While a few professional baseball players with Maine ties are starting to entertain thoughts about being promoted to the big leagues as a September call-up when major league clubs can expand their rosters, Simon Williams is just hoping to get another chance in affiliated ball.

The former University of Maine star outfielder was released by the St. Louis Cardinals organization – the team that selected him as an 11th- round pick in the 2004 amateur draft – July 1.

Rather than mope, the former Black Bears center fielder signed a contract with the Brockton (Mass.) Rox of the independent Canadian-American (Can-Am) League 13 days later and is trying to play his way back into a chance at the majors.

Williams is currently hitting just .205 for Brockton (through Sunday), but has hit a home run and driven in 11 runs in 78 at-bats over 27 games. He’s also scored eight runs and is 2-for-2 in stolen base opportunities.

The switch has brought the Portland native closer to his old stomping grounds and provided him more playing time, although the 24-year-old Williams must make some hitting adjustments to cut down on his strikeouts (35 in 78 at-bats) and get himself more notice.

Players in the independent league, previously known as the Northeast League – which counted the Bangor Lumberjacks 2003-04) and Bangor Blue Ox among its member franchises for two years (1996-97) each – can have their contracts bought out by major league organizations. It’s one of the nuances that attracts players to independent league ball.

Before being cut, Williams played 24 games with the Swing of the Quad Cities (Davenport, Iowa), the low Single-A Cardinals club Quad Cities, and 26 games with high Single-A club Palm Beach (Fla.) Cardinals.

At Quad Cities, Williams hit .154 with five homers and eight RBIs. Before that, Williams batted .123 with a homer, 10 RBIs and three steals for Palm Beach.

See you in September

Players with Maine ties who could be given serious consideration for a September call-up by their respective major league organizations include Mike MacDonald of Camden. Matt Kinney of Bangor, former Bangor Lumberjack hurler Tim Rall, and possibly even Thomas “Tip” Fairchild of Lewiston.

MacDonald has been impressive in his third professional season, compiling a 12-9 record with a 3.77 ERA in 164 2/3 innings with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. The former Camden-Rockport High School and UMaine star has pitched two complete games and one shutout. In his last outing against the Portland Sea Dogs (Aug. 17), the righthander threw eight innings of six-hit, shutout ball in which he walked just two batters and struck out six. Through Sunday, he had struck out 98 batters and walked 34.

Kinney has rebounded from a slow start with the San Francisco Giants’ Triple-A club Fresno (Calif.) and is now 8-7 after 23 starts with a 4.88 ERA. He has 117 strikeouts and 52 walks in 145 2/3 innings. Now in his 12th pro season, the 29-year-old former Bangor High star is looking to get back into the majors for the sixth time.

The 27-year-old Rall has been limited in his pitching experience to just 13 appearances due to injury. Still, he had two saves and a 1.26 ERA in 10 games with Double-A Midland (Texas) before being promoted to Triple-A Sacramento (Calif.), where he’s gone 0-0 with no saves and a 4.15 ERA over 4 1/3 innings through Sunday.

Fairchild has been turning heads since being drafted in the 12th round of the 2005 draft by the Houston Astros. The 22-year-old former Monmouth High and University of Southern Maine standout has gone 14-7 overall in stints with Single-A Lexington (Ky.) and Double-A Salem (Va.). The righthander is 4-4 with a 3.64 ERA for Salem and has 39 strikeouts and 17 walks in 54 1/3 innings, but is still a longshot as a call-up only because of his general youth and inexperience.

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