SIOUX CITY — Players at the independent professional baseball level have jobs in the offseason.
Explorers outfielder Sebastian Zawada is no different, and on Tuesday, he had to report to a new job earlier than anticipated.
The Explorers granted Zawada his release on Tuesday night while the X’s beat Sioux Falls 6-1. That win allowed them to stay ahead of Lincoln in the wild card race.
Zawada works in real estate, and a couple of weeks ago, he was offered a position to work with a firm in Tucson, Ariz.
He has to report to said job by Thursday.
It was an opportunity he couldn’t refuse, according to Explorers manager Steve Montgomery.
“He had to take it, and we told him to take the job,” said Montgomery after Tuesday’s win. “Obviously, he’s played for us for a couple years and you never want to see a player go out like that, but you also understand sometimes the player has to start a real life. A player can’t make a living in this league.”
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Zawada played three years with the Explorers each of the last three seasons.
His journey with the Explorers started in 2019. He played in 77 games and hit .263 that year. Zawada knocked in 48 runs and homered 11 times in the regular season.
One of Montgomery’s favorite Zawada moments came in the 2019 playoffs when he hit a clutch homer in the series against Kansas City. That was one of two playoff homers Zawada hit that year.
He didn’t play the 2020 season because COVID-19 knocked the Explorers out of commission, but he returned in 2021 to have a more productive season.
The Arizona State alum hit .259 in 90 games in 2021, and he drove in 62 RBIs. He had 33 extra-base hits, including 16 homers.
Zawada was on the roster when the X’s made the playoffs last summer. There, he was 3-for-11 in four games.
Zawada was also the player who hit the go-ahead homer earlier this season in Lincoln that helped Montgomery become the all-time winningest manager in franchise history.
“We’re proud of our time together, and he was a good, key piece,” Montgomery said. “He’s leaving on great terms. He was fun to have around the clubhouse. He was a guy, if he was 0-for-4 but we won, he was happy. If he went 3-for-4 and lost, he’s not happy. We wish him nothing but the best.”
That wasn’t the only eye-opening transaction the Explorers had to make in the last week.
Before Saturday’s doubleheader against Winnipeg, the Explorers released Nate Samson from the roster.
Samson spent seven years in a Sioux City uniform. He played in 509 total games with the Explorers. He hit 33 total homers and drove in 318 runs.
Samson hit above .300 in five of those seven seasons. His highest average came in 2016 where the Ocala, Florida, native hit .350. He also hit .340 in 2018.
“I’m a pretty emotional guy and there have been a lot of people here over the years who I have seen in the stands almost every night,” Montgomery said.
Samson was hitting .242 before he was let go late last week.
The decision there was an “internal” one, said Montgomery.
It wasn’t an easy one, and the long-time Sioux City manager understood that when he made the call.
“I thought it was time to make a change, and that’s what it boils down to,” Montgomery said. “Every decision I make is not favorable in the fans’ eyes, but I know I have put the Sioux City Explorers first with every decision.
“I’ve only managed one season without writing his name on a lineup card,” Montgomery said. “A lot of my success here has to do with the success that Nate Samson has had in an Explorers uniform. He has been a staple in the lineup and in the community.”
Montgomery admitted seeing two seasoned veterans walk out the door for the final time in 2022 was strange, but there was time to make those changes.
“Aug. 27 is a weird time for a roster deadline, and we’ve experimented with different days in the league for that,” Montgomery said. “It does leave the door open. We have to keep playing good baseball and find a way to win each and every night.”
The Explorers did bring in Miguel Sierra over the weekend to make up for Samson’s spot. Sierra came up from the Houston Astros organization, and made it up to the Triple-A level last season.
With Sugar Land, Sierra hit .193 with 31 RBIs.
Sierra drew a walk after falling behind 0-2 in the second inning, and that happened before Blake Tiberi’s bases-clearing double.
Sierra’s strong suit, however, is defense.
Sierra entered Thursday’s game against the Canaries with a career fielding percentage of .931 and has committed 71 errors in 232 career games.
“He has a plus-plus arm,” Montgomery said. “He’s very smooth defensively. He has great range and he looks like he’s in great shape.”
In terms of Tuesday's win, the Explorers jumped out for three runs in the second and three more in the third.
During the second inning, Tiberi had that bases-clearing double that scored Ademar Rifaela, Gabe Snyder and Sierra.
In the third, Danry Vasquez led off the inning with a solo homer. Then,a few batters later, Rifaela hit a two-run homer.
Kevin McCanna earned the win. He allowed one run on three hits in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out eight men.