m more of a contact hitter than a power hitter. I’ll play anywhere the Wild Things need me to play.”
Extra bases
First baseman James Vasquez did not report to camp. He signed with a team in the Mexican League. … Catcher John Fidanza, who was with the Wild Things the last three seasons, was released Tuesday by Evansville. … Washington’s home opener is May 15 against the Gateway Grizzlies.