Coming off of an injury last summer playing for the Bowling Green Hot Rods, the Class A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, Northampton native Erik Ostberg knew he had something to prove this year.
And then the minor league season was cancelled.
The 24-year-old still wanted to show off his talent and potential to the Rays organization in some capacity, though. And with the right call to his agent, that opportunity arose in the City of Champions Cup, a new league in Illinois.
“I told my agent I wanted to play,” Ostberg said. “So he was calling around … then I was told about this four-team league being established out of Joliet. They asked if I wanted to play and I was interested, and I had everything moved that week.”
The City of Champions Cup was formed by the Joliet Slammers after their independent Frontier League was cancelled for the summer. The league comprises four teams: the Slammers, the Tully Monsters, the Nerds Herd and the Chicago Deep Dish. The Deep Dish selected Ostberg in the fifth round of the league’s draft.
The league is hosted entirely in Joliet, with all games being played at the DuPage Medical Group Field. The season lasts 27 games, and will conclude in early September. The pool of players comes from both Frontier League and Minor League Baseball rosters.
Adjusting to his new environment wasn’t a cakewalk, but Ostberg is grateful to have his current opportunity.
“It might not be as glamorous as the minor leagues, but it’s been nice,” Ostberg said. “The field is in great shape, the facilities are nice, and the competition is littered with guys in the minor leagues, so there’s really good talent.”
His Deep Dish team has struggled to start the season amidst injuries in the bullpen, going 3-9 in their first 12 games. Ostberg isn’t satisfied with their current record, but believes the tides are turning.
“I think that we will improve,” Ostberg said. “We’ve had to kind of patch together pitching because of various injuries and illnesses which has made it harder to stay competitive. It does suck losing, and I’m not happy about it by any means, but I do think that we’re going to play better.”
Despite his team’s struggles, Ostberg has been one of the best offensive players in the league halfway through the season. In 31 plate appearances this season, Ostberg has a league-leading .414 batting average (min. 10 at-bats) with 7 RBIs, including 2 doubles and a home run.
“I’m really happy about it, because I put in a lot of work over the offseason making adjustments offensively,” Ostberg said of his success. “I really wanted to apply those adjustments because it was gonna be a big year for me in the minor league … I just wanted to prove to the Rays that I’m working and I’m willing to make sacrifices to go play. Wherever I go, I’m gonna rake.”
Proving himself after an injury-shortened year has been the biggest goal on Ostberg’s mind throughout the season. A big part of that lies on the defensive end, where Ostberg has been able to get plenty of time at the catcher position.
“I wanted to get behind the plate,” Ostberg said. “There’s a lot of good catchers in our Rays system, and I’ve been thrown into a few different positions, so I thought it was really important for me to get behind the plate.”
As he looks to the latter half of his season, Ostberg remains committed to making a name for himself and picking up some wins with his team.
“I hope that we can win more and that I can continue to do damage and drive in runs,” Ostberg said. “I know that I’m starting to develop a reputation, and I’m starting to get pitched differently, so I want to keep up with the adjustments, follow the curve and continue to be a force. I want to leave the league and have people say that Erik is a guy to watch.”
His next opportunity comes today against the Tully Monsters. First pitch at DuPage Medical Group Field is at 2:05 p.m. EST.