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Bogar's career spans AFL lifetime 10/09/2006 10:00 AM ETBy Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com
Heading into its 15th season, the Arizona Fall League is a mainstay, almost an institution. Take a poll in any Minor League clubhouse and it's safe to say that every single player will know about the AFL and what it can mean for one's chances at a big-league career. That wasn't the case a decade and a half ago when the Fall League experiment began. Back in 1992, those involved weren't exactly sure what to expect out of the inaugural season. "I don't think most people did," said former big leaguer and current Akron Aeros manager Tim Bogar, who played for the Sun City Solar Sox in the fall of 1992. "As players, we were told we were going to go out there and it was going to be the elite players who were going to have the chance to impact Major League teams the next season. "It was mostly guys in Double-A and Triple-A who were on the cusp of getting to the big leagues. It was pretty exciting, just in the fact that you were going to play against that kind of talent." Bogar, then a Mets farmhand, got to play nearly every day for Sun City. With a roster stacked with players like Mike Piazza, Rico Brogna, Mike Busch, Billy Ashley and Jeromy Burnitz -- all of whom logged big-league time in subsequent years -- the Solar Sox went on to win the first AFL title. "I played shortstop almost every game," Bogar said. "I did pretty well defensively. I didn't hit too well, but that's probably why I'm managing right now -- I carried that over to my big-league days. "It was a real neat experience playing with those guys. I had a real good group of guys around me. We ended up winning the championship that year, so it was a pretty fun winter." Bogar, of course, sells himself short with his self-deprecating humor. While his defense and versatility were his key attributes, he did spend parts of nine seasons in the big leagues. He began the following spring, in 1993, when he joined the Mets for the first time. There is little doubt in his mind that the AFL got him ready to take that final step. "It prepared me quite a bit," Bogar recalled. "Being able to play short every day down there against quality hitters that knew how to work counts, hit the ball where it was pitched, it made me a better defensive player. The game was a little faster. Even though I was in Triple-A, and you're playing against pretty good competition there, when you're playing against the best, it kind of simulated the Major League game pretty well. "It also showed me some holes offensively, what I needed to do to improve. I wasn't the greatest hitter in the world, but it showed me the things I needed to do to be successful. I was happy that I had that opportunity."
These days, when a player heads to the AFL, he's well aware of what it could mean for his career. The numbers are overwhelming, with more than 1,200 former AFL players logging at least some big-league time after playing fall ball. There have been 83 Major League All-Stars from the Fall League family (30 in 2006 alone). More than 60 percent of the American-born players on Opening Day rosters in the big leagues this year were alumni, and there was not an Opening Day roster that didn't have at least seven AFL graduates. Today, it's clear that going to Arizona can mean a quick ticket to the bigs. Fourteen players from the AFL Class of 2005 wound up on 2006 big-league Opening Day rosters. The success stats cascade through the careers of current and former players. But back when Bogar headed west, there was no proven track record, no numbers to go on. He remembers thinking there were some Major League-caliber players with him at the time, but it wasn't like everyone knew how big a stepping stone the league would be. "When we were there, I don't think you really thought about it that way," he said. "You just knew these guys were pretty good and you wanted to compete with them and not get embarrassed by them. A couple years into the big leagues, looking back at it, we would sit and talk about some of the guys in the league and how many of them had gotten time. It was pretty impressive. It was almost a 4-A, a low Major League league at the time. It was really full of talent." That certainly hasn't changed over time, and this year's AFL rosters seem about as chock full o' talent as any in the past 14 seasons. Bogar knows a few of them first-hand. Michael Aubrey, Brian Barton and Trevor Crowe all spent some time under Bogar's watchful eye in Akron this year as the Aeros reached the Eastern League Championship Series. When Bogar found out his players would be heading to the AFL, just like he did in '92, he made sure to find time to impart some wisdom about what to expect from their stays in Arizona. "We talked about what it's supposed to be for," Bogar said. "You go out there and you're facing very good competition. You're going to learn a lot about yourself. You're going to learn a lot about your talent, the good side and the bad side. I told them to not get too high or too low with what you do, have a good work ethic and understand that this is going to get you even closer to the Major Leagues. "There will be a lot of people watching and a lot of people paying attention. If you do well, it will open some doors for you." This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.
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