The Bangor Lumberjacks may have been inactive on the field Sunday, but the team’s front office remained busy.

Bangor activated lefthanded pitcher Danny Miller from the disabled list this weekend and waived catcher Daling Rengifo to make room for him.

Miller’s activation gives the Lumberjacks 12 pitchers on their 22-man roster. With only 10 position players and one catcher listed, Bangor’s bench appears a bit thin, but things are not always as they seem.

The presence of righthanded reliever Matt Tindell allows the ‘Jacks to be a bit more creative with their roster as he can pitch, play infield and outfield, pinch-hit, and act as the emergency catcher.

“He’s probably the best athlete on this team and he has the most tools of anybody,” said pitching coach and starting pitcher Kevin Pincavitch.

After Rengifo cleared Northeast League waivers, Bangor manager Kash Beauchamp contacted people he knew with the Northern League’s Lincoln (Neb.) Saltdogs and recommended Rengifo. The Saltdogs then signed him as a free agent to be their backup catcher.

“Daling is a good catcher and we thought he deserved to play for somebody, so I called Lincoln for him,” Beauchamp said.

While most Northeast League teams are going with 10-11 pitchers, Beauchamp decided to go with 12 because with five rainouts in the first 11 days of the season, the Lumberjacks are going to have to play a lot of doubleheaders in the first half of the 92-game season.

“I think it’s important to have 12 because we’re going to need that pitching depth once we start playing all these doubleheaders,” he said. “That’s why it’s so great having a guy like Matt who can fill in for you in a lot of places.”

Tindell pinch-hit and played left field Saturday night. Five games into the season, the 23-year-old Sebring, Fla., native has already pinch-hit, pitched and played three positions for the Lumberjacks.

Bay stater back in Maine

When Massachusetts native Peter L’Italien first traveled to Maine four years ago, his first impression was not a very favorable one.

“A few years ago when I came to college, I didn’t really like Maine a lot, but I love being back now.” L’Italien said.

Back then, he was a freshman baseball prospect at the University of Southern Maine in Gorham. Friday night, he was a rookie third-string catcher for the New Jersey Jackals in Orono.

Last weekend marked the first time L’Italien had been to the University of Maine’s Mahaney Diamond since his sophomore year at USM.

“I’ve played here once before. My sophomore year we came up here and beat Maine,” he said. “They’ve added a few things. It still looks beautiful.”

The 23-year-old L’Italien batted .273 with 11 home runs, 79 RBIs and 14 stolen bases in his four seasons at USM. The 1999 Little East Conference Rookie of the Year graduated last year.

“A few months ago, I wasn’t even playing baseball anymore, but I heard about a big tryout camp in Florida, I went down, and there was a Padres scout down there who I caught the eye of, and here I am,” he said.

The Salem, Mass., resident was one of 200 players who attended the camp and one of 12 fortunate enough to be drafted.

“I think I’m one of two guys on my team who either weren’t drafted [by the major leagues] or didn’t play affiliated ball before,” he said. “I’m also the youngest guy on the team. I mean, I’m thinking ‘Do I fit in here?’, but they make me feel like I do.”

L’Italien says he’s learning a lot while he waits for a chance to start.

“I’m learning the speed of the game. It’s a lot different and it’s a huge adjustment from division III baseball to this,” L’Italien said. “I go from catching guys throwing in the 70’s and 80’s to guys throwing 87 to 92 every night.”

In the meantime, he takes his opportunities to play when he gets them. Saturday night, he was called upon to pinch hit in the ninth inning against Bangor and flied out to left field.

“Even though I’m not playing much, I’m not discouraged because I’m learning a lot watching these guys and being in the bullpen,” he said. “I’m giving this a shot because I don’t ever want to wonder ‘What if?’ or have any regrets.”

Day of infamy

Even before the grim events of September 11, 2001, that date was already an infamous one for Portland Sea Dogs fans.

You see, despite compiling an overall franchise win-loss record of 679-643 and winning three straight Eastern League Northern Division titles from 1995-97, the Sea Dogs have only made it to the EL title game twice in their 10-year history. Both times, the game was played on Sept. 11 (1996 and 1997) and both times, the Sea Dogs were dealt crushing losses by Harrisburg (Pa.).

In 1996, Harrisburg’s 6-1 victory clinched the league title as the Senators won the best-of-five series three games to one. In 1997, the Senators edged Portland 4-3 in game four to once again win the series three games to one.

Andrew Neff can be reached at 990-8205, 1-800-310-8600, or ANeff@bangordailynews.net