From The Big Leagues to Indy Ball

Last month the Billings Mustangs welcomed veteran MLB manager and coach Jim Riggleman as their 2022 field manager. The PBL sat down with Jim to discuss the unique and twisting path he’s taken in his baseball career, most recently from the New York Mets all the way to Billings.

In speaking with Jim, it was clear that the journey that brought him now to the Mustangs was more than a mere side-trip. He’d known of the Billings club from his time with the Cincinnati Reds, back when the Mustangs were a Reds farm team, watching the many great players and coaches coming up from Billings, hearing only the best about the city, the fans, and the ballpark.

“ Mike Toomey [Mustangs Pitching Coach] and I talked a lot and decided it would be something we both would enjoy doing.” About Billings he says, “I've heard nothing but positive things.”

Riggleman is very familiar with the minor leagues, having played eight seasons between AA and AAA and managed at every level for eleven seasons before launching a 23 year MLB coaching career with eight MLB clubs.

“When I went on to manage in the minors I never had a job I didn't really enjoy.”

Billings, he says, will be the next great adventure in his baseball journey.

When we spoke, Jim had been on the job for only 10 days but it didn’t take long for him to recognize the hard work that independent teams must take on to source players, unlike in big league organizations where the players are drafted and assigned to teams each year.

Now there are choices to make and they must embark on the yearly indy ball journey of creating a roster. Riggleman says he is “Looking for ballplayers” and that “Ideally you have a talented person who is a solid citizen.”

“Talking to the instructors who have these players for days and days and in some cases repeated camps year after year. [They say] This guy is just a winner, he does everything right, always involved in something to help his side of the camp win the game. You take these comments and then you look at the player and say yeah you know what, this guy could be a fit for us. Talent is always the number one criteria.”

At this point, though, Jim doesn't know what the competition will look like this season, and while stats help paint a picture, it’s basically all part of his learning curve.

“You don't know what you get until you get out there, but people are going to pay to watch us play so I’m gonna give them every effort I can”.

He offers a simple, but key piece of advice for players looking to continue their professional baseball experience: “While you're here, you have to help us win each day. When you’re a part of the team's success it can help lead to your own individual success.”

For the first time, Riggleman won't be facing the usual constraints from MLB or MiLB. Everything in the dugout and on the field is his responsibility. Jim will scout, compile a roster, serve as field coordinator, and, of course, as manager. He is going to use his well-developed standards and guidelines formed over years of MLB success to pull it all together. The freedom of indy ball allows him to not be too concerned with analytics, “old school” approaches, or “new school” approaches.

“We are just going to play good baseball. Play hard and good solid baseball. The bottom line, hit it, pitch it, catch it, throw it.”

When we finished our conversation, Jim wanted to reach out to the fans and say that he can’t wait to welcome them to Dehler Field in Billings this May. Like the new kid in school, he’s nervous but excited.

“I’d like to say hello to everyone out there,” says Riggleman, “ I had one year in North Dakota and I loved it, some of the nicest people I ever met in my life. I think I'm going to see a lot of the same in Montana and Idaho.”

The Pioneer Baseball League presented by TicketSmarter 2022 opening day is May 23rd. The Billings Mustangs play their first home game on Saturday, May 28th.