Meet the Stars of the CBA – Jon Wagner

With the demise of Major League Baseball, North America was left without a top flight baseball league. That was, until the Championship Baseball Association was formed. The CBA is still in its infancy but has begun to gain traction amongst fans across the United States and Mexico. So, who are these players you see playing in the CBA? Our new series with reporter Steve Harper, will bring you interviews from the top players in the CBA, as Steve travels the country to meet your newest sports heroes.

In our next installment, Steve traveled to the nation’s capital to meet with DC Eagles star Jon Wagner. Jon spoke about the unique loan system in the CBA, how we became “Moondog”, and more.

Steve Harper (SH): Something unique to the CBA is the loan system. You spent last year on loan before returning to DC this season. What was that whole process like for you?

Jon Wagner (JW): It’s definitely a unique experience, considering that it’s not quite the full trade experience. You still get that feeling of, “hey, my team still wants me”, but at the same time you’re being shipped away. I think that it’s not necessarily the end of the world as a player – yes, you get booted to a whole new clubhouse situation and the adjustment period knowing that your teammates won’t fully trust you is tough on a player, but knowing that your real team realizes that it would be better for you in the long run is reassuring. Turns out that DC grabbed Chad Lerner with the pick they acquired from my loaning, and he projects to be one of the better pure stuff pitchers in the CBA. It’s a sacrifice on my part for a half season, but in the end I know I’ll see the fruits of the trade. 

SH: You have an interesting nickname, Moondog, how did that come about?

JW: I had a dog, and her name was Moon.

“Really?”

No, but as a kid I always loved to run. I’d run so much around that track at such a pace that my high school track teammates used to say that I was chasing my tail in circles. As for the moon part… I’d always go into events with high expectations for myself, and oftentimes wouldn’t be able to reach them. You know, hit 3 home runs (and as you can tell, I’m not a power guy). I’d always reach for the moon, and those two sports meshed together to form one nickname. And before you ask, I was born in Pennsylvania. Theoretically I’d be a Monsters fan, but DC chose me early on and here I am.

SH: You’ve become very popular nationally in your short time in the CBA. How have you handled the fame that has come to you recently? 

JW: It’s definitely been a ride, considering that DC is currently projected to have the #2 draft pick. It’s like Mike Trout back in the day, where he would always be on a bad team but still have national popularity. I just like to keep my head down and stay down to earth. Don’t let the popularity get to me, because that’s what messes with your head. I still would like to think that I give something for the fans to like about me every night, and I appreciate that they care so much about my performance out on the diamond.

SH: The Eagles look like they will spend another year in the Bronze League. What will be key to the team continuing to improve next year to get promoted?

JW: I think that we’ve got some great young guys in the system who are coming up next year, like Justin [Jordan], Sean [Brodmerkel], Matt [Eldred], and others. I think some more pressure comes on Derrick Jefferson (GM of the Eagles), as he needs to continue to draft well and trade wisely. He’s looking at a top pick in this year’s draft, and he has shown that, with Justin’s pick last year, he’s able to accurately scout and acquire talent as needed. I still think that we will need two more years to promote, but I feel as though we could surprise some people come next season.

SH: Being on a young team who, like you say, may be a couple of years away still, how do you remain focused on your game? 

JW: I’m always knowing that, if my game stays up, I might be able to get loaned away and help both teams in the long run. Knowing that you’ve got the potential to be traded away to a team that desperately needs your help keeps you going day after day to stay locked in. Next year, that entire focus shifts toward us winning. We want to ruffle some feathers in the Bronze League, shake up the standings, and prove to the world that we are not an organization that’s rooted in a losing culture. I take these games down here as practice for our promotion shot, and when the time comes, you’ll be sure I’m ready to take it.

SH: You were an inaugural member of the CBA and have seen it grow in such a short time. Where do you see the league in another 5, 10 years? 

We’ve already got quality baseball going on around the league – each league has its own superstars, each league has its own teams and dynasties. That being said, I can see the leagues evening out over the next few years – the teams that have the superstars will be in the PL, while rebuilding teams will be in the Bronze League. In 10 years, the whole fabric of the CBA will be shaken, with free agency and all that being conducted. I think that’s a benefit to those teams that are currently rebuilding – your whole team won’t be stripped down to its roots when free agency hits. In five years, I can see DC in the Premier League for certain, if we keep up our rate of drafting and trading, and I can see a DC-Bay Area rivalry start to form. Both teams fighting for promotion with a similar ideology, and in that 10 year period a whole other batch of rivalries will be formed. Right now everybody is friends with one another, but rest assured that, at the end of the day, some games will be much more fun than what they are now.

SH: You mentioned some of the friendliness in the league, who are some guys around the CBA that you like to watch and guys on other teams you have become close with?

JW: Love to watch Danny Crews and Mike Todoroff while I’m with them. Both are able to do so much on both sides of the ball, and I don’t think that the league will see a dynamic duo like them for quite some time at the same subdivision. Is it too early to say Aaron Hannah? He’s always got such a presence out there, with a gigantic frame that throws a 100 MPH Cutter and has the best change I’ve ever seen. The stats back up his stuff – He’s averaging a strikeout a game more than the next pitcher. As for the other leagues, you can’t miss Adam Borne and whatever time he’s got left in the league. I’ve always looked up to him while playing here, because he is the best pure hitter in the league. I’ve made a bunch of new friends during my short stay in Great Lakes, especially with Josh Verburg. I mean, the dude’s just so much fun to be around, and we’ve kept in touch – albeit on opposite ends of the CBA.

SH: Before we let you go, what’s one thing in your game that you think you do really well, and one thing you think you could improve on?

JW: I find that getting on base has never been a problem in the Bronze League. I’m getting on base 45 out of 100 times, and once I’m on I like to cause pitchers to think about me while they’re pitching. I’ve stolen 33 bases, 9 more than anybody else in the league, and I like to think that I’m getting on and getting over, and giving my teammates the chance to get me in. I feel like my defense could improve a bit, as I need to get to a few more balls here and there.

Thanks for taking the time.

We would like to thank Jon for this time and we wish him and the DC Eagles the best of luck in the future.