By Chris Dugan, Sports Editor Washington Obeserver
After being shunned in Major League Baseball's amateur draft in 2005, fleet-footed Chris Sidick felt he had a good backup plan for his athletic career:
Arena football.
A local indoor team offered Sidick a contract. There also was an Arena Football League tryout that year and Sidick had it circled on his calendar. A two-sport standout at Marietta College, Sidick was a four-year starter for the Pioneers' football team. He played wide receiver and linebacker in his junior and senior seasons.
"After not being drafted, I didn't think I had a chance to play baseball," said Sidick, a Cecil native and Canon-McMillan graduate.
"I was going to enjoy the summer and then try to play arena football."
That was before the Wild Things called and offered Sidick a chance to play baseball close to home.
Five seasons later, Sidick's career in the Frontier League has outlasted the defunct Arena Football League.
Sidick set a record Sunday by playing in his 412th game in the Frontier League, breaking the mark held by current Kalamazoo Kings manager Fran Riordan. The game, at Windy City, was suspended in the third inning and will be resumed Friday when the ThunderBolts begin a series in Washington.
Many pluses
John Massarelli, who was the Wild Things' manager in 2005, heard about Sidick from several baseball people, but he was skeptical that the speedy center fielder from an NCAA Division III school could play pro baseball. There were only a few position players from Division III programs in the Frontier League. However, it didn't take long for Massarelli to see that Sidick could be an impact player.
"I saw Chris when Marietta played at Washington & Jefferson," Massarelli recalled. "I'm not a D-III fan in terms of pro athletes. Guys go Division I because they have the tools. Guys go Division III because they don't have the tools. But you could see that Chris had major-league arm strength and the speed was obviously there. I instantly liked him."
With Washington, Sidick played three seasons for Massarelli, one for Greg Jelks and currently is in his first season under manager Mark Mason.
"That Chris has played so long is a result of his work ethic. He also had good mentors that first year in Mike Arbinger and Chris Carter," Massarelli said. "Chris used to use his speed to make up for his mistakes. Now, he's a plus-outfielder. He covers twice as much ground in the outfield as he did his rookie year."
Sidick's range in the outfield is legendary in the Frontier League. Two years ago, when Kalamazoo was in Washington for a series, a rookie for the Kings hit a ball during batting practice that short-hopped the wall at the angle in right-centerfield. As the rookie proudly exited the batting cage, one of the Kings' veterans yelled, "Don't smile! Sidick caught that ball in his back pocket."
Mason spent three years coaching against Sidick and worrying about the havoc the guy can bring to a game.
"The first thing we talked about in pre-series meetings was keeping Chris Sidick off base," Mason said. "He's distracting to pitchers because of his speed. He makes everyone nervous. Outfielders know he can go from first to third on a single. He's always a threat to steal. We felt if we could keep him off base, then we had a much better chance to win."
The games-played mark is not Sidick's first league record. Playing with the Wild Things for five years has allowed Sidick to set the Frontier League career records for at-bats (1,580) and triples (42). He's also six walks, 13 runs and 15 hits shy of setting more career records for the 17-year-old league.
While critics might snicker at career records set in the Frontier League - they mean you haven't played in affiliated ball - Sidick refuses to dwell on chances he didn't receive.
"The first year here, I had affiliated ball in my mind," Sidick said. "I had teammates like Mike Arbinger and Ryan Douglass, who had been in affiliated ball, tell me I have a shot. But after a while ... I've seen more than 100 faces come through this clubhouse. Some of those guys have gotten a chance after being here, others had a chance before they got here.
"It never bothered me. One reason is I've heard all the horror stories. If you're in affiliated ball and not making big money, then you get kicked out the door. Here, you're in it to win. It's more of a team environment.
"I like playing in the Frontier League," he continued. "It seems like every year there's a new multi-million dollar stadium to play in. I like meeting the players and people in the league. I think I know someone in every state because of this league."
Rough season
Sidick is batting a career-low .239 after getting off to a dreadful start this season, which prompted speculation that running C-Side Sports Academy while playing for the Wild Things was too time-consuming and hurting his playing ability.
"When you're a businessman, the more distractions you have off the field will make it more difficult on the field," Mason said. "Chris' business is a startup. He's trying to build his clientele and diversify his business. He does more than just give lessons. He does a lot with teams and groups. He has a lot on his plate."
Sidick, however, says he "basically shuts down the business" in the summer and points to his recent statistics.
Since the all-star break, Sidick is hitting .327 (33-for-101).
As for the league records that have been set, and those that should fall before season's end, Sidick will let others do the counting. He'll keep on playing. After all, he has one more year of eligibility in the Frontier League.
"If the Wild Things will have me back, I'll play," he said.
