Can life in minor league baseball be this fragile? Sure, Josh Hoffpauir played every game like it was his last while spanning the country in a number of minor league parks, making the most of every opportunity he had.

But could it really come down to this?

A stinking check swing?

Unfortunately for a grimacing Hoffpauir, yes.

The former Vidalia and Southern Miss standout had a productive spring with Seattle back in March, having faced big-league hurlers David Wells, Jamie Moyer, Freddie Garcia and Gil Meche in spring training in Arizona while trying to earn a spot on the Mariners’ Class AAA club in Tacoma, Wash.

After playing in his third organization in as many years, Hoffpauir felt like he may have finally found the right fit.

But then it happened &045;&045; the didn’t-mean-to swing that changed everything.

&uot;It felt funny,&uot; he said. &uot;I thought I tweaked something. I hit a ground ball to shortstop, got out of the box and could feel (my hamstring). When I got halfway to first, it kind of locked up.&uot;

It ultimately proved to be the end for him as a Mariner and what he thought at the time was the end of his pro career. But when the Jackson Senators called in April looking for a middle infield guy who can hit, he really had to think about it.

While independent league baseball may have the glamour of a sitcom on the WB, it was a way to keep playing. Hoffpauir is having a productive summer with the Senators of the Central Baseball League, and when the season ends &045;&045; who knows?

&uot;With him being from this area, it kind of made sense to try and keep a uniform on,&uot; Senators general manager Craig Brasfield said. &uot;He wants to play and loves to play, and that’s what we like here in independent ball. I know he comes from a talented program and family, and we felt like it was a win-win for us.&uot;

The release

To say Hoffpauir has had a bad break here and there in his pro career would be an understatement. Not drafted out of college, he signed on with the Oakland A’s organization and couldn’t get out of Class A ball in Modesto, Calif.

In 2002 he got released but caught on with Baltimore, who shipped him to Class AA Bowie where he spent more time as a utility player while the Orioles kept their focus on their prospects.

But in October he thought he was finally on his way when he left Baltimore to sign with the Mariners. They liked what he did in Bowie and was looking for a second baseman for its Class AAA club.

He played in eight games &045;&045; started each one &045;&045; while hitting near .400 in camp at

Peoria, Ariz., until the hamstring problem. When camp broke, Hoffpauir had to make the one road trip no player wants to take &045;&045; back home without a job.

&uot;The problem with him in Seattle was all hinging on him making the triple-A club,&uot; said his dad, Vidalia head coach Johnny Lee Hoffpauir. &uot;They wanted to take a good look at Josh, and he pulled that hamstring. Because Josh was hurt, they didn’t get that good look. They said, ‘We know what we saw, but we didn’t get a good enough look at you.’&uot;

That was it. Leaving his third organization and wondering where his next step would be, the former Viking started to run out of options. Teams were getting ready for the regular season, and Hoffpauir was at home in Hattiesburg thinking if this was the end of the line.

Retirement crossed his mind. At age 26, he was ready to try coaching.

&uot;When I got released, I didn’t do anything,&uot; he said. &uot;I had an opportunity with Seattle, and my hamstring blew out. That’s part of it. Their guys come first. That’s just the business, I guess.&uot;

That’s when Josh Hoffpauir got the opportunity to continue playing when the Senators called, and he really couldn’t turn it down. He could be closer to his fianc/e, Khara Maddix, a former Southern Miss softball star who now works at WDAM-TV in Hattiesburg.

And he could still play baseball.

&uot;I’m not real sure if I’m ready to give it up just yet,&uot; he said.

A Senator

The Senators made a big splash when they signed Josh Hoffpauir. He finished his collegiate career with the Golden Eagles and was considered a local guy, and brother Jarrett was ripping it up with USM in what turned out to be his final collegiate season.

The signing was a means of continuing his career, although it was not as part of affiliated baseball and he wasn’t totally convinced he was making the right move at first after putting up quality numbers in past seasons.

&uot;When he got the opportunity to play closer to home, he took it,&uot; Johnny Lee Hoffpauir said. &uot;He thought about it for a few days and decided it’s a way to bring a paycheck in. Baseball is a humbling game. It doesn’t work like that. You still have to work hard, get your cuts in and take it all on the field.&uot;

Josh Hoffpauir got penciled in immediately as a starter in the infield, but he struggled at first. It’s only human nature for hitters to come down from affiliated baseball into a below-radar independent league and envision hitting .500 or so, but he started 2 for 16 in his first five games.

The Central Baseball League &045;&045; like other independent leagues across the country &045;&045; has some quality talent despite getting a bad rap for being unaffiliated.

&uot;They think they’re going to hit .900 and that it’s a glorified high school league,&uot; Senators manager Dan Schwam said. &uot;But things aren’t as easy as they think they’re going to be. Josh started off slow. At first he told me he really didn’t know if he wanted to do this. Then he started playing again, and he’s starting to enjoy life a little more.&uot;

But he broke out of that in a hurry &045;&045; in Game 1 of a May 15 doubleheader he was 5 of 6 with three doubles and four runs batted in. Josh Hoffpauir has started every game so far for the 17-25 Senators, and through Sunday’s game his numbers were respectable with a .276 average with 13 doubles, three triples, 19 RBI and 11 stolen bases.

&uot;He’s a guy who comes to play every day, and that’s what you look for in independent ball,&uot; Brasfield said. &uot;I feel he can be a .300 hitter. When he got here, he didn’t know how fast-paced this game was. You’ve got some guys who have played triple-A and some guys who have played in the big leagues.&uot;

His last stop?

Independent league baseball has grown tremendously since the Northern League made its debut in the early 1990s. While several have gone under, others have flourished &045;&045; the CBL, formerly the Texas-Louisiana League, is one of four leagues who have put players back in affiliated baseball.

Perhaps indy ball’s biggest success story is Ben Weber, who played in the old Western League before getting picked up by the Anaheim Angels and helping them win the 2002 World Series.

It’s here in independent ball where the focus is to win and no one plays for himself in hopes of getting called up.

Scouts may soon start trickling in now that the draft is over searching for some talent. Since 2002 the CBL has put nine players back in affiliated ball.

&uot;If Josh goes out every day, plays hard and puts up good numbers, you never know,&uot; Brasfield said. &uot;You get back in it, and you’re on your way again. Ten or 15 years ago guys who got released from double-A or triple-A teams went home. Now they get to independent ball, and they’re showcasing their talents. Sometimes it works out, and sometimes it doesn’t.&uot;

Josh Hoffpauir is preparing for that. He has an offer as an assistant coach at USM, but he continues to keep his options open. That may include signing a contract to play in Japan or Korea, but you never know.

&uot;I would love to get back to affiliated ball, but it’s not a do-or-die thing for me,&uot; he said. &uot;I’ve got to take care of my own business. I can only control what’s in my hands. If not, I’ll probably begin my coaching career. I don’t feel like I can really lose right now.&uot;