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Temporary players try to earn permanent spot as Border Cats return

THUNDER BAY - Kyle Comer is hoping to turn an early season audition into a full-time summer position.
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Infielder Kyle Comer is back for a second season with the Thunder Bay Border Cats, starting the campaign on a temporary contract and hoping to turn it into a full-time roster spot. (Matt Vis, tbnewswatch.com)

THUNDER BAY - Kyle Comer is hoping to turn an early season audition into a full-time summer position.

He is one of eight players on the Thunder Bay Border Cats roster who are starting the season on temporary contracts as the club waits for others to arrive after finishing their collegiate seasons.

However, if those players can make a strong impression they can parlay a strong start into a permanent roster spot.

“I think that’s everyone’s goal,” Comer said one day before the club kicked off their Northwoods League campaign against the Eau Claire Express on Tuesday.

“You can’t press. Obviously the statistics and everything are going to play a role but you just have to come in, you’ve played baseball your whole life, so take care of the things you can control and the rest will take care of itself.”

The infielder, who just completed his junior season at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, is no stranger to Thunder Bay. He spent about a month with the team last season when he had a .238 batting average in 18 contests.

Comer is not the only member of last season’s squad to return on a short-term deal, as pitcher Yuji Suzuki is also back on the roster. Suzuki appeared in 14 games, starting 10, and sported a 2-5 record with a 5.77 earned run average.

That experience should be helpful the second time around.

“I got to get my feet wet a little bit and get accustomed to everything,” Comer said. “I think a lot of it is the mental side. Playing so many games in so few days, you really have to stay focused and get in routine and stick with it.”

The coaching staff, which will be led by pitching coach Lou Bernardi and fellow assistant Alex Guilford while manager Danny Benedetti serves out the rest of his collegiate playoff run, is looking for simple things from the players on temporary contracts.

Once the players arrive in the clubhouse, it doesn’t matter what kind of pedigree or school they came from. Everybody is on an equal playing field and will be judged accordingly.

“As pitchers you have to go out there and get outs. You have to give us no choice but to keep you,” Guilford said.

“As a hitter you have to get out there and produce. It’s all about production in this league. It’s a long season, you have to get guys in there getting the job done.”

Even players on permanent contracts are still looking to prove themselves.

With alumni including major leaguers Max Scherzer, Chris Sale and Curtis Granderson, every player believes there’s a chance they can advance to the next level of the sport.

Right-handed pitcher Jeremy Charles wrapped up his junior season at Hartford and is hoping to continue his career.

“There’s good competition so I just wanted to be able to play with the best players in the country,” he said. “If you’re trying to get exposure this the league to do it.”

Charles is primarily a closer in college but knows he will likely be called upon to start and pitch multiple innings. He identified his slider as his top pitch.

The Border Cats have struggled on the diamond in the past number of seasons, last qualifying for the playoffs when they won the league championship in 2008.

Owner Brad Jorgenson knows there needs to be more frequent on-field success.

“When fans come here they absolutely have to have a feeling there’s good enough chance of winning as losing,” he said. “We need a winning season, our fans deserve it.”



 





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