One Last Season In The Sun
Veteran Frank Charles' decision to postpone retirement pays off for the North Shore Spirit, as he leads his team to a playoff run.

 

Dan Hickling
MinorLeagueNews.com

LYNN, Mass. -- Oh, the irony.

Veteran catcher Frank Charles is presently on a club fighting for a league championship. That's exactly what he hoped for when he hooked on with the Pawtucket Red Sox at the start of the year.

Thing is, the club Charles is toiling for is not the Pawtucket Red Sox, but the North Shore Spirit of the Northeast League.

He's still in New England, about 55 miles away and a few notches below where he thought he'd be when the season opened, but he's still playing for a title.

 

The Spirit, which plays out of newly refurbished Fraser Field in Lynn, is currently battling with the Brockton Rox in the NEL's best of five championship series.

Chances are good that the Spirit, who already captured the NEL's North Division crown, wouldn't be where they are without Charles, who all but fell into their laps about a week into the season.

After all, Charles brings so much to the plate, 13 years of professional experience, a great ability to handle a pitching staff, and more offensive pop than the position requires.

Despite all these attributes, here he is in independent baseball, doing his best to lead the Spirit to glory in their first NEL season.

"I guess it was meant for me to be in New England, this season," said Charles, following North Shore's 4-1 loss to the Rox in the series opener. Charles did more than his part in the game, smacking three of the Spirit's five hits, and knocking in their only run, on a crisp New England night.

After being released by the Houston organization --where he has spent a large part of his career-- last winter, Charles was considering retirement.

Then the Red Sox came calling during training camp, when injuries hit their minor league catching corps.

"I had made the decision a few days before, that I was going to continue playing and actually had signed to play here (North Shore)," said Charles. "They made me what I thought was a reasonable offer for independent ball, and I actually signed a contract. But two days later, the Red Sox called, so I had the contract voided and went to Pawtucket."

Unfortunately for him, he lasted just a month, there. A .194 batting average, plus the presence of catcher Andy Dominique, who was swinging .361 at Double-A Portland at the time, greased Charles' skids, and he was handed his release.

"Obviously things didn't work out," Charles admitted. "But I had a good experience. I just wish I'd swung the bat a little bit better."

Pawtucket of course, did okay without him, rolling to the best record in the International League and making the Governors' Cup finals against defending champion Durham.

But Charles managed to land on his feet, too.

There's always a place for an old catcher, especially one with Charles' ability and attitude.

He was offered another shot with the Spirit, and after taking a week to ponder his future, eagerly accepted it.

"I came down and plugged right in," he said, "and have been going ever since."

It was a move that worked out for everybody.

Charles got to keep his career going a bit longer, and the Spirit got a .300 hitter who brought a calming influence to a young, untested pitching staff.

North Shore's pitching staff led the eight-team NEL in complete games, saves, shutouts, and home runs allowed, while ranking second in team ERA and strikeouts.

Typically the catcher deserves some of the credit for such great pitching numbers.

Charles would not take any plaudits for himself, but he would acknowledge his responsibility as a veteran to show his youthful teammates how to be a professional ballplayer.

"Honestly, it was no problem for me to assume that kind of role as a veteran leader," he said, "because I've been in that role the last few years, even at the Triple-A level. It was an easy fit, here, because I've shown these guys respect, and they've shown me respect."

Together they've accomplished a lot this season, although Charles admits that a piece of his heart is still with the PawSox.

"Actually, I just thought about that," he said. "I've been following those guys (Pawtucket) all year. They're such a great bunch of guys, and I've been pulling for them. It's kind of ironic that we're both in the playoffs in the Boston-area. I guess it was meant to be."

As for what will be, only God knows.

Charles, who draws the loudest cheers from the Fraser Field faithful, said that having enjoyed such success with the Spirit will make it easy to hang up the "tools of ignorance" for good.

"Unless I get a solid offer from an organization, this is probably it for me. I'd had considered that before this season," Charles admitted.

He did leave the closet door slightly ajar though.

"I came off a pretty solid year last year, so I wasn't ready to go out yet," Charles stated. "I still think I can add a lot to an organization. If that comes around, I'd be very open to it. But otherwise I'll just move on."

If this is indeed to be his last hurrah, Frank Charles will have no regrets about where he spent his final season in the sun.

"This was a great place to continue playing. A first-class organization," Charles stated. "They've done everything above and beyond what I could have asked for in an independent situation."

Editors Note: The Brockton Rox completed a three-game sweep and defeated the North Shore Spirit in the Northeast League Championship Series on 9/11/03.