The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball

One of the nice things about this time of year in the Independent Baseball-writing business is we sometimes can sit back without the daily buzz of games and think about some of the factors—and the people—that make this business go.

I have written from time to time about some of the league commissioners and certain owners when something special was happening, perhaps giving credit if someone had stepped in and saved a franchise or maybe even a full league or earned a certain honor.

Joe Klein gets mentioned every so often since he essentially oversees the day to day operation of the Atlantic League, especially when it comes to players. But I am not certain if I have ever really profiled Joe in the seven years of this column.

I remember Frank Boulton, who founded the Atlantic League, once saying in praising his executive director: “Joe has had Sunday dinner with everybody in baseball”. I do not recall the exact context of our conversation, but Boulton, who also is in an ownership role with the Long Island (NY) Ducks, the Bridgeport (CT) Bluefish, and the Camden (NJ) Riversharks, was emphasizing the reason Klein could be so effective was that he had a relationship with so many people in the game. After all, he was general manager at one time of the Tigers, Rangers and Indians and twice held key positions with the Royals.

On more than one occasion recently when I have found an intriguing story Klein has been involved in some manner.

There is the case of southpaw Scott Aldred entering the Greater Flint (MI) Area Sports Hall of Fame. Aldred was a more than ordinary major league pitcher in that he had nine years of service. He finally gave up pitching when his surgically-repaired elbow acted up once again when he was with Somerset, NJ of the Atlantic League in 2004.

In a story about the Flint induction, it was mentioned that Detroit gave Aldred a second opportunity with that organization, which led to him hurling the Tigers’ home opener in 1996. Detroit’s GM at the time was Joe Klein. “I liked his dedication,” The Flint Journal quoted Klein.

A couple of weeks back I was researching for the column I wrote about Pat Ahearne, another former Atlantic and Northern League hurler. Klein had an involvement when Ahearne got his only major league pitching opportunity because it was for the Tigers.

I probably could find one hundred and one similar stories where Joe was involved.

Klein, 67, also brings attention to Independent Baseball each year at baseball’s winter meetings, where the non-affiliated people really are not welcomed these days. He is a founding member of the Scout of the Year selections and has helped run the annual awards reception, a role he is more than qualified for because of his more than three decades as a minor league first baseman, manager or front office executive.

Many a Player Can Thank Joe Klein

Joe Klein frequently becomes the go-between when a player believes his career chances are better if he plays in the Atlantic League while waiting for a new organizational opportunity or if major league brass is looking for a player to fill a spot in Triple-A and be on deck for major league insurance.

We can point to at least 51 players who have taken this route since the Atlantic League was started in 1998 and eventually returned to the big time. Almost always, Klein has played a role.